Review: Torchwood: Big Finish Audio 1.4: One Rule

Yvonne Hartman is heading for a very bad night out in Cardiff…

You can tell that writer Joe Lidster and star Tracy-Ann Oberman had fun with this story – Torchwood One’s Yvonne Hartman is so far outside her comfort zone as she traverses the night life of Cardiff but still is determined to keep control. It’s a script that mixes black humour with some very real threat and director Barnaby Edwards keeps a tight rein on each element so that you never lose track of what’s at stake, even as yet another pissed Cardiff teenager chucks up over Yvonne’s beautiful off the peg dress…

It’s interesting throwing a Doctor Who character into Torchwood – particularly one who for most of her time in the parent show is one of the bad guys (and certainly her redemption comes long after the events of this story). Yvonne loses none of her calculating, ruthless edge but you do get to see the more admirable side of her – most of us wouldn’t want to be in the position of sending people to their deaths, but we accept that some have to be able to do that, and they need certain qualities… and Yvonne has those! She’s a pragmatist, and will do what it takes. Including fine dining at an all-you-can-eat Chinese buffet!

I imagine Neil Gardner had fun collecting the sound design elements for this one (a research trip to Cardiff on a Saturday night must have been required!) and Blair Mowat’s music fits in well.

Verdict: Another well-constructed and performed contribution to the Torchwood saga. 8/10

Paul Simpson