Welcome to the Cross-Keys Hotel. Enjoy your stay. It’s going to be a long one…

Dan Starkey’s contribution to this season of Fourth Doctor stories takes us very firmly into the territory of a near contemporary series of the era, Sapphire and Steel (the resemblance will hit you very early on, and it’s very tempting to wonder just how the elemental agents might have handled such a scenario). There’s crossing timelines, conversations happening in ways that shouldn’t be possible, and a mirror that’s failing to do the single thing it’s designed to do – reflect what’s going on.

Keith Barron, as the Lord, gives a terrific performance (I would guess one of his last for Big Finish), and his scenes with Greg Haiste’s Ron play well. Starkey himself plays a number of different characters (and wait to look at the cast list until after you’ve heard the story – partly because you’ll be surprised at just how many there are, but more because it gives away one of the key plot twists). It feels as if director Nick Briggs and sound designer Jamie Robertson have added subtle sonic layers to the different time periods, and ensure that listeners don’t get confused in a story in which it would be very easy to get lost.

Verdict: Don’t let yourself be spoiled for the many twists in this strong story. 9/10

Paul Simpson