Romana and her Tharil friend Laszlo are searching for the Sluagh and encounter Joshua, a young American Civil War soldier…

This new range from BBC Audio has probably gone beneath pretty much everyone’s radar – it’s a series of stories about life in the Doctor Who universe but not directly centred on the Doctor. It’s a concept, of course, that Big Finish have been using for the past two decades, and it’s not as if we’re not aware of what Romana has been up to since she departed at the end of Warriors’ Gate back in 1981. However, most stories have picked up her life once she’s back in N-Space and involved again with the Time Lords – something that is related in Terrance Dicks’ New Adventure Blood Harvest – rather than tell of her time with Laszlo. Appropriately, it’s the person who created that situation who pens this story.

It’s great to have Stephen Gallagher back in the Doctor Who universe – he re-novelised Warriors’ Gate for BBC Audio, and adapted his lost story Nightmare Country for Big Finish, but this is the first original story. Although the story starts with Romana and Laszlo, much of it is told through the eyes of the 19 year old American Civil War soldier Joshua, and we understand his awe and fear as he travels everywhere from the Gateway to somewhere more familiar to us. There’s a frightening new foe to face, much worse than anyone from the Confederacy, and Gallagher gives them an interesting backstory that fits perfectly with the ideas behind Warriors’ Gate.

Stephen Pacey doesn’t try to imitate Lalla Ward’s performance as Romana, but we’re in no doubt at any time as to who’s who among the diverse cast, with David Roocroft’s sound design aiding the scene setting (although there’s the odd moment when the background soundscape disappears when it’s still being referenced in the text).

Verdict: A part of Doctor Who history that’s not been overly mined brought to life well. 8/10

Paul Simpson

Click here to order from Amazon.co.uk

Click here to read our interview with Stephen Gallagher about the creation of this audio