Class: Volume Four 4.3 - Queen of Rhodia by Blair Mowat (REVIEW)

Class: Volume Four 4.3 - Queen Of Rhodia (by Blair Mowat) Review

By Jamie H. C.

Clarification: This is a review that may in certain points delve critically into the story in such a way that there may be what is considered spoilers. Any such point will be clearly 'bookmarked' by SPOILER ALERT and END SPOILER ALERT so you can avoid them as and if you see fit. However, I have also included a brief 'prelude' paragraph that reviews the story entirely without risk of spoilers.

The boxset cover for Volume 4.

4.3 Queen of Rhodia by Blair Mowat

PRELUDE SPOILER-FREE PARAGRAPH

A fantastic writing debut for Mowat that is wild, unexpected and wonderfully original. Paired with some superbly engaging cast performances and emotional scoring, this tale stands out as perhaps one of the boldest and brilliant tales Big Finish has ever told. It also serves as a resonating and occasionally meta potential farewell to the Class gang.

FULL REVIEW

Well, this was certainly quite the story. Mowat hits the ground running with the script and doesn’t let the pace go until the very end… And what a wonderful script it is.

I think it’s safe to say (with all respect meant to the other writers) that Mowat, having read and watched the TV episodes so much for composing the score, is in a position of familiarity with the characters beyond most. Which makes him the perfect person to take Class as we know it, and flip it completely on its head.

Dervla Kirwan, having already shown amazing promise in prior audio episodes, is allowed to really shine. Where Sweet Nothings showed Quill’s yearning for love and for a future beyond Earth, Queen of Rhodia puts her in the frying pan on her own. She’s bitingly sharp with her remarks (executed effectively by Kirwan’s faithfulness to the main vocal rhythms and mannerisms of Quill that were set down by Katherine Kelly) and her no-nonsense inquisitiveness is on clear show. Her calm analytical ways bounce rather well off Simon Armstrong's privately frantic and nervous Corporal Blood.

Kirwan and Armstrong - or Quill and Blood

And just when you think the opening has laid you in for a story in which Quill is somehow back on Rhodia as she once knew it, Mowat ingeniously subverts the expectations of everyone. And he continues to do that throughout the story, slowly unwrapping the layers of what is quite the onion. Just as Kirwan gets to showcase Quill in a more free capacity, the rest of the main cast get to as well… in rather spectacular fashion. 

SPOILER ALERT

Did anyone expect Renzo to ease out the accent for a second story in a row? Because he does as a sadly rather short-lived but loyal lieutenant. It’s interesting to note how his loyalty has gone from one of love into one of eagerness for violence, and it’s a contrast that stands as a clear point to the listener. This is not the Matteusz we know by any means. The posh and crisp vocals of Austin stay somewhat recognisable, but he leans into his new role as a rebellious figure. Gone is most of the innocent obliviousness of Charlie Smith. Replaced with a confident and almost brash man.

Hopkins becomes a panicked rebel, broken by captivity and torture. Elsayed gets to throw in when you least expect it briefly as a much more restrained and stern soldier. It is a little sad that the pair couldn’t be a little bit more featured within proceedings but to hear them in it was nevertheless a nice touch given the placement of the story. And of course, McGibbon gets to be the titular Queen of the piece. She flickers from calm and playful banter into a venomous and deranged figurehead with ease. END SPOILER ALERT

The sound design must also be appreciated for how it helps carry across some beats to the audience as well. Quill’s loud outburst regarding Charlie being prince brings the background discussion in the situation room to a screeching halt and it’s at once clear that the statement has horrified all others present.

