Written by Jonathan Morris
Directed by Jamie Anderson
Starring Peter Davison, Janet Fielding, and Sarah Sutton
with Tim Delap, Richard James, and Elizabeth Morton
Out now from Big Finish Productions

1983……. and Doctor Who returns to our screens with an exciting adventure by Johnny Byrne -  featuring Time Lords, and the return of Tegan, set and filmed in Amsterdam….

Well,  two out of three isn’t bad. Arc of Infinity isn’t really very exciting. It has got Time Lords in it, and Tegan returns, having been left behind at the end of Time-Flight. And it’s in Amsterdam, because JNT got a good deal at the Travel Agent.

2016……. and Doctor Who returns to our speakers with an exciting adventure by Jonny Morris, with just the one Time Lord, dealing with Tegan’s return, set in Amsterdam…

The Waters of Amsterdam does what Arc of Infinity manifestly failed to do – use its location and make good use of Tegan.  Into the bargain, it’s also very good. Arc could have sketched in Tegan’s time away from the TARDIS, but didn’t, beyond binning the stewardess uniform and giving her a haircut. It could have also really have been set anywhere near water, as the location had zero relevance to the plot. It might as well have been set in Barnsley.

The story picks up directly from the end of Arc, and wastes no time putting all of this right. After a pointed shredding of Arc’s events, Tegan walks straight into her ex, Kyle (Tim Delap) – and it’s awkward. Their story is related by Tegan to Nyssa in flashback. It’s an unlikely romance, as Tegan is, frankly, Tegan, and Kyle’s just so nice. A bit too good to be true, there’s also something iffy about the way he keeps showing up.

Delap’s performance is excellent, Kyle is calm and endlessly reasonable without being drippy. It’s quickly established that he’s in love with Tegan, but she’s just not that into him.. We eavesdrop on their relationship from beginning to end, via chance meetings, dinners out, and Talking Heads tickets, and find out how Tegan lost her job in the process. Janet Fielding is great here, she has the sort of character development that Tegan was crying out for in the 80s beyond trauma and Mara-possession. Her attitude and caustic humour are present and correct as always, but giving Tegan a relationship that fails because she doesn’t want to be fawned over is her all over, and really works.

In the meantime, the Doctor explores the Rijkesmuseum and has fun playing the art critic when viewing Rembrandt’s work, kicking off a lovely running joke about how to pronounce ‘chiaroscuro’. He also notices that some of the old master’s pieces are of spacecraft. At the end of an episode of exploring and chewing the fat, they are suddenly all attacked by the Nyx, grotesque water creatures that spring from Amsterdam’s canals.

They escape with Kyle in tow to the same spot in the 17th century, where Amsterdam is in its pomp as a trading Capitol and the East India Company rule the roost. The Nyx are also here, and viciously attack anyone in their way. Tegan and Nyssa are quickly taken into the custody of the Mayor, and brought before the mysterious alien Countess Teldak (Elizabeth Morton) - whilst the Doctor and Kyle go to meet Rembrandt (a stand-out performance by Richard James), who is acting as a draughtsman for the ship she plans to escape from Earth in. The old master is proud, but also bitter and cynical about his debts and his lot in life – charging for portraits by the face, and painting Businessmen’s “Wives and Fancy Women”, before they plead bankruptcy. For him, the promise of posthumous recognition isn’t enough. Happily by the end of the story, he’s letting the light back through the shutters.

The Countess is charming, softly-spoken, and outwardly peaceful, a refugee from a dead world, and a fugitive from the Nyx. She’s a complex character, and it’s no great surprise that she turns out to be utterly amoral and ruthless, as the story goes from twist to twist, and Kyle’s true nature is revealed into the bargain. The Nyx are no angels either, but they have a code, and only kill when they see necessary. The Countess uses the Doctor’s compassion against him, and he’s tricked into taking her to an alternative 1983 where she’s manipulated events purely so she can go home and take her revenge.

Jonathan Morris’s script is excellent -  funny, moving, and clever in equal measure. It’s ironic that a recording studio could capture so much more of the atmosphere and ambience of Amsterdam than actually going there ever did, and Jamie Anderson’s direction and some clever sound design sells three distinct versions of the same place expertly. The only slight criticism is the voices of the Nyx – inventive, but sometimes quite hard to make out.

