The Queen is not amused! Big Finish: Torchwood is back with its latest installment titled “Fortitude.” Big Finish is an audio production company that creates audio stories featuring Doctor Who and Sherlock. The founder of the Torchwood Institute must thwart an off-shore incursion and face up to the impact of British colonialism in this haunting new adventure.
What happens in “Fortitude”
Rowena Cooper reprises her role as Queen Victoria. Queen Victoria is stranded with Maharaja Duleep Singh on a mysterious fort in the middle of the ocean. From the preview clip of the story, it sounds like this fort was built for the Queen. The fort has been ravaged by storms since it was built. There is a guard, perhaps, who has been stationed there. He mentions going mad because of this ongoing storm. There are ghosts inside the fortress. There’s something alien outside. It’ll do anything to get its release. Has the Queen come because she knows more about what’s happening than we think?
Writer/producer James Goss said:
“The early days of Torchwood are fascinating. Queen Victoria’s just such a complicated historical figure. This is a woman who decided that she was going to take over pretty much all of Europe and Russia through carefully controlled marriage and treaties, and the East India Company. It’s an amazing ambition. She’s a monster.
This story also features the Solent sea-forts, which are real. They were known as Lord Palmerston’s Folly, because he ordered them built to stop an invasion from France which never came. The construction of each of them cost about £150m in today’s money. Two and a half of them are now quite swanky hotels and, yes, I have stayed in one of them.”
The Solent sea-forts will be familiar to fans of classic Doctor Who. One appeared in the Third Doctor adventure, The Sea Devils in 1972. For those unfamiliar with classic Doctor Who, the Master (portrayed by Roger Delgado) is in a high-security prison located in one of these sea-forts off the coast of England. Here is some great information on this classic episode.
Background on Torchwood
Torchwood was originally mentioned in a television episode of Doctor Who called “Tooth and Claw.” Set in 1879 in the Scottish Highlands, Queen Victoria (portrayed by Pauline Collins, 2006) is being hunted by a werewolf. The Queen decides to take over the Torchwood House from the widowed Lady Isobel. She proposes setting up an institution to investigate and fight supernatural threats.
Torchwood contains adult material. It may not be suitable for younger listeners.
Torchwood: Fortitude is available now as a collector’s edition CD at £9.99 or on download at £7.99 from www.bigfinish.com
For more Big Finish and Doctor Who coverage:
New Big Finish Audio Series Brings Back River Song and She Goes Sleuth
Temple of Geek Podcast – Discussing Doctor Who’s Series Twelve Return
