Death in Venice

The Master is on a mission, and after causing trouble in Victorian England, he’s now turning his attention to Venice, a century earlier. The Dark Gallifrey saga continues today with The Decayed Master – Part Two by Lauren Mooney and Stewart Pringle. 

This is the middle part of a horror-inflected trilogy focusing on the physically deformed version of the Master played by Geoffrey Beevers, as seen in 1981 Doctor Who story The Keeper of Traken. Beevers returns to the role for the first-ever audio series focusing on this incarnation. 

In this instalment, the Venetian mask-maker Lupo finds that something is coming for him through the ancient skiproads, something from his secret past on Gallifrey – the Master is on his trail… 

Dark Gallifrey: The Decayed Master – Part Two is now available to purchase for just £8.99 (digital download to own) or £10.99 (download to own + single-disc collector’s edition CD), exclusively here. Please note: the collector’s edition CD is strictly limited to 1,000 copies and will not be re-pressed. 

Across the canals and through the swirling balls of 18th century Venice, stories of Lupo’s genius fill the air. The greatest mask-maker in the Republic’s history, the delicate brushwork of Lupo is legendary. But Lupo has a dark past, on a burned-sienna planet galaxies away. He made a pact, and an exceedingly powerful enemy. 

And now that enemy is coming, through the ancient, legendary ‘skiproads’, to tear apart everything Lupo has built and unleash his nightmarish powers on the majestic floating city. 

Writer Lauren Mooney said: “Venice! What a fascinating period in history, although shamefully, we picked it because we’d just had a very nice holiday there! It’s an incredible city, and walking in the small hours, the lack of traffic gives you a real sense of this unbroken ancientness. Getting to revisit that beautiful place, even just in our imaginations, was a huge treat.” 

Producer Alfie Shaw added: “What I love about this particular incarnation of the Master is that he’s such an inherent contradiction. He’s basically clinging on for dear life while still claiming to be the rightful ruler of everything and everyone should bow down to him. It’s a lethal combination.  

“Also, Geoffrey’s voice is so iconic as the Master. As a long-time listener and fan, I was delighted he was one of the two villains handed over for me to produce in this range.” 

Praise for Dark Gallifrey: The Decayed Master – Part One: 

“Left me on the edge of my seat.”
Sci-Fi Pulse 

“Blows the doors wide open for anything to happen next.”
Doctor Who Magazine 

All the above prices (including pre-order and multibuy bundle discounts) are fixed for a limited time only and guaranteed no later than 30 September 2026. 

Big Finish is currently operating a digital-first release schedule. The mailout of collector’s edition CDs will be delayed, but all purchases of this release unlock a digital copy that can be immediately downloaded or played on the Big Finish app from the release date.