Big Finish Productions, out now

London, 1917. England is caught in the grip of war. Every day the casualties grow in number. Every day the outlook appears more bleak. And every day the need increases to win this conflict at any cost.

Jonathan Barnes certainly knows his Dracula, and how to construct compelling stories around Bram Stoker’s vampire count. Big Finish here present a follow-up to Dracula, which was preceded by Barnes’ Dracula’s Guests earlier this year. As with the prequel, we have three full-cast audio plays, though they are presented as journal or log entries, continuing the epistolary style used in the original 1897 novel.

In ‘The Convent’ we open with Ronald Pickup’s king, sharing a frequent nightmare. We then witness a reporter being introduced to a chained-up countess for asking to many questions about the Nosferatu Protocol, before joining the nuns in a convent who have been spurred into action by a revelation within a painting. So begins the series of threads, happening concurrently as opposing parties prepare for war by bringing out their big guns – living or otherwise.

In ‘The Madhouse’ and ‘The Forest Track’ we witness multiple parties on different tracks, both to resurrect Dracula and engage him in warfare, and to stop him in his tracks. Gatiss is in fine form as the Count, spitting out contempt towards those who have awoken him.

As always, the production by Big Finish is excellent, with an eerie score by Robert Harvey, crunchy sound effects and good pacing by director Scott Handcock. Things end, as always with Dracula, with the count being stopped, but there’s enough of a tease to suggest he’ll be back to trouble another continent.

Verdict: A fine conclusion to Big Finish’s Dracula sequence – I look forward to further escapades. 8/10

Nick Joy

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