The Keeper of Light

Time, tide and buttered eggs wait for no man. But sometimes, we do rather have to wait for them.

The War Doctor

Synopsis

The Doctor and his faithful companion are on the trail of strange psionic signals…

At a remote coastal cottage, holidaymakers David and Dorothy think there’s something strange about the lighthouse. But the Doctor can’t shake the sense of an even bigger mystery to solve…

Review

The Keeper of Light sees the War Doctor caught up in a mystery set on Earth based around a mysterious abandoned lighthouse off the coast of Scotland.

Phil Mulryne has written what appears to be, on the surface, at least, a traditional adventure for a Doctor who does not really have stories that fall into this blueprint, and the fact that this is set on Earth feels like the first hint that all is not as it seems from the beginning. This feels like a story that would not feel out of place in the revived format of the show, complete with the married couple who are running on fumes and trying to recapture the spark. This family drama does form the majority of the first half of the story and does seem to slow the pace right down, so the use of a cold open to establish the central mystery is a good idea, and when that threat starts to reveal itself to the Doctor, then it does feel as though it does speed up a lot more. I think that the early scenes do work well to establish both the companion and the three main members of the guest cast, and Louise Jameson’s work as director makes this all hold together really well.

The twist of The Keeper of Light does owe a lot to you not looking at the cast list and knowing your Doctor Who cast members. By having Emma Campbell-Jones, Ken Bones and Adele Anderson in this story, more dedicated fans will know of the significance of their usual roles in the Time War, and that there is something more than meets the eye here. That’s not to say that the cast give this twist away through the story, as all the guest cast do put in an effort to disguise their voices. The only exception may be that of Hugh Ross, but that is not really an issue as he is the one member of the cast in this story who is not a regular cast member of the Time War audio stories. I liked the effect used on Ross’ voice for the Keeper, and the idea of the character, but was a bit disappointed at how quickly he was dispatched, especially considering that this story is essentially a dream, so we won’t get answers or futher appearances. The General, Tamasan and Cass are all characters who make sense to be on the Doctor’s mind and bleed into his dreams, albeit with differences to their characters. It is Layla, played by Emma Campbell-Jones, who feels the most tragic, considering her role in the creation of the War Doctor, who gets lost again to the Doctor, her role the idea of a perfect companion and bearing the name of two of the Doctor’s greatest and loyalest companions, Leela and the Brigadier.

These stories about a young War Doctor do see him continuing to grapple with how he fits into the Time War, and The Keeper of Light sees the Doctor caught up in his dreams of going back to adventures more in keeping with his pre-Time War selves, with an Earth-bound mystery. Jonathon Carley continues to shine in this story, and is especially good in the scenes where the true nature of this story is revealed and he has to say goodbye to Layla, and also his brief coda with Tamasan, where it is revealed what has triggered this dream. The Doctor tries to give himself clues as to the truth behind the dream, such as the Lewis Carroll quote regarding imagination, and the Doctor comes to the realisation that this life is not one that is available to him right now and is forced to acknowledge that he has no choice but to participate in the war. This last scene, between Carley and Anderson, is really powerfully delivered, with the War Doctor destroying the experiment that has driven the story, which the War Council wanted to use against the Daleks. Whilst the Doctor has accepted that he has to be part of the war, this does not mean that he is willing to follow the schemes of his people, and he realises that he has been used as a canary to an experiment that would be much more harmful to his own people than the Daleks.

Verdict: Phil Mulryne delivers an unusual story for the War Doctor, which works really well and progresses our understanding of just how this Doctor will function in the Time War. 8/10

Cast: Jonathon Carley (The War Doctor), Emma Campbell-Jones (Layla Bridge), Adele Anderson (Dorothy/Tamasan), Ken Bones (David/Anders Kristiansen) and Hugh Ross (Malcolm/The Keeper).

Writer: Phil Mulryne

Director: Louise Jameson

Music and Sound: Howard Carter

Release Date: 22 May 2022

Cast Notes

• Emma Campbell-Jones played Cass in The Night of the Doctor. She also played Doctor Kent in The Wedding of River Song and appeared in The Paradox Planet/Legacy of Death.
• Ken Bones previously played the Eleventh incarnation of the Time Lord General in The Day of the Doctor and Hell Bent, as well as reprising the role for Big Finish.
• Hugh Ross has played the role of Sir Toby Kinsella in the Big Finish audio series Counter-Measures.

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