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  • Writer's pictureHarry Young
    • Apr 6
    • 4 min read

Doctor Who Ex Libris - Spoiler Free Review

VocaLAB Productions latest audio is truly remarkable.




Now it’s not exactly a surprise to say that I’m a Doctor Who fan. If you’ve checked out our blog posts, TikTok or YouTube you will know how big a fan of Doctor Who I am. When it came back in 2005 I was just 7 years old as The Ninth Doctor grabbed Roses hand and told her to Run and I have been hooked ever since. 


One part of Doctor Who I love is listening to its various Audio Dramas. I do a lot of traveling so listening to Audio Episodes is something I do often. They have the ability to transport us to our favorite eras of our favorite show. So imagine my joy when I discovered VocaLAB Productions when they posted a new trailer for their brand new Short Audio Adventure Ex Libris.


Now the awesome team at VocaLAB Productions have let me listen to Ex Libris early so I can now tell you about it! However I will say, this is completely spoiler free!! 


Let’s get into it. 


Now for context, one of my all time favorite eras of Who is 11. Especially with Amy Pond. It helped me through a very difficult time in my life so it’s an era I hold very close to my heart. So I was very excited to listen to this. It’s safe to say, I was extremely moved. This is a beautiful piece of work. 


Ex Libris is written by Thomas Beech and stars Miles Taylor as The Doctor and Orianna Rose as Amy Pond. This short 30 minute audio drama has us find The Doctor shortly after losing Amy and Rory, he discovers a bookplate within a Melody Malone novel in which he finds the lost letters of Amelia Pond. From there he must find all the letters to complete her story, whilst confronting his own grief and turmoil. 


Now, that’s all I’m going to say about the story, one reason is due to spoilers but the main reason is because I truly think you need to listen and experience this for yourself with as little story knowledge as possible. It’s worth it, trust me!! 


Writer Thomas Beech has delicately crafted a story that is both respectful and reminiscent of an era so many of us adore whilst also expanding it in his own unique way. It’s very hard to revisit a character after they have left the show, especially considering how Amy Departs. Yet it’s done here in such a clever way. Having her communicate through these lost letters doesn’t take away from Amy’s ending at all, but adds to it, giving us that epilogue (or final chapter if you will) that so many of us have craved for years. It’s such a beautiful piece of writing that has you laughing and smiling one moment and has you emotional and teary eyed the next. I honestly cannot wait for you all to listen and to see what Thomas does next. 


Everything about this episode is fantastic, it features stellar performances by Miles Taylor and Orianna Rose as The Doctor and Amy (Genuinely, I cannot stress how amazing they both are). It has an absolutely amazing score by Sonny King which takes elements of Murray’s Iconic themes yet makes it its own and helps heighten the emotion of each scene but is never too in your face. 


The episode also has fantastic production value all round. The Sound Design (By Craig Robert McDowell) transports you to each era so effectively it really helps immerse you in the episode, especially when The Doctor is reading Amy’s letters. Again just like its score, it’s never too in your face so it allows you to focus on the story and its fantastic performances, yet still adds to the emotion. It’s so well put together. 


What I enjoyed most about Ex Libris however is that you can really hear the love and dedication that has gone into it. Whether it’s through its Script, Performances, Score, Sound Production or Editing. You can see this took time; dedication and love by everyone involved. This was made by fans for fans and you can hear that every second. 


It’s very clear from both this release and their past works (such as Lost Stories - Century House starring The Tenth Doctor and Donna!) that VocaLAB Productions is a production company that is getting stronger and stronger by the release (which is mad considering how strong their audios are already!). I cannot wait to see what comes next. 


Ex Libris is a beautiful epilogue to an era that so many (like myself) adore. Whether you have two hearts like The Doctor or One heart like Amy, this story will take it and make you feel every emotion possible. This will always be considered Cannon to me, as it’s too great not to be. 


Doctor Who Short Trips: Ex-Libris by Thomas Beech and VocaLAB Productions is an easy 5/5. 


You can listen to Ex Libris on VocaLAB Productions YouTube channel on Sunday 7th April at 7PM (the link will be at the bottom of this post also!). You can also check out their other work there too! 


Just want to say a huge thanks to the whole team at VocaLAB for sending me a copy to listen to and allowing me to write this review, I cannot stress how much I really appreciate it. 


We will be back soon with more posts! Don’t forget to check out our TikTok and YouTube Channel where we will actively post new videos and also go and follow us on our socials! 


All the links will be below, 


Geronimo! 


Harry x


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