Sixth Doctor and new companion Evelyn Smythe visit the court of Queen Mary I. A peculiar combination of character and cliché, which really suffered in my estimation because I listened to it so close to the broadcast of The Shakespeare Code. Evelyn Smythe, played by Maggie Stables, is a delight and I look forward with great interest to future audio plays featuring her. But the play itself: oh dear. The reign of Queen Mary is not a well-known part of British history, and you can either deal with it properly or just go for a period romp; I don't think The Marian Conspiracy does either. And time-travel clichés are piled atop one another. ( )