DOCTOR WHO: THE FIRES OF VULCAN Two thousand years ago, a cataclysmic volcanic eruption wiped the Roman city of Pompeii from the face of the Earth. It also buried the Doctor’s TARDIS... Arriving in Pompeii one day before the disaster, the Doctor and Mel find themselves separated from their ship and entangled in local politics. With time running out, they fight to escape from the shadow of Mount Vesuvius. But how can they succeed when history itself is working against them? Starring Sylvester McCoy and Bonnie Langford, with Gemma Bissix. Directed by Gary Russell. 4 x 25 minutes.

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This was my first script for performers - the first episode of a four-part audio drama, which was released on CD with Sylvester McCoy and Bonnie Langford in the starring roles. It’s a historical adventure, set in Pompeii in the lead-up to the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. The challenge for this opening episode was to paint a picture of that setting, and of the characters who inhabit it, using dialogue and sound effects only.

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Well, here it is, what we’ve all been waiting for, an audio starring the Seventh Doctor and Mel. Yes, you heard me, Mel ... But against all odds, this latest audio adventure is a corker ... Lyons’ script throws us back to the Doctor and Mel’s arrival at Pompeii, one day before the eruption of Vesuvius. The Doctor knows that his TARDIS was dug up in 1980, and has to decide whether he wants to break the laws of time by acting on his foreknowledge, or merely give in to what he sees as his fate. In the meantime we are treated to all manner of political and religious machinations afoot in Pompeii, at least, before the eruption begins ... an enjoyable and well-written addition to the Big Finish collection ... If only Mel had been written like this in the series, Doctor Who may still have been alive and well today.

- Caroline Symcox, SFX

The TARDIS brings the Doctor and Mel to Pompeii the day before Mount Vesuvius blows its top ... Themes of abandonment, fate and surrender run through the tale and bind the narrative topped and tailed with the mystery of how our heroes are going to survive. All the characters are incredibly well defined from the ultimately heroic Celsinus to the viperous Eumachia ... All are believable thanks to Lyon’s [sic] fantastic narrative and Gary Russell’s spot-on direction ... There is much to enjoy: emotive speeches, gorgeous sound design and a corker of a cliff-hanger for episode three ... If you want a damn good story peppered with excellent characters, The Fires of Vulcan is a must. This is Big Finish’s finest work to date.

- Dan Ranger, TV Zone

Initially when I heard about this one I was filled with a sense of dread. The Seventh Doctor and Mel in Pompeii; yawn, how boring. I should have known better ... The story is fairly simple. The TARDIS arrives in Pompeii and the Doctor and Mel get involved in the local politics. The Doctor upsets a deadly gladiator ... and Mel offends the local priestess. If that was not enough the Doctor has the foreknowledge that Mount Vesuvius is about to erupt and destroy Pompeii. That he and Mel are destined to die there.

It is the aforementioned foreknowledge that makes this story stand out. Here we are treated to a Seventh Doctor who is depressed and defeated. Knowing the fate that time has in store for him and Mel he initially just gives up and waits for the inevitable to happen. The whole story has an intense apocalyptic undertone which is why I liked it so much.

We are introduced to such wonderful characters and we know that they may all die. We are gripped by the Doctor’s dilemma. For once we are given a situation that really makes us think about the effects of time travel ... There haven’t be too many instances in audio adventures so far where a listener has had to think so hard ... I can find nothing to fault this production ... [it is] one of my firm favourites now and it’ll take a lot to beat.

- Mark Carlin, gallifreyone.com