Phantasmagoria (audio story)

Phantasmagoria is the second in the series of Doctor Who CD Audio Dramas produced by Big Finish Productions. Written by Mark Gatiss and directed by Nicholas Briggs, the story features the Fifth Doctor and Turlough, with Peter Davison and Mark Strickson respectively reprising their roles from the original television series. Strickson becomes the first of many companion actors to reprise his TV role for Big Finish. It was recorded on 26 and 27 June 1999.

Publisher's summary
The TARDIS takes the Fifth Doctor and Turlough to the London of 1702 where a mysterious highwayman roams the streets, a local occultist has made contact with the dead and gentlemen of fashion are disappearing, only to find themselves in a chamber whose walls weep blood...

The time travellers become enmeshed in the hideous plans of Sir Nikolas Valentine, a gambler at the mysterious Diabola Club who always seems to have a winning hand...

Part One
London, March 1702. Something devilish is stalking the streets of London, but in the Diabola Club young libertines continue to amuse themselves as usual, gambling, dining and gossiping about the recent death of the King. When Edmund Carteret's losses and the taunting of his friends Quincy Flowers and Jasper Jeake become too much, he storms off, claiming that he wants something more adventurous out of life than their company. His comment is overheard by Sir Nikolas Valentine, a solitary player who claims to be playing a game of his own devising, and who invites Carteret to his table. There are those who claim that Valentine is in league with the devil himself, and Carteret, intrigued by Valentine's reputation, sits down to play...

The Doctor tries to teach Turlough how to play cricket, but Turlough is bored and confused by the overly complex rules, and the Doctor gives him a copy of the 1928 edition of Wisdon's Almanac to consult. The TARDIS materializes in the sitting room of Dr Samuel Holywell, shortly after Holywell has dismissed his maid Hannah and retired for the night. The Doctor and Turlough emerge to explore, and find evidence that their unwitting host is a collector of the unusual. When Holywell investigates the noise and catches them, the Doctor claims to have been delivering a package to him -- an odd "police box" from the New World. Holywell is still suspicious until the Doctor charms him into talking about his collection, which he does with enthusiasm once he realizes that the Doctor is a fellow collector. As Holywell shows the Doctor about, Turlough looks around for something to eat, and finds evidence that Holywell's interests have led him to the study of dark magic.

Sir Nikolas Valentine departs from the Diabola Club, but before going he invites the servant Poltrot to play at cards with him the next night; he has heard that Poltrot used to be a schoolmaster before the love of ale ruined him, and he claims that he may be able to help. Flowers, looking for the missing Carteret, questions Poltrot and learns that Carteret left in a daze some time ago after playing cards with Valentine. Flowers and Jeake depart, pondering the odd behaviour of their friend and wondering if the strange Valentine has some sort of hold over him. Their discussion is interrupted by a masked highwayman who relieves them of their purses, but their outrage becomes delight when the departing robber identifies himself as Major Billy Lovemore; they've just been robbed by the most notorious highwayman in London, and they'll dine out on the story for years to come. Elsewhere, two alien creatures discuss the progress of their client's mission; most of the primitive city has been searched, but there is still no sign of the target...

As the Doctor's tour of Holywell's collection continues, his host explains his growing interest in the arcane and cabalistic -- and claims that he is in regular contact with the spirits of the dead. Meanwhile, outside the house, night watchman Ned Cotton finds Hannah alone and presses his attentions upon her, refusing to take no for an answer. Turlough hears the commotion and, despite himself, rushes out to intervene, but as Ned prepares to thrash him they hear an unearthly noise like a rushing wind -- and the terrified Edmund Carteret rushes down the street, pursued by some unnatural invisible forces. Turlough flees in panic and is struck down in the street by a passing carriage. The Doctor and Holywell hear Hannah screaming and rush out to investigate, to see Carteret begging someone to save him -- as the street fills with an unearthly roaring cry like all the damned souls in Hell...

Part Two
Carteret collapses in the street, and the demonic sounds stop immediately. As Cotton flees in terror, the Doctor examines Carteret and finds that his heart has given out from sheer fright -- and clutched in the dead man's hand is a single playing card, the Ace of Hearts. The Doctor places the card in his copy of Wisdon's Almanac for safekeeping, while Holywell comforts the distraught Hannah and fears that his researches may have conjured up the Devil. Holywell and Hannah take the body indoors while the Doctor sets off in search of Turlough; he is unable to locate him, but Holywell offers to let the Doctor stay with him until his friend is found again. Elsewhere, the disappointed Valentine urges the screaming voices about him to rest easy; in just a little while, all their work will be done...