The Waters of Amsterdam is a superb example of how Big Finish can go back in time and make things right.

STARRING: Anneke Wills (Polly Wright/Narrator), 
Frazer Hines (Jamie McCrimmon/The Doctor),
Elliot Chapman (Ben Jackson), 
Lizzie McInnerny (Harriet Quilp), 
Stephen Critchlow(The Yes Men), 
Timothy Speyer (Nesca Bangate), 
Jane Slavin (The President)

Written By: Simon Guerrier
Director: Lisa Bowerman
Sound Design/Music: Toby Hrycek-Robinson
    Cover Art: Tom Webster
Producer: David Richardson
Script Editor: John Dorney
Executive Producers: Jason Haigh-Ellery and Nicholas Briggs

Released September 2015, Big Finish

The TARDIS crew, including Ben, Polly and Jamie, arrive on a colony christened by mankind as 'New Houston'. Meg Carvossa was a long-term friend of the Doctor's - and one that he met in his first incarnation - and the reason for them paying a visit to the colony. However, there is no sign whatsoever of her. She was an important figure, as by repelling an alien invasion, she rose up to the title of President. Repeated enquiry over this woman points to various 'different' ways she died, which only results in a confused mess.

Stranger still, the near-total absence of the apparently large population, and scattering of obsolete looking robots that serve the interest of the colony would point to some drastic series of events that is not on record. So the Doctor and his friends must investigate, without putting their lives in jeopardy in the process..

Due to references to the Cybermen by Jamie, and even the Doctor's firm intention to somehow return Ben and Polly to the time and place they first him, this is yet another story that is sandwiched between The Macra Terror and The Faceless Ones. It certainly feels quite similar in tone and style to these mid-1960s black and white TV chronicles.

In having narration as well as reasonably long explanatory dialogue, this story is unlikely to confuse listeners. The script from Guerrier has plenty of wit, as well as noticeable morality-inclined messages. The cast clearly are engaged by the core premise and help to make what is intended as a 1960s-storytelling throwback still feel relevant to our present time 21st century attitudes.

I cannot help but compare this new original story with the long-revered classic The Robots Of Death. The situation and resolution are somewhat different, but the themes of autonomy, slavery and ethics do bear reflection. As well-done as the Yes Men voices are here, they perhaps lack that eeriness and peculiar quality that the Sandminer robots did in the Tom Baker story. Having them all be exactly the same voice here is perhaps more realistic but also less engaging for the listener, but the play never allows them to take over a given scene for too long in a way that would grate.

The supporting cast otherwise all rise to the mark and the different characters with agendas that range from pragmatic to ruthless and corrupt are all distinct and play off well with the regulars. We are made to change our attitudes and sympathies several times, and this is due to a clever story where there is arguably no out and out villain but no 'goody-two-shoes' either.

Frazer Hines certainly makes a fine Second Doctor here. Return to Telos was a partial crossover of the Second and Fourth Doctors - and gave me a clear idea of how Hines approaches recreating the feel of his late co-star Patrick Troughton.  Of course in this story the Second Doctor is given centre stage, and is vibrant and complex as any story in the TV series.

Anneke Wills does a fine job as the narrator in this 'full cast' drama and come off as enhancing the overall impact, rather than being distracting. She also has that element of being wise and observant, rather than just 'a matter of fact' aid to the listener. Her recreation of Polly Wright is also to be cherished, even if we must concede there is the element of her voice aging which is rather less detectable in the case of Hines.

The new addition of Elliot Chapman is a very smooth method of finding someone who can sound and act like the late Michael Craze, and bring the fine earnestness and bravery that symbolized seaman Ben in all of his screen outings. Whilst this particular story gives better material to Polly and Jamie, there are still some moments that show how Ben Jackson has a native wit that is often necessary for an effective member of the armed forces. The hope would be for future 'Early Adventures' to reuse Chapman's services.

My main criticism for this production is that the music by Toby Hrycek-Robinson rarely manages to exceed simply breathing basic life into proceedings. Some tracks may bring an element of urgency but Big Finish has arguably done much better music frequently over the years. Hrycek-Robinson however does do well with sound design, as there are many different types of scene and action as well as substantial plot twists. Consequently the potential for confusion is quelled. 

