Four more tales of International Rescue…

Adapting four of Alan Fennell’s classic comic strips for audio, these stories revel in both embodying everything fun about the series and pushing its envelope. This feels like Thunderbirds with the volume turned up, it starts fun and just gets better.

Chris Thompson’s work on ‘The Revolution’ has International Rescue called in to aid a colossal luxury liner run aground in a newly dug canal. The actual act of sabotage responsible is much more complex than it first seems to be and the story sets the tone for the entire set. The only thing that’s simple here is the danger and Fennell and Thompson’s script gives everyone reason and context for doing what they’re doing. It also gives Genevieve Gaunt a really fun, memorable turn as Juana, the mayor caught up in events and doing her best to help everyone. ‘The Revolution’ functions too as a vertical slice through the set’s approach. These stories are all classic rescue fiction but there’s some added depth and complexity to them that’s effective and very welcome. Brains and Penelope in particular both feel far more like senior members of the team and Leong Brophy’s excellent Tin-Tin is given a lot more to do including some pretty major field work.

‘Mr Steelman’, adapted by Genevieve Gaunt, is a complete tone change and even more fun for that dissonance. A flashback story told by Lady Penelope about how she and Parker met, it puts the counter intelligence elements of her character in the foreground and plays like an unusually utopian, futuristic episode of Leverage. I love a good heist story and this is a particularly good one, anchored by a witty script, a witty adaptation and great performances. Samuel Clemens’ work is impressive throughout but this one really sings, especially the performances from Gaunt as Lady Penelope, Jon Culshaw as Parker and Wayne Forester as Mr Steelman. There are torpedoes. There are heists. There is a colossal maybe-robot and an Actual Honest To God Volcano HQ. It’s a really good time.

‘The Trapped Spy’ adapted by Andrew Clements, may be my favourite of the four. A spy trapped behind enemy lines, an innocent civilian in trouble and International Rescue’s neutral position tested to breaking point. Culshaw gets to flex his dad muscles as Jeff Tracy here and he’s great at it, giving the story’s big complex ideas even more weight. You get an exploration of how IR would actually work, some great action and a really good turn from Justin T Lee as Scott. Plus the cold war accents for the villains work well in context.

Speaking of cold, the set is rounded out by the paciest story. Ben Page’s adaptation of ‘The Big Freeze’ is rescue fiction with added guitar solos. A base under accidental attack, a nuclear firestorm, a blizzard, experimental Thunderbirds tech and an icebreaker in trouble are all crammed into its frantic runtime and Page, Clemens and the cast hit every beat of this frantic story at a dead run and then just go faster. It’s a pared down, action heavy tale that’s big fun and closes out a very strong set that shows just how broad a remit the series has.

Verdict: This is an expansive, clever set of stories that delivers on every level. Four unique, clever performances, an ensemble pulling quadruple duties and doing so brilliantly and a perfect embodiment of the blockbuster, epic scale action science fiction the series does best. Rounded out by an excellent, and in depth set of conversations with the cast and crew this is another excellent entry in the series. 9/10

Alasdair Stuart

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