The London Underground will suffer an horrific terrorist attack during rush hour unless Sarah can find and stop those responsible.
The London Underground will suffer an horrific terrorist attack during rush hour unless Sarah can find and stop those responsible.
SARAH JANE SMITH: TEST OF NERVE
Hang on, is this the same series?! Both the Terrance Dicks and Barry Letts scrips that started the Sarah Jane Smith series for Big Finish had one foot in 1970s Doctor Who and one foot in the present day, but the third release, “Test of Nerve” by David Bishop, blows all of that away. This is fresh, exciting stuff: a heart-pounding, gripping drama that dials up the intensity early on and doesn’t let its foot off the pedal. Science fiction? Not really — this is a political thriller, with a threat to release sarin nerve gas into the London Underground. Most impressive is how Bishop and director Gary Russell ratchet up the tension: the play starts with the same unusual bass-riff soundtrack from “The Tao Connection,” and the same relationships between the characters — but mere minutes later the listener is dragged to the edge of his or her seat. Elisabeth Sladen is more hard-bitten than Sarah Jane has ever been, but utterly convinces throughout. Jeremy James is much more sedate and serious in this installment, and while I criticized Sadie Miller in the previous two plays, here she’s on top form, providing perhaps the most gripping moment of all at the play’s climax. Of the guest cast, comments start and finish with long-time Dalek voice Roy Skelton, whose turn as traumatized, indecisive James Carver is easily the best in the series thus far. The revelation at the play’s conclusion is more baffling than anything else — a minor character from 1974? Really? — but I’m willing to see where they go with it. “Test of Nerve” is a revelation that kicks the Sarah Jane Smith series into high gear; I can’t wait to hear the rest.
9/10