The Warehouse [AUDIO/2015.8.12]

★★★☆☆

  I absolutely love the idea, first of all. Mike Tucker understands the assignment from the off and creates a tale so rooted in the sensibilities of Season 24 (everyday locations we can find in real life, except futuristic, alien and decrepit). There's a conspiracy going on from behind the scenes as whole religions and cultures are sprung out of the remains of the old world, and the Doctor and Mel are like two intergalactic tourists on drugs -- of course Sylvester McCoy's on fine form for this version of his Doctor. So it wouldn't surprise you that, with an assured direction by Barnaby Edwards, The Warehouse turned out to give me quite a good time!

  I dare you to listen to episode one and not crack a smile at least once, or sense your heart racing at least once during the whole thing. The introduction is top-notch, setting up the key players with not a bit of awkwardness, and the Seventh Doctor and Mel are such a delightful duo that they immediately enliven any atmosphere -- including a run-down space warehouse full of sentient gestalt rats. The twists regarding the caretakers (the clues to their identities being hidden in their names being a really clever bit) are well done, the religion worshipping the warehouse workers adds another layer of fun, and the structure of the audio drama more or less holds the excitement (with minor dips in pacing during the middle portions) throughout. For fans of the more light-hearted adventures of Season 24 who want a bit more drama behind their favourite TARDIS duo's adventures, I would very much recommend The Warehouse. To more casual listeners, I would warn them about the sometimes excessive religious ramblings and technobabble before recommending them this.