Reviews


The Turn Of The Screw (Credit: Big Finish)

Producer Ian Atkins, Script Editor Ian Atkins
Executive Producers Jason Haigh-Ellery and Nicholas Briggs

Written By: Eddie RobsonDirected By: Lisa Bowerman

Cast

Yee Jee Tso (Narrator)

Here is the thing with Big Finish - their part of the Doctor Who universe is HUGE! As familiar as I am with Yee Jee Tso's character Chang Lee, I had never heard of his other character Warrant Officer Charlie Sato, so after a bit of research I discover that he is linked to UNIT, and used to work in the Vault. Phew! 
 
We catch up with Charlie in Puerto Rico, where he is trying to track down a piece of alien tech, and (hopefully) stop it falling into the wrong hands. It unfolds that the piece of alien tech turns out to be something VERY familiar, and will prove VERY dangerous in those wrong hands, so it’s a good job that the eighth Doctor is on hand to help wrangle that old and badly damaged sonic screwdriver back into the right hands.
 
The Turn of the Screw doesn't play out like a usual piece of Who audio. It feels much more like an espionage thriller that just happens to have a Doctor in there somewhere. Short Trips (and general Big Finish) regular contributor, Eddie Robson weaves a gritty tale that unfolds purely from Charlie’s point of view. Charlie doesn't realise who the Doctor is, which is quite fun in a particularly harrowing torture scene. There is no TARDIS in this stripped back tale, just the eighth Doctor, with a battered doctor’s bag and an old VW Beetle. Towards the end, the story plays a lovely nod to the shows 50th anniversary that I won’t spoil for you, as it is a joy to listen to.
 
The narration is very smoothly handled by Yee Jee Tso, his soft, North American accent plays very easily on the ear. Overall I found this simplified world quite charming, and would like to stumble across the character of Charlie Sato again soon.
 
The Turn of the Screw is available from Big Finish now.