Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * * *

Cast: Christopher Benjamin, Trevor Baxter, Louise Jameson, Conrad Asquith, Lisa Bowerman, Alan Cox, John Sackville, Christopher Beeny, Mike Grady, Colin Baker.

The continuing adventures of Jago and Litefoot, of mysterious machinations and the blood and death of inexplicable things are possibly on the hands of much changed old friend and Beautiful Things will suffer for it.

Returning from the Victorian version of hedonistic display and unsaid revelations, Jago and Litefoot are once more re-acquainted with the mystifying presence of Professor Dark and the struggles of Victorian society. One such issue is keenly felt, but for very different reasons, is the charismatic attendance in the London Theatres of celebrated wit, playwright and poet Oscar Wilde for the production of his new play. Ever the keen don and impresario, Henry Gordon Jago is beside himself to be offered the chance to meet the man taking the capital by storm, whereas Professor Litefoot has nothing but scant disdain for the man behind The Importance of Being Earnest.

The affection for all things Wilde is much in evidence throughout John Dorney’s intelligent, humorous and persuasively passionate audio play Beautiful Things. The script does not just rattle along at a pace of knots that H.G. Wells’ ironclad invention, Thunderchild, could not keep pace with, but has the sparkling satirical value that allows Christopher Benjamin, Trevor Baxter, Louise Jameson and Alan Cox as the celebrated writer, to really immerse themselves into arguably at this point the best Jago and Litefoot story recorded by Big Finish.

It is the half antagonistic verbal jousting between Jago and Wilde as they square up over, unwittingly in Mr. Jago’s part, over the use of the peculiarity of alliteration which gives most joy to the listener, but there is also the darker, deeper, hidden secrets that have been alluded to in Professor Litefoot’s past which captures the ears. With the acknowledgment of Oscar Wilde’s private life which shocked the morally uptight Victorian era well placed before the audience, the final speech of wistful resignation from the Professor is to understand just how far as a society we have come; and how far we still have to go in terms of accepting people for what they truly are.

John Dorney should be congratulated for bringing together one of the finest poets of his time into the realms of Doctor Who. A real treat!

Beautiful Things is part of Jago and Litefoot Series Four. Jago and Litefoot Series Four is available to purchase from Worlds Apart on Lime Street, Liverpool.

Ian D. Hall