The TARDIS lands in the depths of the Russian Winter – but it’s a far more dangerous time than the Doctor anticipates…

One of the best recreations of the period that Big Finish has done, this is an excellent addition to the stories featuring the TARDIS crew of the very early Troughton years, with Frazer Hines doing double duty as the Doctor and Jamie, Anneke Wills shedding the years to reprise Polly, and Elliot Chapman now seeming totally at home as Ben Jackson. The plot requires the Doctor and Jamie to spend some time separate from Ben and Polly, which means Hines is acting opposite himself but you’d swear at times that you can hear the “other” actor in the background during the lines, so convincing is the performance.

Roland Moore’s script wears its historical research lightly on its sleeve – there aren’t great long scenes explaining the background to the resistance movement; you simply understand what’s at stake and who the women are that the TARDIS travellers encounter. There’s a nice twist to the story, alluded to (but thankfully not spoiled) in the official description, that allows Moore to play with some familiar Doctor Who tropes in a rather different way. There’s one particular card that he plays that you know pretty much immediately will be important to the denouement of the story, but it’s the way in which this is done (and the way in which the listeners’ sympathies are divided) that makes it work so well.

Helen Goldwyn continues to impress with her work in the director’s chair: the casting of this story is one of its major strengths, with Anjella Mackintosh a million miles (or is that years) from her roles in The Time Machine and Wanda Opalinska and Kristina Buikaite giving real depth to their parts. Toby Hrycek-Robinson’s soundscape and score both soar appropriately, adding to the very realistic feel of the story.

Verdict: An excellent start to the new Early Adventures. 10/10

Paul Simpson