In Torchwood: The Last Beacon, a distress signal from a Welsh mountain summons an ancient battlefleet to Earth, prompting Owen Harper and Ianto Jones to venture into the Brecons to put a stop to it. This buddy comedy offers a lighter tone than most Torchwood stories in the Big Finish range, making it a refreshing and amusing addition to the series.
Owen and Ianto’s unlikely partnership is an inspired concept, and their conflict in a small Welsh community allows for deeper character exploration. Ianto feels at home among his people, but Owen is out of his element and met with distrust from the locals.
It’s also worth noting the excellent performance of Burn Gorman in the audio play. He brings his unique talents to the role of Owen Harper, capturing the character’s wit and cynicism with ease. Gorman’s delivery of the dialogue is impeccable, and he brings depth to the character that is both engaging and entertaining. His chemistry with Gareth David-Lloyd’s Ianto Jones is fantastic and adds to the overall enjoyment of the story. Gorman’s performance in The Last Beacon is a testament to his talent and a highlight of the audio play.
Gareth David-Lloyd’s first foray into writing an audio play is impressive, as the story flows seamlessly and offers further development of the leads’ relationship. This quintessentially Big Finish Torchwood story is a fun and highly recommended listen. Hopefully, David-Lloyd will write another audio play in the future.