The Doctor brings Mrs Clarke to an unexpectedly peaceful place… at least at first…

John Pritchard’s work for Big Finish has consistently shone lights on different sides of the characters we know from the TV series, and here he applies those writing gifts to one of Big Finish’s own creations, Sixth Doctor companion Constance Clarke. Even if you don’t know anything about the character (as was the case with my co-listener), everything important is summed up in the first few minutes and in such a way that it never feels like the dreaded infodump.

Miranda Raison’s narration demonstrates why Mrs Clarke is such a breath of fresh air in the Doctor Who universe – she has a way of looking at things that isn’t quite the same as any other TARDIS traveller we’ve had before, and Pritchard ensures that her perspective gets a certain addition as a result of this story. I’m not sure if the poster image that’s central to the tale is real or not (a quick Google images search finds something that’s very similar) but it’s very effective. Lisa Bowerman’s direction and David Roocroft’s sound design and music give an immediacy to the story (effects happening as they’re described is still not as common as I feel they should be) that brings us into the house with the Doctor, Mrs Clarke and the family they meet.

If you’ve not encountered Mrs Clarke before, then this is a very strong introduction to her; for those of us who’ve enjoyed her travels with Old Sixy, it’s further confirmation of the character’s strength.

Verdict: A strong character piece well-told. 9/10

Paul Simpson