Pop the tape in, and relax as a soothing voice helps you… and himself…

There have been some weird and wonderful audios from Big Finish over the years, many of them taking full advantage of the audio medium. This one may just be the weirdest yet. It’s a self-help tape, narrated by Sir Michael Palin, that has an agenda of its own. And no, that sentence isn’t missing a word.

If the thought of Palin working on Torchwood – with all that that entails, in terms of content and approach – isn’t enough to intrigue you, then you may find the idea of a story told entirely in the 2nd person more of a draw. It’s not something that you find very often – for some bizarre reason, Jim Mortimore chose to novelise the 1998 movie Space Truckers that way, I recall – partly because it requires some nimble work by the author to work consistently. Tim Foley does a grand job in this case, handling the necessary switchbacks of the plot and providing Palin with some challenging moments – to which the veteran performer rises.

The sound design by Richard Fox and Blair Mowat’s score are vital components (the end theme in particular had me grinning), and Scott Handcock’s direction gives the tale the vital time to breathe that it requires.

Verdict: Say it with me: A very different and very effective Torchwood. 9/10

Paul Simpson

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