After the receipt of a distress call disables the TARDIS, the Doctor and Peri find themselves in late Victorian Africa…

It seems like some considerable time since we had a Doctor Who story from James Parsons and Andrew Stirling-Brown, and they kick off this new box set of adventures for the Sixth Doctor and Peri with a look at Victorian attitudes and fear of the outsider. These stories are set after the Time Lord and botanist reunite – so Peri has been Queen of the Krontep – and the characterisation reflects this: the Doctor has considerable faith in Peri’s abilities, and we spend a good part of the story with her.

There’s also use of diary extracts from a young Victorian explorer who’s straining against the constraints her society has put upon her. Between her, Peri and the leader of one of the tribes they encounter, there’s a very powerful female energy to the story.

Scott Handcock has assembled a strong cast for this, and Hugh Skinner brings a real edge to the unpleasant Lord Oliver. There’s no easy answers in this one – characters stay true to their own beliefs to the bitter end – and you come away with plenty to think about.

Verdict: Not shying away from consequences of actions, this is a good start to this new set of adventures. 8/10

Paul Simpson

Click here to order The Sixth Doctor and Peri Volume One from Big Finish