The cover art and cast details for Doctor Who: Dalek Universe 2 have been revealed
There are allies and adversaries aplenty in the second volume of Doctor Who – Dalek Universe. The three new epic full-cast audio dramas from Big Finish, is set for release in July 2021. And journeying in this box set alongside David Tennant (The Doctor), Jane Slavin (Anya Kingdom), Joe Sims (Mark Seven) and Nicholas Briggs (The Daleks) are a host of brilliant actors. And we now also have the beautiful individual covers by Simon Holub for each story.
Cycle of Destruction introduces a family of androids
In the first episode, Cycle of Destruction by Roy Gill, our heroes are joined by an android family; Nina Toussaint-White (Bodyguard, Doctor Who) plays Mariah Six, and John Banks (Graceless, Missy) is Jason Four. Meanwhile Avita Jay (Stranded, Silent Witness) is Hera. Nina Toussaint-White said she was excited by her character’s arc in ths story. “My first impression was pure excitement, and a lot of surprise! I was excited because Mariah’s character is so meaty, and I was eager to jump on and follow her on her journey – seeing this transition and understanding why she did the things that she did, I felt a lot of empathy for her actually.”
Avita Jay, who plays Hera, was similarly impressed. “I found the script really intriguing from start to finish, meeting these android characters. It evoked a lot of imaginations of what this alien place and its inhabitants would look like, so I found it a really exciting read!”
Meanwhile, John Banks (Jason Four) was delighted by the chance to work with David Tennant on Dalek Universe. “It was great fun, as always, working with the people who contribute to Big Finish – some of whom I’ve never met before and some of whom I have worked with. Jane Slavin and I have done a number of projects together, and I was very thrilled to work with David Tennant again after Time Reaver – he’s a great fan of Doctor Who as well as being integral to it, and he’s just lovely to work with.”
The Trojan Dalek features a man determined to best the Daleks… at any cost
The second story, The Trojan Dalek, is by John Dorney. It features the previously announced Blake Ritson as Major McLinn with Pippa Bennett-Warner (Harlots) as Fliss Keeley. Barnaby Edwards (The Box of Delights, Gallifrey) is also part of the cast as Arborecc. Blake Ritson describes his character as one willing to go to any lenghths to defeat the Daleks. “Although he’s superficially quite charming, in some ways I think McLinn is actually a bit of an extremist – he’s prepared to forgo all moral questions in the search for the upper hand against the Daleks. And the script was tremendous fun – there’s a lot of witty exchanges!”
Barnaby Edwards was also on hand to praise the quality of the script. “A John Dorney script is always a pleasure – they’re always witty, and really well-plotted and just a joy to do, with really good, well-defined characters! One of the great joys about doing this story is getting to play with David’s Doctor again – he has got so much richness, subtlety, humour and even seriousness into his performance. It’s just a joy to hear him weave his vocal magic again.”
Pippa Bennett-Warner agreed, “I’ve not worked with David Tennant before, but he’s really cool. I think what makes his Doctor so loved is his charisma, charm and the humour of his performance – he’s one of my favourite Doctors!”
The Lost sees the return of Anya Kingdom’s grandfather, Merrick
The final tale is The Lost by Rob Valentine. It heralds the return of Kevin McNally (Pirates of the Caribbean, The Crown) as Merrick Kingdom. Alongside him is Leighton Pugh (Sherlock Holmes, The Diary of River Song) as the Lost. Kevin McNally describes the Kingdom patriach as a complicated individual. “He starts off as a very charming man, then he reveals a more sinister side, and then he has to make a very big, moral decision… and the way that goes I won’t spoil!” The Lost himself, Leighton Pugh, added, “It’s a great script, the usual Big Finish mix of punchy dialogue and action – you have to keep your wits about you!”
Doctor Who: Dalek Universe 2
Doctor Who fans worldwide can now pre-order all three volumes of Dalek Universe. They’re available in three formats – collector’s edition CD, digital download or limited edition gatefold triple LP vinyl – exclusively from www.bigfinish.com. Prices start from just £19.99.
Each of the three volumes in Dalek Universe are released as a four-disc collector’s edition box set or download containing three brand-new full cast audio adventures, plus a selection of behind-the-scenes extras. Big Finish listeners can save by pre-ordering a bundle of the entire series. Bundles are just £66 (as a collector’s edition box set) or £58 (as a download).
The Dalek Universe triple LP vinyls are strictly limited to a pressing of 1,000 per volume. They can be pre-ordered at £35.99 each, or £99 for the bundle of all three albums. All exclusively at the Big Finish website. Please note: the vinyl editions do not include any behind-the-scenes extras. However, listeners purchasing vinyl LP editions will receive a download of the story automatically. They’ll also be given access to the CD edits as a bonus download. Episodes will be edited specifically for the vinyl format, presented as two parts, one on each side, each with opening and closing music. In addition, all pre-orders of the vinyls will also receive the behind the extras as a bonus download.
Big Finish is currently operating a digital-first release schedule. The mail-out of collector’s edition CDs may be delayed due to factors beyond our control. But all purchases of this release unlock a digital copy that can be immediately downloaded. They can also be played on the Big Finish app (iOS and Android) from the release date.
