Category: Music and Audio

CWT releases A Christmas Carol adaptation.

Our very own Mr Chris has released a unique adaptation of Charles Dickens’ renowned festive classic, ‘A Christmas Carol’, featuring a what-if cast of well-known voices from BBC’s Doctor Who.

The adaption is written by Ashley Gregory and directed by Chris Walker-Thomson, who also stars in the play.

You know the drill, Ebeneezer Scrooge is a terrible man, whose life is transformed by visiting ghosts. It is a haunting tale of redemption, that continues to resonate throughout the ages. In this version, Ashley and Chris have imagined what the tale would sound like if it were voiced by the cast of Doctor Who.

The audio also stars Jon Culshaw, Katy Manning, Pete Walsh, Elliot Crossley and, Jonathon Carley.

it’s avalible on YouTube and to download as an MP3.

David Tennant to guest on Torchwood audio

Following his return in the Doctor Who episode “Revolution of the Daleks,” John Barrowman’s Captain Jack is set to make a comeback in the Big Finish Torchwood range, marking its fiftieth episode. This special release will also make history by featuring a Doctor for the first time in the spin-off series, with David Tennant making a guest appearance as the Tenth Doctor. The audio drama will also include fan-favourite Gareth David-Lloyd as Ianto Jones.

This exciting news is sure to thrill fans of both Doctor Who and Torchwood, as the beloved characters and actors reunite for this milestone event. With Barrowman’s infectious energy, Tennant’s impeccable timing, and David-Lloyd’s poignant portrayal, this audio drama promises to be a treat for the ears and the heart.

As Big Finish continues to expand the universe of Doctor Who and its spin-offs through audio dramas, this special release is a testament to the enduring legacy and popularity of Torchwood, and the timeless appeal of the Doctor’s adventures.

Anyone who has read my reviews will know that I think Torchwood on Big Finish is Torchwood at its very best, so I’m ridiculously excited by this news.

John Barrowman said: “Fans have been asking for this for a long time. Now that it’s okay and it’s been cleared, it’s great to have him on board. There’s an interesting dynamic going on here because Jack still wants to follow him but yet wants to impress on him that he’s still the leader.”

David Tennant added: “Because this isn’t a Doctor Who story, the Doctor doesn’t have to be ahead of everything and saving the day. What’s interesting about this story – from the Doctor’s point of view – is he sort of messes up. It’s a story about the Doctor being a bit imperfect which is nice to see now and again actually.”

Torchwood: Absent Friends is now available to pre-order as a collector’s edition CD at £10.99 or on download from the Big Finish website at £8.99.

https://youtu.be/Z9Go6ytqc_E

Big Finish review-Torchwood: The Crown

Are you a fan of the eerie, atmospheric and immersive world of Torchwood? If so, then you are in for a real treat with the latest release, The Crown. This gripping audio adventure takes us back to the early and darker days of Torchwood and its founder and is set against the backdrop of Victorian England.

On Christmas Eve, Dr Gideon Parr is summoned to an asylum to check on a patient, who claims to be none other than Queen Victoria herself. This patient is haunted by a terrible curse, and it is up to the young doctor to diagnose her condition and help her find peace.

Written by Johnathan Barnes, The Crown is a morality tale that explores the darker side of Torchwood and its founder. This audio adventure is an incredible piece of storytelling that combines a Victorian setting with expertly crafted characters, outstanding performances, flawless sound design and a haunting musical score.

At the heart of this audio adventure is Rowena Cooper’s performance as Queen Victoria. Cooper delivers a mesmerising and chilling performance that perfectly captures the Queen’s complex and troubled state of mind. Her portrayal of the character is so convincing that you almost believe that she really is the Queen herself.

The supporting cast is equally impressive, with each member delivering a memorable and nuanced performance. Derek Riddell, in particular, shines as Dr Gideon Parr, bringing depth and humanity to the character that makes him instantly relatable.

Joe Meiners’ sound design is another highlight of this audio adventure, creating a claustrophobic and immersive soundscape that perfectly captures the mood and atmosphere of Victorian England. Blair Mowat’s musical score is equally haunting, perfectly complementing the story and adding an extra layer of depth and emotion to the audio adventure.

The Crown is a strong character piece that allows the listener to explore the early days of Torchwood and its founder. It is a morality tale that explores the consequences of disobeying the crown, and the terrible curse that comes with it.

Overall, The Crown is an outstanding audio adventure that is highly recommended to fans of Torchwood and anyone who loves a good spooky story. It is the perfect stocking filler for the festive season and will keep you on the edge of your seat from start to finish.

So, if you’re looking for a gripping audio adventure that combines expert storytelling, outstanding performances, flawless sound design, and a haunting musical score, then look no further than The Crown. It is a Torchwood adventure that you won’t forget anytime soon.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

Check out our other Big Finish reviews.

Torchwood contains adult material and may not be suitable for younger listeners.

Torchwood: The Crown is avalible to purchase directly from Big Finish.



