The Curse of Lady Macbeth

I’m not a Doctor. I am the Doctor!

The Ninth Doctor

Synopsis

The TARDIS is drawn to Scotland again – to the troubled Kingdom of Moray, and its Queen Gruach. Or, as the Doctor knows her better, Lady Macbeth. While some believe she is the cause of her people’s woes, she may yet become their saviour.

Review

Lost Warriors, the third box set released since the return of Christopher Eccleston to the role of the Ninth Doctor, hits a historical figure in Lady Macbeth, more commonly referred to in this story as Gruach. It’s an atmospheric story which does work for the majority of the story but falls down when it comes to the mysterious force of the Fuath.

I am not as familiar with the Shakespeare play Macbeth as perhaps I should be. Having studied Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet in my school days, I’ve never really sought out the Scottish play. My most frequent reference to it perhaps shamefully comes from Blackadder III, in which the titular character uses the mention of the name of the play to cause some actors employed by the Prince Regent to have to undertake a song and dance to counteract the bad luck. Somehow, bits of Shakespeare do permeate and The Curse of Lady Macbeth takes glee in echoing the play’s most famous moments. The gathering of the three women at the start of the story is a clear nod to the beginning of Macbeth. It is fair to say that Lady Macbeth is an example of Shakespeare perhaps painting a character as a villain, like Richard III, making her the power behind her husband’s throne. Lizzie Hopley takes this opportunity to reflect and invert this idea, making Lady Macbeth a maternal and still powerful figure.

Lizzie Hopley creates an effective setting for the story, generating some dark and mysterious settings for the Fuath to terrorise the people of Moray and creates a wonderful atmosphere. Hopley has seized the opportunity to shift the focus away from the famous King to his lesser-known wife, which makes this all feel a bit like Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, the Tom Stoppard play in which two side characters from Hamlet become the lead. Of course, Gruach has a more prominent role in Macbeth than either of those two characters. If anything, the biggest flaw is the Fuath, who feels a little bit underdeveloped, despite a good performance from Maggie Service and some terrifying imagery in the form of babies replaced by duplicates without mouths. Ultimately, it feels as though the Fuath is rather more generic than its terrifying abilities give it the potential to be.

As much as I love the character of Madam Vastra, it is good to see Neve McIntosh given the opportunity to branch out into the character of Gruach. It is a really strong performance from McIntosh, who brings a lot of nuance to the character and certainly makes her seem much more human than she is in Shakespeare’s play. Combined with the more suspicious Macbeth played by Anthony Howell and the struck-mute Lulach, the Macbeth family play a vital part in saving the day in this story. The guest cast do good work here, especially Rintoul as Kincade.

Women of Moray, I am no devil. I am the Doctor, a traveller come in peace. I did not bring this creature but I hope to examine it and help find out why this is happening.

The Ninth Doctor

Eccleston continues to shine as he revisits the Ninth Doctor with Big Finish and it is clear that he is having a great time being back in the role. This story definitely draws parallels with meeting Charles Dickens in The Unquiet Dead with the NInth Doctor’s enthusiasm at meeting one of his idols from history, both when it comes to Gruach and Macbeth. It’s a nice touch that the Doctor decides to give Gruach an affectionate nickname and helps her seem more human. Eccleston clearly has an affinity for Macbeth, which bleeds through into his Doctor effortlessly. The chemistry between Eccleston and McIntosh gets the story through the slower moments, where the story risks losing the listener.

Verdict: The Curse of Lady Macbeth is a solid entry into the Ninth Doctor’s Big Finish stories, bolstered by strong performances by Eccleston and Neve McIntosh, but falls down a little when it comes to the villain of the piece. 7/10

Cast: Christopher Eccleston (The Doctor), Anthony Howell (Macbeth/Siward), Neve McIntosh (Gruach), David Rintoul (Kinade/Priest/Bishop), Lucy Goldie (Curstag/Lulach) & Maggie Service (Sorscha/”The Fuath”).

Writer: Lizzie Hopley

Director: Barnaby Edwards

Producer: David Richardson

Composer: Howard Carter

Release Date: 23rd November 2021

Behind the Scenes

• Christopher Eccleston played Macbeth in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s production in 2018.

Cast Notes

• Neve McIntosh is perhaps best known in Doctor Who circles for playing Madame Vastra in A Good Man Goes to War, The Snowmen, The Crimson Horror and Deep Breath, as well as reprising the role for Big Finish’s spin-off The Paternoster Gang. She has also played other Silurians, both on television and for Big Finish.
• Anthony Howell has appeared in a number of Big Finish audio plays, including The Lady of Mercia, The Plight of the Pimpernel and The End of the Line (The Sixth Doctor Adventures).
• David Rintoul has appeared in other Big Finish audio plays, such as Fever Island (The Fourth Doctor Adventures), The Ribos Inheritance (The Seventh Doctor Adventures) and The House that Hoxx Built (Classic Doctors, New Monsters).
• Lucy Goldie has also appeared in The Grey Man of the Mountain, Quantum of Axos (Tenth Doctor Classic Companions) and Wrath of the Ice Warriors (The Second Doctor Adventures).
• Maggie Service played Elsie in Deep Breath. She has also appeared in a number of Big Finish stories, including Revenge of the Swarm, The End of the Line (The Sixth Doctor Adventures) and Divorced, Beheaded, Regenerated (Missy).

Best Quote

It’s unseen work. The world remembers the names of it’s Kings, it’s legends…You look sad.

Not at all. Legends shout loud, Ru. Legacies are quieter. Quiet unseen legacies change worlds.

Gruach and the Ninth Doctor

Previous Ninth Doctor review: The Hunting Season