This year's free Doctor Who Magazine audio, like last year's, is a Companion Chronicle: Mark Morris's Freakshow stars Mark Strickson as Vislor Turlough, in his second appearance in the range. This story has Turlough narrating an adventure he's just experienced (for reasons never clearly explained) into some kind of evidence pod. Freakshow picks up just after the end of Enlightenment, with Turlough wanting to return home to Trion, and Tegan still not trustworthy of their new TARDIS-mate. The Doctor wants to take a circuitous route home, though, to avoid the Black Guardian, and so the TARDIS lands in 1905 in the American Old West-- where Turlough promptly has a fight with Tegan and stomps off, eventually coming into contact with the mysterious and ruthless Winklemeyer.

Though not every aspect of the story is perfect, some strong performances, strong sound design, and evocative prose manage to raise Freakshow above the average Companion Chronicle. Well worth a listen, even if Tegan is right in pointing out that the villain dresses like Willy Wonka.

You can read a longer version of this review at Unreality SF.

'm a bit dubious anyway about the way that the Companion Chronicles, originally just to bring back the first four Doctors, have expanded to include companions from later eras, and I wonder about the wisdom of showcasing a Turlough story to try and tempt subscribers into the range. Also the plot has been done before - James Swallow's Ten/Martha novel Peacemaker has alien influences in the Wild West; Gary Hopkins' Big Finish play, Other Lives, with Eight, Charley and C'rizz, has a male companion being kidnapped for exhibition in the circus. (Given the title of the piece this is not really a spoiler.) Having said all that, I think Mark Strickson does a fine job here, let down by a somewhat rushed ending. ( )