2.4 Sylvester McCoy- "The Echo of the Seventh Man"

There are some mysteries that announce themselves with explosions. Others arrive much more quietly.

The Nosferatu 2.5 continues its impossible voyage, where the familiar laws of time and space have become little more than polite suggestions. Echoes now arrive before the sounds that create them, corridors remember places they have never been, and Hobbes' increasingly concerned scans suggest that the boundaries between memory, story and reality are becoming dangerously indistinct. Somewhere, something is rearranging the order in which events happen.

Returning to the Sofa of Infinite Understanding is the incomparable Sylvester McCoy. When he first stepped aboard the Nosferatu 2.5 there simply wasn't enough time to explore a career as extraordinary as his. This time, however, there is a rather unexpected complication: Sylvester has absolutely no recollection of ever having visited before. As Sophie and Hobbes grapple with the implications, conversation drifts effortlessly through a lifetime of remarkable adventures. From his gloriously anarchic early years with the legendary Ken Campbell, where theatrical convention was joyfully abandoned in favour of organised chaos, to memories of spectacular pratfalls, ferrets where no ferrets were ever intended to be, and the sheer delight of discovering that making people laugh could become a career, Sylvester proves once again why he remains one of Britain's most captivating storytellers. Along the way come touching recollections of his dear friend and colleague David Rappaport, reflections on friendship, loss and creativity, and the unmistakable warmth that has endeared Sylvester to audiences for decades. There is, of course, some discussion of a certain Time Lord... although whether Sophie and Sylvester ever quite manage to reach Doctor Who before events intervene once again is another matter entirely.

Elsewhere, the Ffantaface welcomes Abbie Foster, whose thoughtful and beautifully crafted social media work has introduced a new generation to the joy, comfort and creativity of Doctor Who. Through TikTok and other platforms, Abbie has built a community founded not simply on nostalgia but on optimism, kindness and imagination, sharing the ways in which the series has helped shape her own life during both its brightest and most challenging moments. Joining Sophie within the ever-shifting currents of the Ffantaface, she reflects on fandom in the digital age, finding your voice through creativity, and how stories have the remarkable ability to arrive precisely when we need them most. In a series where stories are beginning to rewrite reality itself, that feels less like coincidence... and rather more like destiny.

Sophie Aldred's Ace Odyssey stars Sophie Aldred with James Showers as Hobbes. Special Guests- Sylvester McCoy and Abbie Foster

Abbie's TikTok: abbieinthetardis

You can find us all over your social media. Bluesky/Instagram/X: @aceodyssey63 Facebook: Sophie Aldred's Ace Odyssey

For listeners who want even more adventure, you can step inside the Ace Odyssey Patreon Community- *Episodes released early and ad free *Two exclusive podcasts every month *Online meet-ups and interactive events *Direct involvement in the evolving universe of the show www.patreon.com/aceodyssey

Music by Graeme Allan Sound Effects & Sound Design by Gavin Rymill Programme Assistant Liz Whitmore Written, Produced and Directed by Paul Carmichael

You can follow Graeme Allan on Bluesky @graemeallan and listen to more of his music at www.youtube.com/brassbandit

You can follow Gavin Rymill on Twitter & Bluesky @themindrobber, and you can watch his superb Dr.Who series Terry Nation Army on www.youtube.com/dalek6388

You can follow Paul Carmichael on Bluesky @paulcarmichaeluk and on Threads @paul.carmichael.1213 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.