Torchwood review: Goodbye Piccadilly (audio)

Stuck in 1950s Soho, Sgt Andy Davidson is clearly going to have another bad day. Especially when he’s reunited with Norton Folgate, a very eccentric and shady character, in the latest Torchwood audio episode, Goodbye Piccadilly.

Norton Folgate is back. This is very bad news for Sgt. Andy Davidson. The last time he met the Torchwood agent from the 1950s, he was sent on a Ghost Mission that put him into a lot of danger.

This time is no exception. Right from the beginning of Goodbye Piccadilly, he’s naked, chained to a bed, and stuck in a burning building. He’s also stuck in the 1950s. For Andy, it looks like it’s going to be one of those days…

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It’s an absolute joy to hear Samuel Barnett back as Norton Folgate. Sci-fi fans will probably recognize him on television from the bizarre and dark adaptation of Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency.

Barnett is clearly very good at playing highly eccentric characters that get other people into trouble. Sometimes, Folgate comes across as similar to Gently at times.

But what makes him really stand out is that there’s a hint of darkness to him. That maybe his eccentricities and quips are hiding something much more sly and cunning.

It’s great to hear Norton once again paired with Andy. In fact, it’s generally great to hear Andy in any episode. The character is so likable, and he’s really not suited to Torchwood‘s world.

(Last year’s The Empty Hand, which had a huge focus on Andy, was a perfect example of this. It was also probably the best episode of season five.)

Despite knowing that the Torchwood life isn’t for him, however, he’s still the kind of guy that gets mixed up in the weirdest and strangest situations.

(Photo credit: Torchwood/Big Finish Productions.

Image obtained from: Big Finish Productions.)

Andy in Soho

Tom Price continues to play Andy with such charm and innocence. Which is perfect for this particular story. Because Goodbye Piccadilly takes place in 1950s Soho. And, if this story is anything to go by, it’s a very grim place indeed.

So getting both Andy’s and Norton’s different reactions to these places is always entertaining. Once again, Andy is in a world that he really doesn’t belong in.

James Goss has written a very entertaining story with Goodbye Piccadilly. But the story also hides a darker heart. There’s a reminder of how much things have changed, especially in terms of police corruption and gay rights.

Some stories make you nostalgic for the past. James Goss reminds you why change can definitely be a good thing.

Once again, with Goodbye Piccadilly, we get another reminder of why the Torchwood audios are so brilliant. The series is so effective at mixing both light humor and gritty realism with big sci-fi concepts in equal measure.

Goodbye Piccadilly is a perfect example of this. That, plus Big Finish have been brilliant at using Andy in a far greater way than the TV series ever did. Another fantastic episode.

Next: Review: Dark Eyes 4 (Eighth Doctor audio box set)

Are you a fan of Andy Davidson? Have you listened to Goodbye Piccadilly, or Andy’s previous adventure with Norton in Ghost Mission? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.