The extraordinary adventures of Messrs. Cavor and Bedford as they journey to – and inside – the Moon…

The second of Big Finish’s adaptations of the Wells classics is also adapted by Jonathan Barnes, with Nigel Planer and Gethin Anthony taking the lead roles. As with The Invisible Man, Barnes has created a framing narrative – which adds an otherwise-missing female voice to the cast – allowing Bedford/Wells’ first person narration to be maintained. Those extra scenes add further flavour to the story (as do Barnes’ accretions to the character of Bedford) and lead into some tweaks to the final portion, giving the story a firmer ending than Wells allowed. (It’s a shame that the references to Tesla in the original get lost as a result.)

Planer is in his element as the slightly eccentric (well, maybe a bit more than that) professor, while Anthony adds weight to the fleshed-out characterisation of Bedford. Chloe Pirrie’s Maria – the new character – feels as if she’s stepped out of another of Big Finish’s lines… and maybe an alternate version should be created, as it would be great to hear more of her. Alan Cox is given plenty to do in multiple different voices, while David Horovitch’s Grand Lunar is suitably majestic.

Lisa Bowerman ensures that the pace is maintained throughout: Wells’ novel does have some languorous moments and these are dealt with expediently by director and writer. Peter Doggart’s sound design and music aid the sense of period and grandeur considerably.

Verdict: A suitably heroic telling of one of Wells’ wordier tales. 9/10

Paul Simpson