al·che·my n. A seemingly magical power or process of transmuting.

Season 24 is not held in high esteem by the majority of Doctor Who fans. There are a section (most of whom will never marry…) who are delighted by its pantomimic charms and over the top bounciness but for the most part it is seen as a regrettable period which did far more harm than good. Those taking the decision to cancel the show in 1989 did so (in my opinion) because the taste of season 24 was still in their mouths and it tainted their perception of seasons 25 and 26. Underneath Greatest Show… and the Happiness Patrol are darker and more allegorical stories but on the surface they can be seen as just as silly as Delta and the Bannermen or Paradise Towers. So who in their right minds would want to go back to season twenty four and expect people to pay for the privilege of hearing it?

The version of the back-story that I’ve heard is that Bonnie Langford got in touch with Big Finish and said she would be interested in doing a Doctor Who. I like to think that tale is true, not because it makes her seem desperate for work but because it makes her seem like someone who cares. Doctor Who didn’t do her career any favours as it just perpetuated the image of her as an irritating screamer. Violet Elizabeth grows up but does not change. The public perception of actors is lazy and shedding such a powerful stereotype isn’t easy even when they can see you are no longer a little girl but an adult capable of adult things. The vitriol she received from large sections of fandom can’t have made her feel great either. And if she was aware of the Big Finish plays then she must have at least a passing knowledge of what is going on in the world of Doctor Who. The plays were very young back then and their penetration into the high street, as sparse as it is today, was virtually non-existent then.

So you’ve got Bonnie Langford on board which means you’ve got to write a story for Melanie Bush. Now, we saw Mel’s final story on screen so we know that the character didn’t change much over the course of her time with the Doctor. Hence the script has to be true to the Mel of season 24 or there is no point doing it. Unbound could later get away with a tough and cynical Mel but that wouldn’t be acceptable here. Steve Lyons does a masterful job playing to her strengths of optimism, energy and determination in the face of terrible catastrophe. By giving the play such a doom laden atmosphere it is possible to rein Mel in considerably while still staying true to her nature. She won’t let the Doctor give up but knows that air-headed bounciness and lectures about carrot juice won’t be enough.

I’ve seen some online reviewers say that the resolution to the TARDIS mystery was obvious. Well maybe it was once they’d reached the end of the play. Some people love to use reviews to put themselves over at the expense of the thing they are writing about. Personally I thought it was a very sound explanation. It didn’t cheat, it didn’t blow the whole thing off with a wave of its hand (stand up The Mutant Phase). It gave a solid explanation of how it could (and indeed did) happen. But even if you were one of the people who thought of it, the play provides enough obstacles between the Doctor and his clever solution that the drama never slackens for a moment. The play gives a human face – both good and bad – to Pompeii and it is sad to hear the probable demise of all concerned.

Fires of Vulcan was the first time Big Finish got everything right. I’m really not sure there is anything that could be improved. There is bound to be something I’ve overlooked so I’ll just say that it is 99% perfect.

CD Facts

Part 1 - Tracks 1-6

Part 2 - Tracks 7-11

Part 3 - Tracks 1-5

Part 4 - Tracks 6-11