Nora Wicker’s day is about to become even stranger when she sees a young man in her garden…

The 2022 Paul Spragg Memorial Trip winner had its traditional release at the end of the year, this time featuring the 11th Doctor in a story written by newcomer Nick Slawicz and recorded by Big Finish stalwart Lisa Bowerman. Both she and Slawicz, in tandem with producer Peter Anghelides, give a great rendition of Matt Smith’s incarnation, capturing that ability to dive off at a tangent verbally in a way that you always have to suspect is actually hiding something deeper occurring within while his mouth just keeps going on autopilot.

The story is told from the point of view of Nora, a widow who knows that her mental faculties aren’t as sharp as they used to be, and isn’t quite sure if the young man visiting her is actually all there – in all senses of that phrase! What’s revealed is a rather lovely tale tinged with both melancholy and hope that fits the era within which it’s set, with Bowerman drawing us into Nora’s world view with some beautifully judged moments of hesitation and strength, that are echoed by Alistair Lock’s sensitive sound design.

Verdict: A life-affirming tale that marks Slawicz out as one to watch. 8/10

Paul Simpson

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