Adric is rather surprised to find himself the Squire to a very familiar knight…

As with the character of the Sixth Doctor, Fourth and Fifth Doctor companion Adric has had something of a renaissance (in the proper sense of the word) in his appearances with Big Finish. There’s definitely a feel at times in the character’s television appearances that the writers and script editors didn’t really know what to do with him, and certainly it doesn’t feel as if he lived up to his potential during his time with the younger-looking incarnation of the Time Lord. But between the full cast audios and his Short Trip appearances, we’re getting a chance to see other sides to him – as well as admire the talents of Matthew Waterhouse.

I wasn’t sure quite what to expect from Julian Richards’ tale going in, based on the description, and wisely, the producers have kept back some essential information from the synopsis. If you’ve not heard the story yet, then don’t read further…

Adric is pretty much paired up with the Fourth Doctor – or at least a version thereof – for the majority of this story, allowing Waterhouse to unleash a booming Tom Baker impression that gets the rhythms of the actor’s speech patterns spot on. Of course, it isn’t the Fourth Doctor, but something else entirely, and Richards gives us an entrance into the way Adric regards both the incarnation he met initially and his successor. It makes for a fascinating journey amid some fun fantasy trappings.

Verdict: A fun tilt at windmills that contains some underlying serious character points. 8/10

Paul Simpson