River arrives at the Palace Theatre and encounters Li H’sen Chang and his patron…

There’s something wonderfully appropriate about Paul Morris writing this prequel to both The Talons of Weng-Chiang and its spin-off Jago & Litefoot as he penned the last story of the Infernal Investigators following the sad death of Trevor Baxter. Christopher Benjamin has been turning up elsewhere in Big Finish stories, notably as Mother in The Avengers, but he gives what I suspect may be a final turn as Henry Gordon Jago here, teamed with Alex Kingston’s River Song – in ways that will surprise the listener (and I have no intention of spoiling) but are bound to bring a smile to the face.

Benjamin’s the only original cast member from that 1977 classic to reappear but Angus Wright, who played the part of Magnus Greel in the 5th Doctor tale The Butcher of Brisbane for Big Finish (even if the website credits him as Nyssa!) does make a return. Nicolas Goh plays both Li H’sen Chang and Mr Sin, while Milly Thomas plays two very different parts, one of whom fills in some of the gaps of one of Goh’s characters.

Paul Morris picks up on the various mentions of Chang’s past in the Talons script (notably his final scene with the Doctor), and draws this story to a close at precisely the right moment. As with all the stories in this set, there’s a fine balance drawn to ensure that those who know the original TV adventure get as much out of it as those who come to it purely knowing River from the modern day series.

Verdict: One of the best ever Doctor Who stories gets the prequel it deserves. 10/10

Paul Simpson

Click here to order The Diary of River Song Volume 6 from Big Finish