Rory Williams – the Lone Centurion – is on the trail of the Pandorica, which he has sworn to protect. It’s somewhere in Rome… but where?

If you were expecting a serious historical in the vein of I, Claudius, then you’re out of luck. If you want a Big Finish range that seems to be channelling the spirit of Up Pompeii, I’m Sorry I’ll Read That Again, Carry On Cleo or Doctor Who’s own trip to the period, The Romans, you’re in for a treat. Sure, there’s danger and drama – and a great deal of conflict – in David Llewellyn’s opening script for this new spin-off, but the tone is kept pretty light.

Arthur Darvill sounds like he’s having fun returning to Rory after nearly a decade – as he notes in the extras, this works because it’s in a sense outside the television episodes (for pedants, this whole series takes place during the Matt Smith series 5 season ender). Producer Scott Handcock has assembled a strong cast around Darvill who can play the material at the heightened level it requires, and Rob Harvey’s score and sound design do likewise (even if there’s one musical gag in here that did have me rolling my eyes).

As with so many of the spin-off series which take the audios into different territory, you wouldn’t want every Big Finish production to have this feel, but this works well in its context, and I’m looking forward to finding out how Rorius of the Britons gets out of the predicament he’s in at the end of the story…

Verdict: Rome hasn’t been like this for a few decades – an enjoyable blend of comedy and drama. 8/10

Paul Simpson

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