Written by AK Benedict
Starring John Barrowman, Rowena Cooper
Big Finish’s latest Torchwood adventure The Victorian Age pairs Captain Jack Harkness and Queen Victoria for an adventure they’ll never forget!
And what a pair these two make. Captain Jack (John Barrowman) and Her Majesty, Queen Victoria (Rowena Cooper) are such a weird and wonderful alien fighting duo, that you wonder why no-one put them together before.
In London in the 1890s. Queen Victoria, ruler of Great Britain and Ireland and Empress of India, has arrived for her annual inspection of the Torchwood Institute. This year, everyone is quite determined, nothing will go wrong.
Things do go wrong, however. And jolly quickly. A rather nasty alien breaks out of Torchwood London’s HQ at the Natural History Museum to wreak death and panic on the city, just as Her Maj is deciding whether to continue with the Institute or not. Imperious and unafraid, she sets off after the beastie with Jack in tow.
Excitingly for her, Jack takes the Queen on her first trip in a motor, which they soon have to abandon at Hyde Park. The resourceful and, really rather charming, Queen Vic commandeers a horse and urges Jack to follow suit as they continue their pursuit.
In a similar vein to Yvonne Hartman’s adventures on her night out in Cardiff in One Rule, the Queen is a fish-out-of-water as she spends some time in a London pub; buying everyone drinks and even eating winkles, although to be fair to Victoria, she’s far less haughty than Hartman!
The post-pub alien chasing continues down the London Underground, where Victoria enlists an army of ordinary people – her people – to help, as she’s the first to understand the creature – what it wants and how to defeat it.
AK Benedict’s script is an absolute belter and the chemistry between Captain Jack and Queen Victoria is brilliant – full of spark and sass! There are also some moving moments between the two as they ponder on the ability to live. And die.
As the Queen announces her intention to retire from public life, we can only sit and wail that it ain’t so! Please, Big Finish, puh-lease bring these two back again soon.
Blogtor rating 10/10
Synopsis
‘One of the best character pieces that Big Finish has ever produced… AK Benedict has the potential to be one of the most talented and well renowned writers in Big Finish’s arsenal.’ Gallifrey Archive
London, England, the 1890s. Queen Victoria, ruler of Great Britain and Ireland and Empress of India, has arrived for her annual inspection of the Torchwood Institute. This year, everyone is quite determined, nothing will go wrong.
Several minutes later a terrible creature is unleashed on the streets of London. No one knows where it comes from, what it is, or even why it’s on Earth. It’s ruthless, has no morals, and is quite unstoppable. Captain Jack Harkness is on the loose, and Queen Victoria is along for the ride of her life.
*Torchwood contains adult material and may not be suitable for younger listeners*
Written By: AK Benedict
Directed By: Scott Handcock
Cast
John Barrowman (Captain Jack Harkness), Rowena Cooper (Queen Victoria), with Youssef Kerkour, Louise Jameson and Aaron Neil.
Producer: James Goss
Script Editor: Steve Tribe
Executive Producers Jason Haigh-Ellery and Nicholas Briggs
Torchwood – The Victorian Age is out now and available to buy from Big Finish
I couldn’t get past the premise that Queen Victoria, at the age of 61, Queen-Empress of half the planet, wanders into Torchwood by herself for an inspection.
The word “entourage” does not just apply to Hollywood. She’d have a dozen in her party, including armed guards.
Did she walk there or catch a hansom cab?
The whole story is nothing more than Jack and QV running about London after a monster, trading quips..
It’s nothing more than fanfic, a flimsy excuse to throw two iconic characters together,