The Spirit Trap (audio story)

Ellie Higson believes that spiritualist Mrs Vanguard can hear the voices of the dead, but Henry Gordon Jago thinks it’s all superstition and theatrical trickery. But if Vanguard is a harmless fake, then why have some of those who have attended her seances disappeared so mysteriously? Jago and Litefoot investigate... And find themselves facing a deadly foe from the afterlife.

Plot

to be added

Cast

Henry Gordon Jago - Christopher Benjamin
George Litefoot - Trevor Baxter
Ellie Higson - Lisa Bowerman
Mrs Vanguard - Janet Henfrey
Toby - Lex Shrapnel
The Landlord - John Ainsworth

References

Jago has an elderly aunt named Maude who lives in Margate. She recently became engaged to a fishmonger named Robert Botcherby.
The "spirit" possessing Jago's body is, in fact, the consciousness of a refugee who escaped from a dying world in the 49th century. He and the other refugees projected their consciousnesses through time and made contact with Mrs Vanguard. They plan to transfer their consciousnesses into the bodies of influential people in 1890s London with their ultimate goal to take control of Queen Victoria. From the historical records, they are aware that she is still in mourning for her long dead husband Prince Albert. He mentions that, in decades to come, there will be "brutal, terrible wars which will determine the fate of this planet." With one of their kind possessing Queen Victoria's body, they intend to "turn the tides of history" and create a new future, thereby preventing the destruction of their world.

Story notes

Sergeant Quick and Doctor Tulp do not appear in this story as producer, David Richardson, wanted to focus more on the character of Ellie. As a result this story is not directed by Lisa Bowerman but by John Ainsworth.
Janet Henfrey (Mrs Vanguard) previously played Miss Hardaker in TV: The Curse of Fenric.

Continuity

Numerous references are made to the events of AUDIO: The Bloodless Soldier.
Jago refers to Li H'sen Chang's act at the Palace Theatre. (TV: The Talons of Weng-Chiang)
An attempt by time travelling humans from the far future to take over the bodies of their ancestors with the intention of altering their own history also occurred in Russia in the late 21st century. Their plan was defeated by the Fifth Doctor and his companion Turlough. Notably, on that occasion, the Doctor told Turlough that he had witnessed World War V in the 49th century, suggesting that this may have been the conflict from which the refugees were fleeing. (AUDIO: Singularity)
Mr Jago compares the possessed bodies to a Doppelgänger, a word used to describe the Fourth Doctor's double in Meglos and the flesh-made doubles at St John's Monastery in The Rebel Flesh/ The Almost People.

External links

Official The Spirit Trap - Series One Box Set page at bigfinish.com
The Spirit Trap at the Doctor Who Reference Guide