Doctor Who: The Companion Chronicles: The Mahogany Murderers

Andy Lane
Big Finish

Professor George Litefoot: the eminent pathologist who advises the police in some of their grisliest cases. Henry Gordon Jago: the master of ceremonies at the Alhambra Theatre. These are two very different men from contrasting strata in society who became firm friends and collaborators after their adventure with the Doctor and Leela battling the evil Weng-Chiang.
Some years later, Jago and Litefoot have defeated dangerous denizens of the daemonic darkness together. They have stood side by side against threats to the British Empire. But when a body is found on the banks of the River Thames and Litefoot's post mortum reveals that it is actually a highly detailed wooden mannequin, their most dangerous adventure begins.
Dr Tulp has masterminded a deadly scheme, Jack Yeovil and his murderous gang plan to live forever, and only Jago and Litefoot can stop them...

This is a lovely little steampunk tinged Doctor Who spin-off audio play.

Henry Gordon Jago and Professor George Litefoot were first introduced in the Tom Baker episode ‘The Talons of Weng Chiang’ and are respectively a theatre master of ceremonies and a police pathologist. The story finds them meeting in a pub to discuss the strange events of the evening whereby Litefoot had received a cadaver in his laboratory that turned out to be a beautifully crafted wooden mannequin. Jago is asked to investigate and soon finds himself besieged by wooden people animated with the ‘souls’ of dead London criminals.

It was an excellent listen that while being a little light on laughs was really nicely acted by two veterans. I love the idea of these two very different people who having established a friendship during the events of the aforementioned adventure have not only maintained it throughout the intervening years but have continued to pursue the adventuring that it had inspired them to.

There’s been several spin-off series from this which I fully intend to work my way through.