The writer and director have proven their mettle many times before in working for Big Finish, and this play continues the trend. Thus, I look forward to further successes in this range which helps remind us all of just how brave and inventive early Doctor Who was in the Sixties.

EXTRAS:

A couple of documentary tracks feature, and they get right on with the necessary information about what inspired the story and how the cast recreated the different leading roles. Very few words are wasted, and the enthusiasm of the interviewees is symbolic of the committed performance in the actual audio play. A bit of insight into how an actor's voice develops when methodically 'getting in character' - by Chapman - is also very engaging.

There is also isolated music on offer. As i stated above, the music really was mostly just 'sort of there'. I cannot see myself playing those tracks in isolation, let alone repeatedly. However music is one of the most subjective and difficult things to argue for and against convincingly, and as such this special feature may well appeal to quite a few consumers.

Torchwood: Forgotten Lives
Written by Emma Reeves
Directed by Scott Handcock
Starring: Eve Myles (Gwen Cooper); Kai Owen (Rhys Williams); Philip Bond (Griffith); Valmai Jones (Elenudd); Sean Carlsen (Gary) and Emma Reeves (Ceri / Nurse Bevan)
Released by Big Finish Productions - November 2015​​​​

If confining the events of last month’s Torchwood: Fall to Earth to a single setting in the form of a crashing spaceship seemed like a bold move on the part of writer James Goss, then his successor Emma Reeves’ decision to have the majority of her first Torchwood audio drama, Forgotten Lives, take place within the grounds of a residence for the elderly might suggest to some that she’s bordering on insanity. There’s most certainly method to Reeves’ madness, though, since in removing the show’s most compelling two lead characters from their isolation in the Welsh countryside and having them venture into the Bryn Offa Nursing Home, she effectively ensures from the outset that listeners can expect a yarn quite unlike anything they’ve heard or witnessed in the series’ history.

In case any of our readers hadn’t already heard or gleaned the information from the cover art, the beloved duo in question comprises of Eve Myles and Kai Owen, returning to voice Gwen Cooper and Rhys Williams respectively as the ever-ambitious couple attempt with great difficulty to balance their increasingly strained relationship with their child Anwen alongside their efforts to seclude themselves from the rest of the world after the events of Miracle Day, only to be drawn into a new mission after Myles’ justifiably distrusting character receives a mysterious phone call relating to a figure who claims to herald from her not-so-distant past. Sure, this could be construed as a less explosive means by which to thrust the pair back into action than was the case when governmental forces destroyed their household in Season Four, but given the lack of critical acclaim with which that run was met by overall, perhaps that’s for the best.

Regardless, like Barrowman and David-Lloyd before them (and like Tracy-Anne Oberman in this month’s Torchwood release, One Rule, one would hope), neither Myles nor Owen appears to have any problem reviving the humility, the unyielding internal conflicts between duty and family, the dark yet somehow heart-warming humour and the universally empathetic yet oh-so-inherently Welsh romantic bond which made their constructs such an instantaneous hit with fans from the get-go in the original TV show. What’s more, whereas Barrowman’s Jack Harkness didn’t offer much in the way of surprises in The Conspiracy – one of the only minor faults with what’s still probably the range’s finest outing to date – Emma Reeves pays just as much attention as Goss to portraying both Gwen and Rhys in a wholly different light, partially by having them interact with Anwen – in a range of rather unique ways, we might add – on occasion and partially by exploring their relationship with Jack from an unprecedented angle that casts a refreshing new light on the extent to which the latter went to in the early years of the show in manipulating his friends to step once more unto the breach regardless of the danger involved with doing so.

