In which Professor Litefoot and Henry Gordon Jago regale an audience with a tale of terror in Minos and London…

I have to admit to bursting out in a huge grin when Christopher Benjamin and Trevor Baxter’s characters introduced this story – and it leapt into Murray Gold’s version of the Doctor Who theme. We’ve had elements cross over before but this is the first time we’ve had the intrepid investigators meet one of the 21st century Doctors… and before everyone starts complaining that this doesn’t count because David Tennant isn’t involved, it does. Because you’ll want this story to be part of Who history.

Jonathan Barnes has provided Baxter and Benjamin with a clever script and a delightfully devious way of splitting the pair up within the story, yet keeping their repartee intact. While Professor Litefoot is off gallivanting with some mysterious brown-suited figure, HGJ has help from one Johnny Exterminator as the New Regency comes under attack.

More than that I’m not going to say, save to commend actors, writer and director Lisa Bowerman on some very fine work that celebrates 40 years of The Talons of Weng-Chiang in style. There’s more to say once Act 2 is released but I wouldn’t want to be accused of…er… spoilers!

Verdict: Tremendous fun. 9/10

Paul Simpson