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Doctor Who: James Dreyfus – Big Finish’s First Master

By James Aggas

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I’ve looked at Beevers, Macqueen and Jacobi earlier this year. Now it’s time to look at one more Master featured in Big Finish’s Doctor Who audios: James Dreyfus, who plays the first incarnation of the Doctor’s greatest enemy.

Now, if you don’t know much about Big Finish, you’re probably wondering about that headline. Perhaps even furious at it, especially if you’re a Roger Delgado fan like me. After, not only is he still considered to be by many the best incarnation of the Master in Doctor Who. But he was also the original. The first one that we ever saw.

However, on Christmas Day 2017 – the same day that we saw Peter Capaldi’s final episode – Big Finish introduced us to a brand new incarnation. One that we had never seen before.

In the first volume of The First Doctor Adventures, The Destination Wars introduced a mysterious “Inventor”, as played by James Dreyfus. When Ian meets him, he soon learns that not only is the Inventor a charming and popular figure, but also a threatening and hypnotic character, too.

Ian and Barbara also learn that the Inventor and the Doctor were once very old friends. It’s of course revealed that the Inventor goes by another name, one he prefers much more: the Master.

Introducing…the Master!

It’s established very quickly that this isn’t an incarnation meeting the Doctor out of order. This really is an early version of the Master, one who’s only recently left Gallifrey and is just getting started as the Doctor’s greatest enemy. It makes sense, especially considering that, after Delgado, the second one we saw on-screen was already supposed to be his final incarnation, at least of his original regeneration cycle.

As a result, it’s incredibly fascinating to hear the Master in his early days. Just as the Doctor is barely getting started as the hero we all know and love – one who’s more reluctant to jump into adventures and save others – so is the Master not quite the complete psychopath that we know yet.

For example, we don’t actually see him kill anyone directly in The Destination Wars. We see him use, manipulate and directly threaten others, but never kill. It’s interesting to see a Master who’s more restrained, even compared to Delgado at this point. His enmity with the Doctor is really only getting started, but by the end of the story, it’s definitely growing.

James Dreyfus first appeared as the Master in The Destination Wars. But when will he appear next?

(Photo credit: Doctor Who/Big Finish

Image obtained from: Big Finish Productions.)

An early glimpse at a major villain

Because he’s the closest we’ve seen to the Doctor’s origins, he also gives us a few hints and clues as to how he and the Doctor were before they left Gallifrey.

He already knows Susan very well, and when Susan first sees him in the story, she’s instantly afraid of him. The Doctor already considers him to a be a “poison to the cosmos”, so we know that’s it not exactly the start of the Master’s fall to darkness.

But it’s still interesting to hear that parallel with the First Doctor. He’s evil and threatening, but we also know that he’s destined to become much, much worse. It actually fits, too. Just as Dreyfus isn’t as openly psychopathic as Delgado, Delgado isn’t nearly as insane as Simm or Gomez, either.

Dreyfus also plays the role really well, too. He has a lot of power in his voice, and it’s a voice that’s delicious to listen to.

Single appearance (so far)

However, unfortunately, it’s also a voice that we haven’t heard much of, yet. The First Master made a strong impression in The Destination Wars, but he’s yet to make a second appearance.

This wouldn’t be quite so frustrating if Big Finish didn’t let it slip in behind the scenes interviews that this is actually the third time that Dreyfus has played the role. So we know that he’s played the Master twice before, but Big Finish have yet to release those stories. Or even let us know which ones those are.

So admittedly, when I saw James Dreyfus’s name in the credits of Tales of New Earth, I was excited. Especially as he was playing “The Most Exalted High Persian”, which had to be the most obvious alias for the Master since Colonel Masters. After all, only the Master would give himself an alias that egotistical, right?

Except…that wasn’t what happened. Spoiler alert: Dreyfus wasn’t playing the Master in Tales of New Earth. In fact, production wise, it was his earliest role with Big Finish, before he had even been given the role of the Master. Still, you can imagine why I, and I’m sure many others assumed that he would’ve played the Doctor’s arch-enemy in the release.

So far, The First Doctor Adventures has been the First Master’s only appearance. But when could we expect him next?

(Image credit: Doctor Who/Big Finish Productions.

Image obtained from: Big Finish Productions.)

Possible returns

Now it’s been over a year since the release of The First Doctor Adventures: Volume One, and we still haven’t heard his second or third appearances. In fact, we don’t even know what they are! Despite telling us that we can expect him to return at some point, Big Finish have kept very quiet about when that will be. But what are the likeliest candidates for him showing up next?

More from Winter is Coming

The most likely possibility? The Fourth Doctor Adventures. This series is usually recorded much more in advance compared to others, so it’s very possible that at least one of his appearances is in a future season.

Especially since the title of season eight of The Fourth Doctor Adventures, beginning in January, is The Syndicate Master Plan. Could the Master be meeting the Doctor out of order once more, as we’ve seen in World Enough and Time?

The only other possibility I can think of is The Legacy of Time, Big Finish’s twentieth anniversary special that’s out next year. It’s currently set to feature a huge cast, including multiple Doctors and many more companions. Could we also expect at least one of the Masters to show up, too?

Regardless of when we do hear more of James Dreyfus’s Master, the fact is that his single appearance so far has already made a strong impression. I’m certainly looking forward to hearing more of this incarnation. One who’s only just beginning his legacy of evil.

Next. The world-building of Robert Holmes. dark

Have you checked out The Destination Wars, and James Dreyfus’s performance as the Master? What has been your impression of his incarnation so far? Are you looking forward to hearing more from him? Let us know in the comments below.

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