The Doctor, Ace and Mel become caught in an area that is forever night…

Mark Morris’ return to Big Finish is a very enjoyable story that, for once, keeps the TARDIS team together for a decent proportion of the time – and even when they separate, the two companions are partnered. Morris delights in pulling the rug out from under the listener, taking things into different realms in unlikely ways – there’s a sequence involving Mel and Ace that feels very surreal yet totally in keeping with the rest of the story. Sylvester McCoy, Bonnie Langford and Sophie Aldred all seem to be having a great deal of fun in this – although it never goes over the top.

There’s also the great fun of hearing a northern female alien (although in this case, the planet that has a north is Earth – the alien has taken over someone’s body and finds herself using all the idioms that go with it!) – something that I suspect we’re going to be getting used to a lot over the next three months. Stirling Gallacher does a tremendous job as “Isabelle” and I really hope there’s an opportunity for the character to return (obviously still in this guise!). Jamie Anderson has gathered a strong cast across the board – Nick Ellsworth Arkallax’s sounds like a silky glove around a fist of steel, while Morgan Watkins and Anna Mitcham make a credible couple caught up in the eye of some very weird events. Joe Kraemer and Josh Arakelian’s sound design is always a delight, and Kraemer’s music score helps the sonic canvas to expand.

Verdict: A highly enjoyable and engrossing tale. 9/10

Paul Simpson