The 11th Doctor follows some unusual readings – and finds his own future.

The Short Trips range is definitely the place for this 30 minute drama between the 11th and 12th Doctors – Alfie Shaw’s piece works convincingly at this length, but stretched out to a full episode of either Doctor’s Chronicles series it would feel padded. It’s set in parts of each Time Lord’s timelines that haven’t been investigated very much post-series, and in particular I like the way that the 12th Doctor’s background becomes relevant to what’s happening. Shaw captures the similarities and differences between the two incarnations to produce something that feels true to the era.

Jacob Dudman’s work has been reaching a wider audience during lockdown thanks to his excellent readings for the extra material that’s appeared before and after the tweetalongs, and his Matt Smith and Peter Capaldi renditions work really well here. Director Nicholas Briggs had to stand in for the other voice (a portion of this with Briggs playing Capaldi has been released!) allowing Dudman to concentrate on one at a time, and it’s resulted in some of his best work for Big Finish to date.

Multi-Doctor stories have been a treat over the years, and I think it would be a mistake to do too many of them, even if there are plenty of opportunities to do so. This one is definitely one of the more successful.

Verdict: A short but sweet Time Lord team-up. Recommended. 9/10

Paul Simpson

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