Doctor Who viewers were treated to the return of an iconic antagonist last year, when Anita Dobson and Archie Panjabi succeeded Kate O’Mara in the role of the Rani, a brilliant scientific genius and renegade Time Lady. 

But Big Finish listeners last encountered the Rani in 2014 and 2015, when Siobhán Redmond voiced the character in two Doctor Who Monthly Adventures stories alongside Colin Baker’s Sixth Doctor. Now, Redmond returns as the Rani once again.  

In The War Doctor Rises: Fear of the Light, the Rani’s antics during the Time War will be revealed, as she’s paired with Jonathon Carley’s War Doctor. She’s also brought an old ally with her – the Tetraps, the bat-like henchmen introduced in 1987’s Time and the Rani, now making their Big Finish debut. And they’ve had an upgrade! 

Barnaby Edwards voices Malvore, an augmented Tetrap – the Rani’s latest project in genetic engineering, who serves at her side. The cast also includes Nicholas Briggs as the Daleks, as well as Thomas Arnold and Ony Uhiara as two incarnations of the Time Lord Vaylen. 

The War Doctor Rises: Fear of the Light is now available to pre-order for just £19.99 (download to own) or £29.99 (download to own + three-disc collector’s edition CD), exclusively here. Please note: the collector’s edition CD box set is strictly limited to 1,000 copies and will not be re-pressed. 

The Doctor and the Rani’s adventure comprises three full-cast episodes, all scripted by Rochana Patel: 

The Twilight Enclave 

Fleeing from the Daleks, the Doctor sends a distress call, in desperate need of rescue… 

…and it’s answered by one of his oldest friends, and deadliest foes… 

The Rani. 

The Frozen Wastes 

The Doctor must consider the unthinkable.  

Can he set their differences aside, and work with The Rani, on a project that could change the future of the universe…? 

The Burning Lands 

The Rani stands on the brink of success. 

The future of the universe is about to change… 

Script editor Matt Fitton said: “The Rani is such an interesting and different kind of Time Lord villain. She’s not out to take over the universe, but more to steer it. In the Time War, she’s taken a look at everything, evaluated all the evidence, and realised it’s kind of unwinnable for the Time Lords. And based on that premise, she’s looking for the best possible outcome for life itself and evolution within the universe. 

“But of course, she is at odds with the Doctor, though she’s got a kind of respect for him – he has skills and qualities that would be useful to her. So she’s giving him a chance to come on board here rather than simply imprisoning him and torturing and wanting to kill him. 

“And along with the Rani, we have another Pip and Jane Baker creation in the Tetraps – well, an augmented version of them in the shape of Malvore. They’re quite a striking image, a distinctive creature from the latter years of the classic series.” 

Writer Rochana Patel added: “Yes, the Tetraps are back! They’re a fascinating species with lots of story potential that can be used in many different ways. The last time we encountered them, they were just brutish henchman who betrayed and strung up the Rani – which is a behaviour she would never tolerate, but nature is her plaything and she can easily fix problems like that...” 

Big Finish listeners can save money by purchasing Fear of the Light in a bundle with 2026’s second War Doctor Rises box set (Title TBC), due for release in December 2026, for just £38 (download to own) or £56 (download to own + collector’s edition CD box set).

All the above prices (including pre-order and multibuy bundle discounts) are fixed for a limited time only and guaranteed no later than 31 July 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.