Travelling back to civilisation after a mission seems like the boring end to a job and, for a while, Gwen Cooper and her husband Rhys Williams think everything has wrapped up but there appears to be no sign of any village or technology available. It’s possible they are running around in circles, and pretty soon the conversations turn spiteful…
The third release in the current series of monthly Torchwood stories sees returning actors Eve Myles (Gwen) and Kai Owen (Rhys) handle this suspenseful hour-long, two-hander with aplomb. Both actors are outstanding with the great load of dialogue. The rapport between them is undoubtedly genuine. They are guided by the steady directorial hand of Scott Handcock who keeps the dialogue flowing perfectly whilst ramping up the tension. As a bonus, there is also a short interview with the two actors following the drama.
Guy Adams’ script is daring and relies on only the words of the participants as well as the extremely bold choice to use prolonged silences and very little music to build up suspense. The sound design by Richard Fox and Lauren Yason is minimal and unobtrusive and complements the drama superbly. At times the listener gets a real sense of being in the car with them and not knowing what is going to happen next.
While this particular adventure may not appeal to fans of the more action-packed episodes of Torchwood, it provides listeners with a great opportunity to hear what can be done in the audio medium with an almost bare minimum of fuss. There is much to savour in this story and even though the ending feels a little too rushed and convenient, it is still an engaging story. Big Finish have created a challenging piece for fans of high-octane, guns blasting action but this is most definitely worth a listen for the craftsmanship and the acting alone.
Reviewed by Rodney Hrvatin
Twitter: @Wagnerfan74
Rating out of 10: 9
Distributed by: Big Finish Productions
Released: May 2018
RRP: $18 CD, $8 Digital Download
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