Review-Doctor Who: Grey man of the mountain

Something haunts the peak of Ben MacDui.
Something with heavy footsteps, striking terror in the hearts of those who sense it. With climbers going missing, retired Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart visits Scotland to investigate.
But when some old friends join his ascent, he worries that they will make things even more dangerous. As the snows blow in, and mists surround them, the Doctor, Ace and the Brigadier will face the Grey Man of the Mountain…


This year’s Christmas offer from Big Finish is a pretty strong release, it’s more subtle than last year’s ‘Blood on Santa’s Claw and Other Stories’. Written by Verity’s Lizabeth Myles, it teams The Brigadier up with The Seventh Doctor and Ace. Jon Culshaw plays the role exceptionally well. He’s so pitch-perfect that, if you didn’t know this wasn’t Nicholas Courtney, you wouldn’t know this wasn’t Nicholas Courtney.




McCoy and Aldred are on top form as always. The setting and environment make for a tense and unnerving experience. The audio is so vivid, I could see the action playing out in my mind’s eye. This felt like a Seventh Doctor/Ace era storyline. The audio even plays around with Ace’s sexuality, by maybe possibly giving her a love interest with Lucy Goldie’s vlogger character. The pair of have such natural chemistry.
There are a few niggles though. Vivien Read slightly overplays the landlady. It’s like she’s in completely different story-at times she reminded me of David Walliams’ Scottish riddler from Little Britain.
The audio also overruns by about 30 minutes. This, plus a sizeable guest cast makes material thin on the ground, I found myself starting to drift a bit towards the end.


Those nitpick’s aside, Grey man of the mountain is an immersive, atmospheric and underplayed Christmas special. Which takes full advantage of its setting, cast and the medium of telling a story for audio.

⭐⭐⭐

Doctor Who: Grey man of the mountain is available to purchase directly from Big Finish. 



Episode 239: The War Master: Hearts of Darkness

Martyn is joined by Dominic G Martin AKA Who Chaser.

The Duo discusses the fifth series in The War Doctor range, by Big Finish Productions. (there are some spoilers). They also talk about Dominic’s love for cosplay, his fan audios and, YouTube channel.

The War Master is a character played by Sir Derek Jacobi, that originated in the TV series Doctor Who.

The War Master: Hearts of Darkness is available to purchase directly from Big Finish.

The podcast is available from all good podcast services, such as but not limited to Spotify, Amazon Music, Podchaser, Player FM, Stitcher, and Apple Podcasts.

We also have a Smartlink.



Equipment used in the creation of this feature was purchased through a grant from Graeae and The Paul Hamlyn Foundation.

If you’d like to support the show, then please shop via our Amazon link. A small percentage goes our way, at no extra cost to you.

Chris is taking part in Movember if you’d like to donate you can do so here.

Check out our Youtube, We Sound Familiar and, Comedians talking football.

Socials:

Twitter:

Dominic-@DominicJGMartin

Martyn – @BadWilf

Gerrod –@InGerrodsMind

Pete – @BeeblePete

Sam-@Sammichaelcomic

Instagram:

Dominic-@dominusoftime

Martyn-@BadWilf

Chris-@ChrisWalkerThomsonofficial

Sam-@Sammichaelol



Episode 231:Big Finish-Doctor Who: Out of time

In which Martyn, Sam, and Chris discuss ‘Out of time’ the latest Doctor Who release from Big Finish.

Out of Time 1 stars David Tennant and Tom Baker. It was written by Matt Fitton and directed by Nicholas Briggs.

Read Martyn’s written review here.



The Big Finish Chris appears on can be bought here.

Check out Chris’ adaptation of Sleuth here.

The podcast is available from all good podcast services, such as but not limited to;

Podchaser, Player FM, Stitcher, and Apple Podcasts.

If you’d like to support the show, then please shop via our Amazon link. A small percentage goes our way, at no extra cost to you.

Check out our Youtube.

Check out We Sound Familiar.

Check out Comedians talking football.

Twitter:

Martyn – @BadWilf

Gerrod –@InGerrodsMind

Pete – @BeeblePete

Sam-@Sammichaelcomic

Chris-@ChrisWalkerT

Doctor Who: Out of Time 1 is now available from the Big Finish website.



Review-Doctor Who: Out of time

Covid 19 has been an utter horror, but it has given Doctor Who fans content we wouldn’t have gotten without it. Not only did we get a Sarah Jane Smith finale written by Russell T Davies, we also got the news that Christopher Eccleston has signed up to Big Finish.

It also enabled Big Finish to bring forward their release of Out of time 1. This was recorded entirely in lockdown and only happened because the events of this year cleared out David Tennant’s insane schedule.

Out of Time is the first, in a trilogy of original audio adventures that sees the Tenth Doctor pit himself against his most iconic foes, with a former Doctor by his side. In this story he’s joined by The Fourth Doctor, played by the legendary Tom Baker.



Multi-Doctor stories are nothing new, but this is the first time these two incarnations have met and it’s absolutely joyous. There’s the standard bickering we get when two Doctors meet, however there’s more love and mutual respect between these two.

Writer Matt Fitton perfectly manages to balance the tonal difference between two entirely different eras of the show. Ten and Four bounce of each other spectacularly well. Both lead actors absolutely soar in their respective roles.