The next morning, Holywell reports Carteret's death to the authorities, glossing over the inconveniently supernatural details; Cotton backs up his claim simply to have found the body in the street. Holywell then informs the Doctor that there have been numerous mysterious disappearances of late; all of the victims have been young libertines, and Holywell believes that it is their voices he has heard in his seances. The Doctor, intrigued, asks Holywell to conduct another such seance that night so the Doctor can see for himself; in the meantime, Holywell takes the Doctor to a library of the arcane so he can research the history of the area for himself. Holywell has made a list of the men who have vanished, but has been unable to find a connection between them -- apart from the fact that they have all vanished within one square mile of Cheapside.

Turlough awakens in the company of Jeake and Flowers, who have been tending to him since their coach struck him down last night. He has recovered from his injures but can't remember exactly where Holywell's house was located, and thus has no way of getting back to the Doctor. Flowers sets off to the Diabola Club to investigate Poltrot's claim that Carteret had been playing cards with Sir Nikolas Valentine before his disappearance, but the nervous Jeake excuses himself to watch over the recovering Turlough, and they agree to meet that night at the theatre. Meanwhile, the two aliens discuss their client's quest; there have been no conclusive developments as of yet, and their client may be acting indiscreetly. That evening, Ned Cotton is accosted by the masked Lovemore, who claims to come as an angel of retribution -- and shoots the terrified Cotton through the chest before he can react. At the Diabola Club, Flowers finds Poltrot playing cards with Valentine, who has promised to improve the former schoolmaster's present situation. The emboldened Poltrot asks Valentine why he never removes his gloves at table, but Valentine claims that this is no more than a gambler's superstition. Flowers interrupts their game to confront Valentine, demanding to know what so upset Carteret the night before, but Valentine professes his innocence. Flowers calms down, apologises for his rough manners, and introduces himself properly as a mathematician -- and the intrigued Valentine invites him to sit down and join the game. Later that night, when Turlough and Jeake arrive at the theatre to meet Flowers, Flowers seems strangely anxious and flees without speaking to them. The worried Jeake and Turlough give chase and corner Flowers in a deserted street, where Flowers begs them to help him, claiming that he is being pursued by devils which he cannot shake off. As Turlough and Jeake watch in disbelief, the street fills with the same clamour which Turlough heard the night before, and Flowers vanishes into thin air.

As the Doctor and Holywell return to Holywell's home, having failed to find any common link between the missing men, they stumble across Cotton, who dies claiming to have seen the face of an angel. Worried, the Doctor and Holywell return home and prepare for the seance with Hannah's help. Holywell enters a trance and begins chanting to summon the spirits, and the roaring sound which they had heard the previous night fills the room. Before the Doctor can quite make out what's happening he finds himself caught up in the forces entering the circle, and as the terrified Hannah watches, both the Doctor and Holywell begin to chant sector co-ordinates and engine malfunction messages in unison...

Cast

 * The Doctor - Peter Davison
 * Turlough - Mark Strickson
 * Sir Nikolas Valentine - David Ryall
 * Dr. Samuel Holywell - Steven Wickham
 * Quincy Flowers / Ned Cotton - David Walliams
 * Edmund Carteret - Jonathan Rigby
 * Jasper Jeake - Mark Gatiss
 * Poltrot / Major Billy Lovemore / Librarian - Jez Fielder
 * Hannah Fry - Julia Dalkin
 * Henry Gaunt - Nicholas Briggs

Continuity

 * Turlough enjoyed studying history at Brendon Public School on Earth. (DW: Mawdryn Undead)
 * The Doctor finds a cricket ball and a ball of string in his pocket. (DW: Four to Doomsday)
 * The Doctor tells Turlough that has seen--and was very impressed by--a Type 70 TARDIS. (BFA: The Sirens of Time)

Timeline

 * Phantasmagoria occurs after VD: Zeitgeist
 * Phantasmagoria occurs before BFA: Loups-Garoux