The Doctor and Jo are summoned to Draconia – but who could possibly want their assistance?

Alan Barnes’ sequel to Malcolm Hulke’s Frontier in Space expands what we saw of the Draconian society in that Jon Pertwee story. Setting it around the same time as the Season 10 tale provides a degree of shorthand both for the listener and for the Doctor and Jo, who, as the title suggests, find themselves caught up in all manners of conspiracy (there’s not simply one – that would be too simple!) both on Draconia and out in deep space.

The line about females being silent in the presence of the Emperor in the original has sometimes been interpreted as females being deemed lesser in some way in Draconian society, but Barnes makes it clear that they’re very much the males’ equal, and in the majority of cases in this story, their superior. Imogen Church and Issy van Randwyck give us two powerful female Draconians with very understandable motives for their actions, while Aurora Burghart’s Emerald is motivated rather differently. On the agnate side, Sam Stafford’s Lieutenant Ruji will keep you guessing, while Barnaby Edwards provides multiple voices, including General Chusa, but I doubt you’ll guess them all till you hear the credits read out!

Tim Treloar brings out the occasional fallible side to this incarnation of the Doctor, and Katy Manning sounds as young and enthusiastic as Jo – who’s coming to the end of her time with the Doctor, and ready for whatever the universe can through at her. Nicholas Briggs keeps all the plates spinning successfully so the listener is clear what’s going on (and indeed who’s on whose side).

Verdict: A worthy sequel to the Hulke classic. 8/10

Paul Simpson

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