Howard Carter’s music perfectly compliments the drama, punctuating the actors performances. The supporting cast are all on top form and Nicholas Briggs takes on a dual role as actor and director, he does both with absolute vigour. This is clearly a passion project for all involved, a love letter to Doctor Who and its fans.

Out of time may well be the best multi-Doctor story yet. I can’t wait for the second and third instalments.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Cast:

Listen to our podcast discussion about ‘Out of time’ here.

Doctor Who: Out of Time 1 is now available from the Big Finish website.

Big Finish review-Torchwood Soho Parasite

Since he was first introduced in 2016’s Ghost Mission, Norton Folgate (Samuel Barnett) has popped up in several Torchwood audios. His self-serving ways fast cemented him as a fan-favourite. So much so, it’s difficult to imagine the Torchwood cast without him.

In Torchwood Soho: Parasite, we catch up with Norton, as he investigates strange happenings in post-war London. There’re Nazi packages, a man who should be dead, a time-traveling pub and, Torchwood fan-favourite Sergeant Andy Davidson (Tom Price).

Writer James Goss blows me away, with each release. This is no exception. What’s interesting about this box set, is it’s comprised of six half-hour episodes. I loved this format and I hope it stays. It enables the story to be lean and flow at an incredible pace, there’s no filler here.

The story has a non-linear format, but thanks to Scott Handock’s smooth direction, you’re never lost. You know exactly where every character is and their motivations are always clear.



What can be said about Samuel Barnett and Tom Price at this point? They have such great natural chemistry, Norton and Andy are the perfect Big Finish odd-couple. It’s always a joy to hear them interact.

Rounding off the team are Torchwood new-comers, Dervla Kirwan and Joe Shire. Kirwan instantly shines as Lizabeth Hayhoe, she makes the role her own and establishes the character as a force to be reckoned with. Shire is equally charming as Gideon Lyme, a journalist, and love-interest of Norton. There’s also Belle Epoque (Franchi Webb), the immortal landlady of ‘The Stagnant Pond’ pub. All three characters are brilliant for Torchwood, I hope we see them again.

All-in-all, Torchwood Soho: Parasite is a strong release. Highly recommended.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Cast:

Torchwood-Soho: Parasite is available to purchase directly from Big Finish.



Sleuth – Act I by CWT Audios

Our very own Chris has kept himself busy during lockdown, by making an audio adaptation of Sleuth, by Anthony Shaffer.

The audio stars Chris and his ‘we sound familiar’ co-host, Elliott Crossley.

Chris plays the role of Andrew Wyke, whilst Elliot plays the role of Milo Tindle.

The plot revolves around young Milo Tindle being invited to the manor of his lover’s husband and crime novelist, Andrew Wyke, to bury the hatchet, a criminal plan is hatched, but is it all part of some deadly game?

The audio is totally free and can be watched on YouTube or downloaded via band camp.

Produced for entertainment purposes only, independently of the Estate of Anthony Shaffer. No profit is being made from this production.

Big Finish review-Torchwood: The Sins of Captain John

The Sins of Captain John is a Torchwood release that boasts a fun and engaging four-episode story arc written by David Llewellyn. From zombies in Restoration London to the gates of Hell crashing a funeral, James Marsters as Captain John Hart leads the audience on a wild, unpredictable ride. This release is not suitable for younger listeners due to its adult themes and language.

James Marsters truly shines in his portrayal of the swashbuckling Captain John, and it’s clear that he has a great deal of affection for the character. He breaks the fourth wall with ease, creating a connection with the audience akin to that of the Whoniverse’s answer to Deadpool. Even the director gets in on the fun in a moment where Captain John laments not being able to hear the theme song. It’s an incredible performance by James Marsters as Captain John Hart. Marsters delivers an absolutely stellar performance, showcasing his versatility as an actor and his ability to portray a wide range of emotions. He has the ability to convey the complex emotions of his character. Captain John is a complex character, and Marsters does an excellent job of portraying his many facets. He can be charming and witty one moment, and then cruel and ruthless the next. It’s a testament to Marsters’ skill as an actor that he is able to make all of these aspects of Captain John feel so believable. It’s evident that Marsters has a deep affection for the character, and he seems to relish every moment of his time as Captain John.

One of the things that makes Marsters’ portrayal of Captain John so enjoyable is his ability to break the fourth wall effortlessly. He talks directly to the audience, often making fun of his own situation and poking fun at the other characters. This creates a unique connection between Captain John and the audience, and it makes the listening experience all the more enjoyable.

David Llewellyn’s script is both fast-paced and funny, and Scott Handcock’s direction expertly matches the tone of the story. The supporting cast is also incredibly talented, each giving a memorable performance without outshining Captain John.

Overall, The Sins of Captain John is an excellent addition to the Torchwood canon, and fans of the show will undoubtedly enjoy this latest instalment. It’s been 12 years since we first met the character, and it’s great to hear James Marsters back in the role, leading us on his own adventures. The only thing left to say is, to roll on to Volume 2!

⭐⭐⭐⭐