Thank goodness for walkie-talkies. Without which, the cliff-hangers to several Big Finish Dr Who Audios simply wouldn't be possible. You'll find such an effective ploy being used at the end of part one of 'Red Dawn', too, belatedly released this May. It sees the return of the Ice Warriors, this time pitting their heavily armoured wits against the under-used combination of Peter Davison's fifth Doctor and Nicola Bryant's Peri Brown.

Spoilers follow...

A trip to Mars is being carried out, crewed by a small number of people including Paul Webster, pampered son of the famous (and rich) Professor Webster and his adopted sister Tanya and pilot Susan Roberts. It soon transpires that Paul Webster has his own reasons for exploring Mars, and its strange church/castle-like shrines and settings, reasons that may well be placed in jeopardy by the discovery of two unplanned explorers - the Doctor and Peri.

Soon, an Ice Lord and a small band of his Warriors are unleashed, yet their sinister presence is nothing compared to the evil corruptions of Paul Webster, who is planning to use the expedition as an excuse to steal secrets of Mars technology and use it for his own means. Naturally, his plans are thwarted, not so much by the Doctor, but by the determined honour of the Ice Warriors and the Ice Lord, who sacrifices himself for the glory of his people, and that their secrets can remain hidden.

The relationship between the Fifth Doctor and Peri has never really been explored before, and it is used well here. Davison continues to excel in his role more than he was ever allowed to do on television. I am not down crying his original three years in 'Dr Who' by saying this. Simply, he is more confident, more relaxed, more commanding and more believable in audio. Possibly, he is the most successful audio Doctor, and the gentle sarcasm and polite absent-mindedness he is given here serves him well. Peri, although well played by Nicola Bryant, seems to complain and whinge as much as she ever did on television.

Stephen Fewell is probably the jewel in the crown here. Obviously self-centred and unpleasant from the start, when his real intentions are revealed, Fewell makes the most of every threat, every evil intention, and his frustration when his plans are finally thwarted at the end, is convincing indeed. Peter Davison's daughter, Georgia Moffatt plays the sympathetic Tanya Webster as an appealing enough character, which makes the revelation about her later on in the story all the more effective. The music, by Russell Stone, is unusual, but works well. Rather as Malcolm Clarke's radiophonic bleeps and whines made 'The Sea Devils' so unique and individual all those years ago (especially when compared with the comfortable 'bandstand' incidentals provided by Dudley Simpson at that time) , so Stone's synthesisers and treated percussion create an atmosphere of alien unease here. Stone injects the story with music that effortlessly echoes the sound of the both 60's and 90's 'Doctor Who'.

Yet somehow, 'Red Dawn' is slightly disappointing, and it is hard to pinpoint exactly why. It echoes what 'Tomb of the Cybermen' might be like if it was Terry Nation: a somewhat formulaic approach to a well-worn theme. It is slick, stylish and well produced. But perhaps Matthew Brenher's otherwise excellent Lord Zzaal sounds a little too human, perhaps despite the evil Paul Webster's intentions, there is no real threat. Perhaps despite the brilliance of the cast, this sort of tale has been told too many times already.

Original review here.