Doctor Who - The Bonfires of the Vanities is the third story to be announced for June's Doctor Who - The Companion Chronicles: The First Doctor Volume 2. Written by Sci-Fi novelist Una McCormack, directed by Lisa Bowerman, sound designed by Rob Harvey, and starring Anneke Wills and Elliot Chapman as Ben and Polly, the story takes the First Doctor and his companions to a November 5th with a difference:

When the Doctor, Polly, and Ben arrive in Lewes in the late 1950s, they’re just in time to celebrate Guy Fawkes’ Night. But there’s no fun on the streets tonight – the town is in the grip of fear. There are imps on the loose in Lewes, the Bonfire Boys are on the march, and nobody is safe from the fire...

"I have a huge fondness for Bonfire Nights," confirmed producer Ian Atkins, "and at a particularly big bonfire party a couple of years back it occurred that a Guy is really quite a terrifying thing, and needs to be in Doctor Who somewhere! When Una and I were talking about ideas for this set, that popped back into my mind, and then we were remember-remembering various Fifth of Novembers alongside some Lewes Bonfire Festivals I'd been to in the past. Soon Una was getting on with some gunpowder, treason and plotting..."

"While the story is set in the 1950s, as with all good Doctor Who it's able to offer a prism on some very modern concerns, and Una's captured perfectly the tensions in a small town when people get scared. I wish it wasn't as relevant to now as it is, but there you are. Still, as ever, the Doctor and friends bring some some light into the dark. And it's a good job the Doctor has his friends with him - he's going to need them soon..."

Doctor Who - The Companion Chronicles: The First Doctor Volume 2 is out in June, priced at £15 on Download and £20 on CD. These pre-release prices go up to £20 and £25 respectively when the set goes on general release at the end of July. If you've got an Android or Apple device, download our free app today to make the most of the digital version you get with most CD purchases.

Fans of the Companion Chronicles can check out the range here, including bundles collecting together the earlier series at discount rates. Watch this space for news on the final story, along with the cover and trailer coming soon.

(And a reminder to anyone wanting to make the most of our Doctor Who Main Range 51-125 Special Offers: there's just over 48 hours left!)