This noteworthy emphasis from Reeves on leaving a substantial impact upon the show’s characters extends also to the potential bearing the events of Forgotten Lives may have on Torchwood’s future at Big Finish; although after last month’s seemingly narratively inconsequential Fall to Earth, there’ll most likely be those starting to wonder whether the studio will employ a similar tactic to Steven Moffat in terms of plot arcs, structuring their seasons in such a manner that their major revelations only come into play during the penultimate or final instalments, yet quite to the contrary, any fans who elect to skip past this one for whatever reason might well come to quickly regret the move given how significantly the far-from-isolated tale presented here appears to overhaul the playing field for subsequent releases in the range. At the same time, the argument could be made that Reeves’ storyline quickly becomes so constrained by the need to further Season One’s overall arc that it’ll neither satisfy as a standalone listening experience or indeed be remembered for its own merits rather than as a cog in an admittedly increasingly promising machine. With any luck this flaw should be remedied with our trip back to 2005 in the Oberman-led One Rule, but it’s still a great shame that Forgotten Lives’ ambition in terms of taking Torchwood in a new direction not only for now but forevermore is as much a detrimental factor as it is a USP, even if the final few minutes are absolutely guaranteed to leave fans the world over absolutely chomping at the bit to see what’s next for Gwen in February’s More than Us.

Let’s not get too bogged down with the release’s negative aspects, though, since as well as boasting the returns of Torchwood’s two most dedicated members, this largely accomplished third release moreover sports one hell of a fine supporting cast ensemble. From Philip Bond’s simultaneously charismatic and mournful take on enigmatic pensioner Mr Griffith to Sean Carlsen’s frantic yet believable portrayal as Gary, Bryn Offa’s head caretaker, to Emma Reeve’s own unexpected but similarly memorable cameos as both female resident Ceri and Nurse Bevan, each and every vocal contributor excels in reminding us that while two-hand dramas like Fall to Earth can represent a welcome treat from time to time, Big Finish’s real talents tend to lie in utilizing the traditional full-cast audio drama format of their releases to their immense advantage, with each character receiving their own tangible arc whilst not impeaching on Gwen and Rhys’ remarkably substantial individual development to any detrimental extent.

As we reach the halfway point of Big Finish’s first season of Torchwood adventures, then, where do the studio currently stand in terms of the success with which they’ve resurrected the famed Doctor Who spin-off? Well, if The Conspiracy, Fall to Earth and now Forgotten Lives are indicative of the attention to detail that James Goss and company are aiming to continually pay in terms of offering the show’s leads new and occasionally audacious territory to explore, hunting down a wide array of supporting players who are more than capable of matching the series’ central cast for charm and memorability and devising progressive storylines which move the programme’s mythology as far from the detrimental constraints of the Miracle arc as humanly possible, then the light at the end of the tunnel which emerged four years after the series’ cancellation with the announcement of its audio revival should only grow brighter in the months ahead. That said, whilst the latter release’s commitment to furthering the overarching plot of Season One marks a refreshing departure from most audio series’ tendencies to hold back on substantial developments until their concluding chapters, it’s difficult not to hope that should Reeves be invited back for next year’s March-August run, she’s afforded the opportunity to leave her mark on Torchwood history not by producing an arc-dependent script but instead a captivating standalone effort in its own right, since despite its unique setting, Forgotten Lives ultimately feels too tied to both the show’s past and future to be regarded as anything but an above-average piece of connective tissue at best.

STARRING:  
Christopher Benjamin (Jago), Trevor Baxter (Litefoot), 

Dan Starkey (Strax), Lisa Bowerman (Ellie), 
Conrad Asquith (Inspector Quick), Stephen Critchlow (Marvo) and Carolyn Seymour (Mrs Multravers)

Other parts played by the cast.
 

Written By: Justin Richards
Directed By: Lisa Bowerman

Sound Design:Howard Carter

Music:Howard Carter, 
Theme by Jamie Robertson

Cover Art:Tom Webster

Released November 2015 Big Finsh Productions

 

Strax: a squat and fearless warrior, who has over time become domesticated and able to provide manservant duties to another being not of the planet Earth. He is still a handy fighter and possesses technical knowledge that puts to shame most of those who are native to the blue-green planet  that the Sontaran is somehow learning to call 'home'. He has almost died on at least one occasion but for the most part is a lot harder to hurt and overcome than he would first appear, possessing disproportionate strength for someone of his stature, were he the human that he feigns at being.

Jago: a man with many a turn of phrase, and who despite his natural cowardice has seen and overcome various dastardly foes, or foiled a plan or two hatched by conniving traitors to Queen Victoria's regime. He ran countless good shows at the Palace theatre before later overseeing other stirring acts - for a range of clientele - at the Alhambre Theatre and (most recently) at the New Regency Theatres. Whilst sometimes prone to making careless errors, there is a native instinct hidden within which allows him to sometimes outwit those that underestimate him.

