Vila and Tarrant have to learn to trust each other…

The “inner” plays of this four-story box set separate the crew, so Christopher Cooper’s tale focuses on Steven Pacey and Michael Keating’s characters. As with Liberation, there’s a slightly nastier edge to this story – one that is totally in keeping with the situation that’s set up – and both actors give strong performances. Keating also gets a chance to show a different side to the character, with someone from his past turning up (and no, it’s not his father again!), while Pacey runs the gamut with some humour amidst Tarrant’s exasperation at being saddled with Vila.

Cooper keeps the listener guessing with regard to the motives of all of the guest characters, notably Sophia Hannides’ Shuna, who exemplifies the pragmatism that is required to survive in this post-war Federation, while Tracey Wiles seems to have a lot of fun with her part, flirting with being the proverbial femme fatale but with a real core of steel.

Verdict: A good character piece, with some great moments for the core cast. 8/10

Paul Simpson

The Spoils of War is available now from Big Finish