Mr Colchester is in quarantine. But at least his next door neighbour, Ms McShane, is good company. Even if she does annoyingly know the answers to the cryptic crossword.

This is an odd one – it’s basically a three-hander, which is nothing particularly new for the Torchwood range, but has the real feel of a stage play for much of the time. The majority of the action takes place in either Colchester or Ace’s rooms, with the occasional excursion outside. There’s an air of Samuel Beckett about it – waiting for something to happen, like the characters, until you realize that that lack of movement is precisely the point. And then of course, things do start to happen in a much more Torchwood way…

It’s a story about trust, and going against inbuilt attitudes – Ace has a very good reason not to invest faith in anyone connected to Torchwood; Mr Colchester is naturally wary of do-gooders sticking their noses in – but if either of them is going to find out what the regime (and its unearthly visitors) is up to, one of them will need to make the first move. Probably over a very large drop…

Paul Clayton and Sophie Aldred make a good team and there’s plenty of scope for a sequel, either directly picking up from this, or dealing with some of the ramifications. Particularly if what is suggested is true.

Verdict: Don’t go into this expecting an all-guns blazing, nitro-9 filled tale; at its heart it’s a strong character piece. 8/10

Paul Simpson

Click here to order from Big Finish