Two people – flirtatious, unsteady timelines and lives inextricably linked to both the Doctor and each other. Surely they’re a match made in heaven?

James Goss’ intertwining of the lives of Jack Harkness and River Song is the ultimate Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead for Doctor Who – for those who don’t know the Stoppard play, it shows what two characters are doing when they’re not being seen by the audience watching Hamlet. So here, we get River and Jack turning up at points in each other’s lives where we didn’t know previously they were present, but which explains certain elements. (There’s one or two places where I thought Goss would go further, perhaps not confining Jack to providing pizza at a key moment in River’s life.)

It’s a story that will appeal to fans of the characters, since we see them both when they are “on”, dazzling all around with the weight of their charisma, charm and personality, but also when they’re “off”, simply being themselves, perhaps seeking a life that’s a little more ordinary. The conversations between the two are the highlight of the play, the times when they can let the mask slip as their lives synch up briefly and they can show the vulnerable side to one of the few other people in the entirety of time and space who will understand.

John Barrowman and Alex Kingston bounce off each other excellently – and full marks to all those behind the scenes, given what we learn in the extras about the way it was recorded – and the supporting cast have multiple roles, inevitable given the sheer number of different scenes. There’s some fun cameos, although not always the ones you might expect, particularly given one of the cast members, and a great deal of fun to be had working out exactly where in each of the lead characters’ lives the scene is taking place.

Verdict: A wonderful celebration of two of Steven Moffat’s best creations for Doctor Who. 10/10

Paul Simpson

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