The Doctor and Charley visit a memorial…

I still find it quite amusing to read articles that describe Paul McGann’s Doctor as “the forgotten Doctor” or suggest that he’s only played the part for less than 90 minutes, so shouldn’t really count. Between finishing Ravenous, and the latest Time War set – not to mention the recent Lucie Miller collection – the Eighth Doctor is the incarnation I’m probably hearing more of than any other at present. And that’s before this Short Trip that has appropriately been released in the week of Remembrance Sunday.

Jaine Fenn may be a new name to Big Finish listeners, but she’s an accomplished author (whose work, for full disclosure, I’ve had the pleasure of copyediting) who knows how to draw the reader, or in this case the listener, in and then pull the rug out from under them. I don’t want to spoil the many twists in this story, but Fenn uses the characters of the Eighth Doctor and Charley to good effect, as well as creating antagonists with credible motivation.

India Fisher gives a well modulated performance, capturing the intonation of the Eighth Doctor without trying to imitate McGann, and Lisa Bowerman’s direction and Richard Fox’s sound design give the sense of scale the tale requires. There’s one sequence that feels a little over-familiar (you’ll know it when you hear it) but otherwise, this is an enjoyable debut.

Verdict: An intriguing tale for one of Big Finish’s stronger TARDIS teams. 7/10

Paul Simpson

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