Frazer Hines and Wendy Padbury are returning as the Second Doctor’s companions Jamie McCrimmon and Zoe Heriot in a new series of audio adventures from Big Finish – and RadioTimes.com can now exclusively reveal some additional cast members.
Emma Samms (Dynasty), Simone Lahbib (Bad Girls), and comedian Rufus Hound will all have voice roles in the latest volume of The Companion Chronicles, which is due for release in April 2022.
Samms, who will play Anya in the series, said that radio drama is “one of [her] favourite things to do” and explained that although she had known Hines for many years this was the first time she had worked with him.
“When I read the script and knowing that he was playing both of those parts [Jamie McCrimmon and The Doctor], I assumed they would be recorded separately,” she said. “To see him switch back and forth like he does is like a masterclass. He’s unbelievably skilled and I’m still in awe of the fact that he’s able to do that.”
She picked out working with a Dalek as a highlight, and also teased some details about her character, explaining: “Anya has had a tough life. Poor Anya. It’s really done terrible things to her.
“Her experiences have damaged her and she’s been able to get away with hiding her methods and plan from all the people around her. So, she’s got to be quite good at it. I really wanted to hide it from the audience as well, so that they wouldn’t have a clue as to what actually was going on because it would be a shame to give it away.”
Meanwhile, Lahbib will play two characters – Róisín Hunter and Jamie’s Grandmother – and said she was delighted to take part.
“As a huge, long-time fan of Doctor Who, I was absolutely thrilled to get the call from my agent to play opposite the Second Doctor’s companion, Jamie McCrimmon, played by the lovely Frazer Hines, in a brilliant new episode The Phantom Piper written for Big Finish Productions,” she said. “I had an absolute ball beginning to end.”
Finally, Hound will voice The Monk, and said that “recording this episode was a complete joy”.
“My first reaction upon reading the script was ‘this is rather lovely; this is one where the Monk rather takes the lead’,” he said. “Of course, by the end of it he’s been beaten into second place but it was very pleasing to do a story where the Monk is the one putting his best foot forward rather than playing second fiddle.”
The Companion Chronicles: The Second Doctor – Volume 3 is already available to pre-order and is made up of four adventures.
The first two – The Death of the Daleks by George Mann and The Phantom Piper by Martin Day – star Hines, while the second pair – The Prints of Denmark by Paul Morris and The Deepest Tragedian by Penelope Faith – see Padbury take centre stage.
