Jonathon Carley returns as the 'secret' incarnation of the Doctor – originally played on screen by the late John Hurt – in the fourth volume chronicling his anguished origin story.

The brilliantly-crafted character piece finds the War Doctor hunting a corrupted Time Lord, the Barber Surgeon, played by Laurence Olivier Award-nominee Nicholas Le Prevost.

The Doctor is no more. A warrior has joined the Time War between the Daleks and Gallifrey. But how far will he go? What lines will he cross? How much of himself will he sacrifice?

The War Doctor has begun to find out who he is – and the consequence of fighting with monsters...

Doctor Who – The War Doctor Begins: He Who Fights With Monsters is now available to own for just £19.99 (collector’s edition CD box set + download) or £16.99 (download only).

The talented ensemble cast also joining Jonathon Carley includes Ken Bones (as the General), Nicholas Briggs (as the Daleks) and Jason Merrells (as a Dalek Hunter-Killer).

The three compelling tales, all written by Robert Valentine, are as follows:

The Mission

As the Time War takes a dark new turn, the War Doctor is tasked by the Time War Council with locating and assassinating a Gallifreyan renegade waging their own private campaign against both the Daleks and the Time Lords. Who is the mysterious Barber Surgeon, and can the Doctor complete his mission without becoming all that he abhors?

The Abyss

The Doctor journeys towards his target through the ravages of the Time War, the trail leading him back into his own personal history. With the Daleks close behind and the mysterious Barber-Surgeon anticipating his every move, he comes to suspect that this is one mission he won't be coming back from.

The Horror

The Doctor is missing in action. As Gallifrey and Skaro face total destruction, Time Lord and Dalek forces converge on the realm of the Barber-Surgeon. From his junkyard fortress in a lost dimension, the renegade warmonger is about to create his ultimate weapon... Who or what can possibly stop him?

Jonathon Carley said: “What tips the War Doctor over the edge into accepting this mission is curiosity, which has in many cases been the Doctor’s downfall. He wants to get to the bottom of who the Barber Surgeon is and if he can be stopped. He doesn’t trust anybody else to do it and if he falls into the wrong hands, it could mean catastrophe. At this point, what has he got to lose?

“The whole story is absolutely stacked with layers and subtext. In the finale of this series, we confront that head-on by asking ‘Who is the War Doctor?’ Who was he once upon a time and who could he become? As much as he’s tried to step away from the identity of the Doctor, he’s never been fully able to escape it.”

Director Louise Jameson added: “I love the contradictions in the script. Jonathon’s Doctor is so vicious, generous, moved and brutally cold – he’s covered all of that gamut through these three episodes and yet the segue between one emotion and the other is done brilliantly – really supported by the writing of course.”

Big Finish listeners can save money by purchasing all four volumes of The War Doctor Begins in a bundle for just £76 (collector’s edition CD box set + download) or £66 (download only).

All of the above prices include the special pre-order discount and are subject to change after general release.

Please note that 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.