One of my few grievances was that Mowat, having deliberately used the Doctor’s theme in the TV show to help cast ambiguity on which incarnation had saved Quill & Charlie from Rhodia, decided to pin the point down and say that it was the 12th. (Okay, maybe you could read ‘crotchety old Scotsman’ as the 7th if you squint…)

SPOILER ALERT

There’s plenty I could say on the crazy and yet skilled nature of the plot, and all that hints at said nature - but I’ll tackle just one little genius foreshadowing to be picked upon: Sergeant Blood gives away that he knows more than he’s letting on in that he refers to Quill as Andrea (as opposed to An’drath) and Matteusz as Andrejewski (where the Queen refers to him as Andrew Whisky). And of course, Charles Smith was never called Charles Smith on Rhodia, was he? END SPOILER ALERT

And of course, as I haven’t touched upon this yet - the story is awash with glorious nods and jokes. “Can you reverse the polarity of the garbage flow?” gave me quite the chuckle, but you’d also want to keep your eyes out for:

· Charlie being referred to as buff and muscular: if you keep up with Greg Austin outwith Class, you’d see where that’s come from.

· SPOILER ALERT Queenie’s little “check which way the gun is set to fire” trick?: the first time it’s tying into the recent death of Ballon, the second time it becomes a parallel to how we originally see Quill at the start of the show. No longer is she doing this trick for her own self-survival but rather for the people she knows that she needs to deal with. END SPOILER ALERT

· It’s a little subtle but when Sgt. Blood talks to Quill about her being the one to unite Rhodia, which piece is that playing underneath the discussion? And when Quill asks him later about what the truth of the matter is… what’s that piece? Think on that…

· “Death by air con. Or rather, lack of.”

· Mowat’s cameo. Brilliant.

As the story heads towards its climax, it turns just a little bit more meta than what might have been expected. But it's a good fit for the story as it leads us, eventually, to what could be our final farewell to Class. And if it is the end, then it's a pretty great way to go out. We get a final dialogue reminiscent of a certain speech... that ends on a line we should've all been expecting. And then Mowat plays us out with a rather emotional piece. We go on, Class fans, and on and on and on...

Class: Volume Four 4.2 - The Creeper by Lizzie Hopley (REVIEW)

Class: Volume Four 4.2 - The Creeper by Lizzie Hopley (REVIEW)

Reviewed by Sean McGavin

Clarification: This is an in-depth review of the story and may contain spoilers. You have been warned.

The Creeper - second story in volume 4 - takes place on Halloween night. Whilst the school halloween dance is going on, Miss Quill takes Matteusz off on an investigation. There's an alien distress call from a boarded up house in Shoreditch that needs her attention. Of course, things go badly and it is then up to Charlie and April to get to them before time runs out. 

My initial reaction to this, after listening to the story, was certainly one of fear and being creeped out (guess the name of the story is fitting!). You might think that being creeped out means I didn't enjoy this story, but actually it's the opposite. It did a great job. It was so effective that I'd say it's probably one of my favourite Class audio stories that we had.

Jordan Renzo makes his return to Big Finish HQ...

This is for a number of reasons. First, we need to give credit to Lizzie Hopley’s incredible and eerie writing. The way she manages to create the right kind of atmosphere - one that makes a listener feel scared and on edge. Despite the slight trouble that the audios have - from us already knowing that Quill and the kids must survive - she still managed to make me really worry for our protagonists and their fate. I did somewhat forget the reality because I was so concerned. So that was really well done. The story really goes for its setting as a halloween story - totally haunted house. It was quite something to listen to (especially if you are like me and get easily scared).

Speaking of,  adding to the tone and setting of the story, the sound design of this story must be praised too. It is immense and immersive. Plays in one of the strengths that I think Big Finish has - you can close your eyes and feel like you are in the story with your favourite characters. And in this story even feel as frightened as they do.

The world of Class is what made me fall in love with Big Finish in the first place and this story shows exactly why. Heck, it will probably be the focal point of bad dreams yet to come!

And of course, let's not forget Blair Mowat's brilliant score (seasonally themed versions of tracks that sound very traditional spooky synth? Yes please!) that add another layer to the finished story. It takes the story to the next level and shows again why I always look forward to his work. (Also, listen out for a cameo appearance by him!)