Litefoot: the man of intellect, travel experience and sophistication. He made much of his present living as a pathologist and is able to come up with practical solutions, sometimes using fine powers of lateral thinking. He has been the closest of friends with Jago and has become somewhat more of a outgoing character under the influence of the truly charismatic. Whilst playing somewhat of a secondary 'Watson' role to the Sherlock-like Fourth Doctor (in The Talons of Weng Chiang), he is clearly the more authoritative half of the pairing with Jago.

How Strax becomes a figure in the lives of Henry Gordan Jago and Professor George Litefoot is documented in this new story from a talented creative team, that have produced various winning Big Finish products over the preceding years to 2015. This play also forms one example of an increasing number of these spin off products to tie-in firmly with the New Series, by having arguably the most memorable of the 'Paternoster Gang' in a starring role. There is no direct appearance of the romantically linked Jenny and Madame Vastra - the former human, the latter Silurian - except for the device of Strax being concussed and later 'duped' into believing Jago and Litefoot are his two female associates..

The play is an absolutely engaging (and relatively straightforward) affair, with experienced writer Justin Richards knowing how to satisfy long-term fans, as well as those who have previously enjoyed Jago and Litefoot on audio, and also any who may only know the Matt Smith era which had multiple uses of the Paternoster gang. By making the focus on character, there is little danger of losing track of the plot should a listener be distracted whilst out on a walk or doing some other activity at the same time. And the characters are all portrayed well enough that we can infer there is more to their lives than just the heady adventures they embark on.

A great opponent is always vital to an adventure really cementing its place in the listener's memory banks, and we have a creepy old lady who is after the dissected 'smarter' brains of any half-civilised life that she comes across. Some people pay the price for taking the time to answer he queries, and some are fortunate to be just that bit too dim. We would normally revel in the comeuppance for such a character, but both the writing and the acting for Mrs Multravers are very strong. Thus the twist involving her motivations comes off as that bit more credible, and the climax to the main plot takes up a different feel, that avoids the usual recycling that could have happened were the premise in less capable hands.

Extras:

A serviceable enough documentary showing how much the regulars are enjoying the chance to work with Dan Starkey in his role from the main 'parent' TV series; although he has graced audio plays like this before in other roles. There perhaps could be a little more revelation and light-heartedness going on, when comparing the behind-the-scenes' vibe to some other ones that have graced Big Finish's output. At around 15 minutes it also feels just a touch too short.

Torchwood: Fall to Earth
Written by James Goss
Directed by Scott Handcock
​​Starring: Gareth David-Lloyd (Ianto Jones); Lisa Zahra (Zeynep)
Released by Big Finish Productions - October 2015​

“Don’t forget me.”

“Never could.”

“In a thousand years’ time, you won’t remember me.”

“Yes, I will. I promise, I will.”

Half a dozen years may have passed since Ianto Jones bade his love an emotional farewell with these heart-breaking words in Torchwood: Children of Earth’s devastating third instalment, but this much is certain – while we’ll have to wait for Jack’s first post-Miracle Day adventure courtesy of Big Finish before knowing whether he kept his promise to his most faithful companion, judging by the still-standing memorial erected in the character’s honour down on Cardiff Bay shortly after his demise, fans haven’t shown any signs whatsoever of forgetting him as of yet.

Indeed, such is Ianto’s immense appeal that from the moment Big Finish confirmed that Gareth David-Lloyd would reprise the role in the second of their Torchwood audio dramas, Fall to Earth, the release in question almost instantaneously seemed to become the most anticipated instalment of Season One – or Season Five, depending on how one views this freshman run in terms of its canonicity and chronology – outclassing even the John Barrowman-led The Conspiracy or the Eve Myles and Kai Owen-starring Forgotten Lives to the extent that his return in future seasons now seems all but guaranteed despite Mr. Jones’ present posthumous status. Yes, for those wondering, despite David-Lloyd taking on the leading role this time around, his character hasn’t somehow been resurrected via a hallucination as was the case in BBC Radio 4’s 2011 drama The Lost Files: House of the Dead, but instead features in a seemingly standalone storyline which appears to take place sometime around the events of Season Two – although once again, don’t expect much in the way of direct references to the rest of the team beyond a couple of passing namechecks. All the same, though, even if we won’t be seeing Ianto’s eternal slumber interrupted in the near future, judging by the strength of David-Lloyd’s performance, more flashback outings certainly wouldn’t be unwelcome.

