Originally published by L.S. Media. February 25th 2012.

L.S. Media Rating ****

Cast: Tom Baker, Louise Jameson, Ian McNeice, Gareth Armstrong, Anthony Howell, Daisy Ashford, Laura Molyneux, John Dorney.

A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. In the world of Doctor Who it can lead to downright murder! The second of Big Finish’s new Tom Baker stories, The Renaissance Man, shows with a certain delightful irony that just because you may think you know everything, doesn’t mean you have experienced it and of course there is always just that little bit more to know, even if it’s on the relative value of cow parsley.

Two stories in and with a flourish of the scarf and the twinkle of the eye Tom Baker is actually back. In comparison to the first story, Destination Nerva, the marvellous Tom Baker seems to relishing the story line written by Justin Richards. In all fairness there’s a lot to take in and even the well tested premise of one man overreaching his own peculiar ambition doesn’t detract from the enjoyment of the audio play. Tom Baker though shows his warmth throughout the hour, the humour, the sudden warning of melancholy, are all there and it is if the time spent watching Doctor Who on a Saturday evening after the football results long filtered past the announcer’s lips on Grandstand, are suddenly and thankfully back.

Louise Jameson portrays her character of the savage Leela to perfection. Although she has appeared on various Big Finish stories since the company took on the meaty task of producing audio releases, it’s alongside Tom Baker that she really shines. This is Renaissance Man incarnate, the savage being taught, asking questions and improving the mind. However there is always just that little bit of danger, a tendency to rely on the hunting skills that has served her well throughout her time as the dangerous Leela. Ask any young fan of the show in the 1970’s, any young lad who saw this savage on screen and they would be hard pressed to say whether they were fascinated or terrified by her. The audio makes the most of this memory to excellent effect. The imagery of a knife being pressed against the flesh of a man is chilling enough, in Leela’s hands and even though it’s an audio drama, it’s still unbelievably real.

There should always be the exciting guest star turn, someone who appearance on any type of Doctor Who transmission should be greeted by Who devotees as a free and exciting gift. The Renaissance Man has by far and away one of the finest to grace the scripts and who is no stranger to appearing alongside any incarnation of the Doctor. Ian McNeice in recent years has worked alongside Paul McGann’s Doctor in Immortal Beloved and notably sharing a close friendship with Matt Smith’s television Doctor as Winston Churchill. It is a welcome thing to hear this very talented actor’s gravelly tones alongside those of Louise Jameson and Tom Baker.

The writer should be congratulated as well for making the unsaid distinction on how you get the knowledge you seek. Easy in this day and age to suddenly get the information you need via the computer and the world of Wikipedia. Electronic information can be misleading, especially in the hands of someone who can change it with just the tap of a letter here and a sentence change there. If you want to know what it’s really like, read a book by someone who has lived it or better still go and discover it for yourself.

An excellent second story and one that bring Tom Baker alongside the other actors who portray each incarnation as being a wonderful addition to the canon of stories.

 The Renaissance Man is available to buy from Worlds Apart on Lime Street.

Ian D. Hall