The Torchwood monthly range continues cooking along with this latest, tension filled, release.
It is Rhys Williams’ time to have the lads around for a barbecue. He has everything ready to go including beers in the fridge and the meat ready to cook. It is the perfect time as his wife, Gwen, is at Torchwood and so nothing should go wrong. Then Ianto Jones rings the doorbell and things take an unexpected twist beginning with his friend ringing him and calling him “Steven”…
This month’s release in the Torchwood monthly range is a nice blend of the funny and the poignant. James Goss’ script has some undoubted highlights but it is hard to keep the momentum up when you are largely writing for two people in an audio medium. The script’s denouement is perhaps a little on the weak side and could feel like a bit of a cop out after all the drama that had come before.
That being said, this release is blessed with two wonderful performances from the ever-reliable Gareth David-Lloyd as Ianto Jones and Kai Owen as blustery Rhys Williams. Both actors work well together (despite their physical distance due to the pandemic) and there is a sense of genuine affection between the two actors which filters through to the characters. Youssef Kerkour rounds out the cast playing Badger.
Scott Handcock continues his stellar run with directing this range and is aided by a skilful sound and music design by Joe Meiners and Blair Mowat respectively. Mowat’s use of backwards piano is a particularly effective feature of his score that heightens the dramatic tension at the right time. There are bonus interviews with the cast and writer at the end of the disc which takes us inside the creation of this release.
This is certainly an entertaining way to kill an hour and, while it is not the best release in this particular batch of monthly releases, it will still hold people’s attention and should please fans of the original series.
Reviewed by Rodney Hrvatin
Twitter: @Wagnerfan74
Distributed by: Big Finish Productions
Released: November 2020
Approx RRP: $20 CD, $9 Digital Download
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