Not only does he recapture the innocence, the somewhat dry wit and above all the infrequent recklessness that made his character such a joy to watch develop in the first three seasons of the show’s televised run, but in the small space of just an hour of air-time, he simultaneously manages to endow his construct with new facets such as a profound fear of dying alone, a renewed emphasis on proving himself to a team who (rightly or wrongly) too often view him as a “coffee boy” at best and a surprising willingness to sacrifice his life for the cause in the hope that this will at least ensure his teammates’ hard-earned respect if nothing else. What with all of the hype surrounding this release in particular, few could have blamed either David-Lloyd or indeed writer James Goss for resting on their laurels in an attempt to simply depict Ianto in as quintessential a manner as possible, which makes their efforts to achieve precisely the opposite that much worthier of credit aplenty.

Speaking of Goss, this reviewer has started to lose count of the number of accomplished contributions the man behind the recent novelisation of City of Death has made to the so-called Whoniverse in recent years – incidentally, the short story he’s written for the just-released hardback novel, Doctor Who: Legends of Ashildr, comes highly recommended too – and by no means does his third Torchwood audio storyline fall short of the mark either. It’s certainly not a game-changer in the same vein as The Conspiracy was with its integration of social media, conspiracy theory-driven bloggers and other topical elements which affect today’s secret agency into its array of storytelling methods, yet there’s still something refreshing about the way in which Goss crafts the entirety of his simple yet engaging narrative around two characters, one of whom (Ianto, for those wondering) must spend what appear to be the final moments of his life attempting to convince the other, a telesales assistant going by the name of Zeynep, that without her assistance, the plane he’s currently in the midst of piloting will surely crash and burn, doubtless taking countless lives in the process. Such a unique dynamic as this naturally lends itself far more to the format of an audio drama than it would have to any of Torchwood’s televised outings, and true to form, Goss takes full advantage of the rare nature of his opportunity, throwing various spanners in the mix so as to keep both the listeners and the characters on their toes – an aspect of the tale of which director Scott Handcock takes full advantage by cutting from Ianto to Zeynep to some of the external forces threatening the former with a tension-inducing rapidity –  but equally giving his lead performers just as much chance to shine as Peter Capaldi received from Steven Moffat in “Heaven Sent” just a few short weeks ago.

Of course, had the casting team at Big Finish found anyone other than the ideal actress to portray Zeynep in an initially clueless but gradually endearing manner, then much of the astounding work done by Goss in the scriptwriting department would arguably have been for nought. Enter Lisa Zahra, who handles her character’s aforementioned transition with such ease that anyone listening with no knowledge whatsoever of Torchwood’s past on TV might genuinely begin to wonder whether she has featured on the series before in some capacity. Few instances come to mind where one of the show’s weekly supporting cast members has slotted into their role with such effortless aplomb as is the case with Zahra, nor where they’ve instantly demonstrated the potential to be able to capture the audience’s attention for virtually the entirety of an episode’s running time as is required of this fast-learning newcomer here. If there’s one criticism to be made of Zeynep as a character, it’s that we’ve seen the tale of a hapless bystander who by unlikely coincidence ends up helping our protagonist and in doing so having something of an epiphany about their own life to date, but again, Goss does his utmost to turn the listener’s preconceptions about storylines of this ilk on their heads in revealing further details on the nature of Zeynep’s involvement with the company behind the experimental Skypuncher space-cruiser Ianto’s flying come the third act, even it’s still not quite enough of a rug-pull moment to justify the ever-so-slightly clichéd approach.

