That was fun.
Doctor Who meets the First Great Train Robbery meets The Thomas Crown Affair. Well, sort of.
The Doctor and Lucie find themselves in 19th Century Stockholm taking a ride on the world's first electric railway, which proves to Lucie the Doctor's trainspotter credentials. Lucie is rather surprised to bump into Karen (Louise Fullerton) from Human Resources. Not as dead as Lucie thought and up to something nefarious. And who should she be in cahoots with but our friend The Headhunter (Katarina Olsson. Have I mentioned how much of a Katarina Olsson fan I am.)
They are trying to steal a work of art by 17th-century Italian artist Tardelli, which is being shipped to the King's vaults by his 'consultant' Simonsson (Michael Moloney, which is an impressive piece of casting. Big Finish do have a habit of persuading rather impressively cv'd actors to appear in their productions.)
The Doctor - who has a thing about Tardelli's, which I won't entirely spoil - decides that he and Lucie must steal the artwork before Karen and The Headhunter. Thus triggering off a rather light-hearted adventure as each pair of would-be thieves tries impersonation, mesmerism, technological trickery and plain old style feminine wiles to get hold of Tardelli's work.
It's witty, amusing, slick, clever and well-paced and tightly plotted fun. Everyone seems to be having a whale of a time and puts in a lovely performance. Sheridan Smith's Lucie is on top form as Big Finish takes advantage of her rather impeccable comic timing.
It's even got Christopher Benjamin in it for heaven's sake. He of Jago & Litefoot fame. And Colin Spaull and his gruff tones. How can it not be rather fabulous?
Indeed I think this is the most fun I've had listening to a Big Finish story in ages. The bus and tube journey simply flew by darlings.
Highly, highly recommended if you like a light-hearted heist with a Doctor Who touch.
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