Show Notes
Set aside whatever reality-maintenance you’re currently engaged in (or pointedly neglecting), check that time is still moving in a broadly cooperative direction, and settle in as we once more step aboard the venerable Nosferatu 2.5 — a ship of such distinguished age that some of its mechanisms operate purely out of habit. Under the steady hand of Sophie Aldred, our journey continues through recollection, creativity, and those curious overlaps where imagination, fandom, and lived experience quietly collide.
At Sophie’s side, as ever, is Hobbes: the ship’s automaton butler, procedural absolutist, and self-appointed guardian of standards. Gleaming, meticulous, and faintly appalled by almost everything, he oversees the ship with a mixture of diligence and weary suspicion — particularly when it comes to unexplained noises, ill-defined anomalies, and the unresolved question of the door that resolutely refuses to open. Together, Sophie and Hobbes negotiate eccentric technology, philosophical detours, and the occasional wobble in causality.
This week, the Time Scoop once again asserts its independence and deposits Tomek Bork — actor, storyteller, and unforgettable as Captain Sorin in the 1989 Doctor Who classic The Curse of Fenric. A Polish-born performer trained in the rigorous traditions of European theatre, Tomek brought a rare gravitas and emotional depth to the role: a doomed naval officer caught between duty, belief, and ancient forces stirring beneath the North Sea. His performance helped ground Fenric’s cosmic horror in human fear and faith, leaving a lasting impression on viewers. Beyond Doctor Who, Tomek’s career spans British television, international film, and a long-standing presence at the Edinburgh Fringe as actor, producer, and mentor. Once the temporal paperwork is reluctantly approved, Tomek joins Sophie on the Sofa of Infinite Understanding to reflect on performance, displacement, and the quiet power of restraint in storytelling.
No voyage aboard the Nosferatu 2.5 would be complete without a descent into the luminous depths of the Ffantaface — that vast, ever-shifting archive of fan memory, interpretation, and lovingly hoarded detail. Keeping watch, as always, is Mrs C, the Cockney goldfish, whose telepathic commentary remains incisive, opinionated, and only loosely tethered to linear time. With suitable appeasement achieved, Sophie is granted access to this week’s guide: Anthony Lamb — artist and illustrator whose work has become a familiar and much-admired presence across the Doctor Who universe.
Anthony has contributed extensively to the visual identity of the range, producing striking artwork and covers for Doctor Who Magazine and related publications. His illustrations capture the breadth of the series — its monsters, heroes, moods, and mythologies — translating complex ideas into instantly recognisable imagery. A creator who understands both the weight of legacy and the freedom of interpretation, Anthony joins Sophie to discuss visual storytelling, the challenges of depicting a constantly evolving universe, and how art helps shape the way fandom remembers, revisits, and reimagines Doctor Who.
You can find us all over your social media. Bluesky/Instagram/X: @aceodyssey63 Facebook: Sophie Aldred's Ace Odyssey
Sophie's Instagram: @sophie_ace_aldred
Anthony's X: @AnthonyLamb Anthony's Bluesky: @AntLamb
For listeners who want even more adventure, you can step inside the Ace Odyssey Patreon Community- *Episodes released early *Two exclusive podcasts every month *Online meet-ups and interactive events *Direct involvement in the evolving universe of the show www.patreon.com/aceodyssey
Sophie Aldred's Ace Odyssey stars Sophie Aldred with James Showers as Hobbes. Special Guests- Tomek Bork and Anthony Lamb Music, Sound Effects and Sound Design by Michael Livesley www.michaellivesley.co.uk Programme Assistant Liz Whitmore Written, Produced and Directed by Paul Carmichael.
Sophie Aldred’s Ace Odyssey is an Eh? A
More from Sophie Aldred's Ace Odyssey
Something has come aboard the Nosferatu 2.5, and it has taken an interest in Sophie. When Lisa Bowerman arrives by Time Scoop, she seems to be carrying more than a little temporal residue. An intelligence is reaching out through her, and it knows something about Sophie that perhaps Sophie herself does not yet understand. But who, or what, is it? And what happens when something that has been calling from a distance finally finds its way aboard?
There are libraries full of books. There are libraries full of knowledge. And then, apparently, there are libraries aboard the Nosferatu 2.5 where the books have started becoming rather selective about who gets to exist in them.
Some stories are about monsters, some are about impossible planets, and some are about the rather more dangerous territory of memory, belonging and the places we still think of as home.
Welcome aboard the Nosferatu 2.5 for a rather special journey through the wider world of Sophie Aldred’s Ace Odyssey for August Bank Holiday weekend!