Whilst Fall to Earth has its minor shortcomings, however, the same can be said of virtually any audio drama on the market at the moment, and whereas some of Big Finish’s more recent releases like Doctor Who: The Warehouse have all but completely succumbed to their faults, thanks to its stunning lead performances, compellingly-structured (if at times predictable) script and fast-paced direction, the studio’s sophomore Torchwood release without question boasts more than enough in the way of commendable merits to at the very least warrant a single listen from anyone who dares call him or herself a fan of the original TV series, and will doubtless serve just as significant a purpose in sustaining Ianto Jones’ surely eternal cultural legacy as his Cardiff Bay memorial. Perhaps in a thousand years’ time, Jack won’t remember his former lover, but provided that Big Finish continue to capitalize on David-Lloyd’s evident enthusiasm for the character and his immediate future, there’s every chance that come 3015, new generation of fans will still remember the “coffee boy” who gave his life to stop the 456 a thousand and six years before. The Skypuncher may have experienced a Fall to Earth, then, but far from it looking set to follow a similar trajectory, Ianto Jones’ appeal may well only continue to rise with future appearances – and quite right, too.

Cast: Sophie Aldred (Ace/Narrator)

Written By: Mark B Oliver

Directed By: Lisa Bowerman

Producer/Script -Editor: Michael Stevens

Sound Design/Music:Toby Hrycek-Robinson

Cover Art:Mark Plastowens

Executive Producers Jason Haigh-Ellery and Nicholas Briggs

Released July 2015, Big Finish Productions

 

This latest stop over in the tour of time and space finds the Seventh Doctor and Ace somewhere on what appears to be the North Atlantic with the devastating  Second World War in full force. The duo soon realise they have got abroad HMS Thunder, and have to try and assist a struggling crew as best they can. Later Ace plays her part in trying to see the safe return of certain missing persons who are suffering from some form of after-shock.

The main issue however arises, as to the Web of Time. Can history be altered, and will anyone originally on board have a happy ending?

I personally never tire of this wonderful Doctor/companion team. Whilst my no means the best actors the show ever had, their unique chemistry made the pairing unforgettable and helps any spin off material have a figurative 'head start'. Ace has a large role to play here with the Sylvester McCoy Doctor mostly confined to the background. We do still wonder how much of his trademark planning and awareness of events around him are going to play out, and how he decides to act in the closing stages of the story are slightly different than perhaps most would expect. Ace on the other hand provides the emotional heart to the story, and her concern for the fates of gallant Commander Fitzgerald and down-to-earth Jimmy is likely to be matched by any listener who has even a passing interest in the terrible events that took place during the 20th century.

With Sophie Aldred as the sole vocal contributor this story hinges on her ability to convey different voices, personas and emotions. And needless to say her Ace comes to full life, almost as if she is playing the role in a proper full cast Big Finish production. Aldred will always be primarily associate with Ace, and commendably that enthusiasm for the character shines as bright as it did when Dragonfire first hit TV screens in the late 1980s.

Her Seventh Doctor voice here is charming, with the Scottish burr that was such a distinctive feature until the Capaldi Doctor became known to viewers.

The play is very concise, and this sees it have a rapid pace and a memorable hook, and also leave heavier, more character-focused work to longer plays. That direction of effort works quite well and the production seems settled within its own confines, i.e. having the small 'setting' of the boat(s) and the immediate sea area. The elegantly efficient exposition also is as good as can be hoped for.

Having a main character to present the story to us, and one we have come to know well through books, audio and comics as much as TV episodes (from 1987 to 1989) is a fine way to get us to connect with unfamiliar supporting players. The downbeat ending also works very well and does seem to fit the mood of a number of the Seventh Doctor stories from his second and third seasons.

There are some flaws though. The Doctor more or less takes a cameo role despite his solitary presence on the official cover, and also lacks many memorable lines that we normally expect. The lack of any other female characters in the story, (which is understandable given the maritime context), is a somewhat problematic allocation for the one female voice artist. Some of the more passive or nervous characters are served better by Aldred's feminine voice, whereas the tougher ones just do not feel quite authentic enough.

And were we to really ask for some Doctor Who that pushes the bounds then perhaps this is not the best exhibit. It is set quite early on in their relationship and does not have the edge of the New Adventures book line, or even the BBC books. It simply gives us insight into one of the many conflicts fought in the Atlantic and how much pressure was being felt by these brave men. The very ending though is so beautifully poetic and haunting that much of that 'traditional' leaning is forgivable.

Sound effects and music are as reliable as ever in making the play breathe properly but not so as to impede the flow of the narration. This story ultimately stands up well and will encourage both newcomers and the 'old guard' of fans to try and sample more Short Trips as well as the more epic adventures that feature Ace, her Doctor and various other regular protagonists.