Another highlight about this particular story is the character pairings. On TV, we didn't really get much time between Miss Quill and Matteusz without Charlie being present. Here we get to see Quill even more open distaste for humans, and Matteusz's reluctance to listen to her when Charlie is not there to persuade him. Though, there is perhaps a touch of respect for him in her heart, she's not going to show it too much...

We then have Charlie and April - of course, that is a pairing I loved to see on TV and I did like the bond that they'd formed by The Lost - with April's caring nature helping to soothe Charlie's, for lack of better words, unawareness of the world. And this story really taps into how they work together as a duo. The pairings gives us new insight into the characters that helps engage the listener beyond the main plot itself.

This story is great at developing these characters in that regard, and gives a real sense that this is part of their journeys as people from For Tonight We Might Die to The Lost.

Greg Austin and Sophie Hopkins, with Lizzie Hopley 

The cast do a terrific job as always, and it's great to hear them back together in general... and as I said, in these pairings. They bounce off each other really well. Especially Dervla Kirwan, who had the hard task of taking on the role of Quill (previously portrayed by Katherine Kelly). And she manages exactly that - with a great performance that is her own and yet also embodies Quill perfectly!

Overall, The Creeper is a great story, with some nice new insights and developments for our main characters, that will give you chills and thrills - and it might just keep you up all night. 

Class: Volume Four 4.1 - Mock by Alfie Shaw (MINI-REVIEWS)

Class: Volume Four 4.1 - Mock by Alfie Shaw (MINI-REVIEWS)

Reviewed by Ellie, Sean, Ted & Jamie

Clarification: This episode is covered by a series of mini-reviews of the story from all four reviewers. In some cases, these may contain what could be considered spoilers. You have been warned.

Charlie and An'drath: Rhodian and Quill

Ellie says:

Easily the stand out audio for me. Mock focuses on the relationship between the Quill and Rhodians both before and after the Shadow Kin invaded. The Cleaver fits overall with Class' exploration of folklore (although from another planet) and belief, making it an interesting villain. The manipulation of the students before he was revealed was suitably creepy. The Rhodian lore I was hoping for was delivered, with the scene where Charlie is forced to acknowledge the scale of the Quills’ suffering standing out. Both his wildly inaccurate answers and the implication that Quill wanted most of all for him to understand reveal a lot about Rhodia (not as well learned as Charlie always boasted about). Another strong character driven story that proves both writer Alfie Shaw and Quill recast Dervla Kirwan understand the world of Class perfectly.

Sean says:

Mock is another strong boxset start, and is quite different as it focuses on Charlie and Miss Quill during mock exam season. This story is brilliant at establishing Quill and Charlie's back story in more detail. Alfie Shaw really gets who they are and explores that well. I also enjoyed the way in which this story is treated as a psychological thriller of sorts with the villain of the story taking form in their fellow classmates and faculty,  using them as puppets to mess with Quill and Charlie. We also get to see some insight into Quill's relationship with fellow teachers and her true feelings on them. One other thing I did like a lot was Charlie's relatable reaction to mock exams (Which reminded me of when I had to take them in high school!). Overall, this was a great story to get your teeth into.

Ted says:
Shaw's script explores the power of telling stories, metaphorically and literally, beginning with an eerie retelling of Quill's life on Rhodia - which was great to have a counterpart of the story from For Tonight We Might Die, but from the Quill people's perspective. Dervla Kirwan embodies a superb portrayal of Quill’s scathing scorn and sarcasm. 

The dialogue and characterisation flowed effortlessly through this episode. Shaw captured each voice perfectly and has a great ability to write compelling dialogue within the audio form. The threat that Quill and Charlie face felt very in keeping with Patrick Ness' style and was perfect for this series - the fear of the unknown and the power of stories. 

Kirwan and Greg Austin had good chemistry in their roles and this story was a strong exploration of their unresolved trauma and inner demons. The series regulars and the ensemble cast really added to the world-building, in both realities that the characters find themselves in. Also the antagonist of the piece - without giving anything away - has great stage presence and was one of the most sinister characters from this series. I believe the Cleaver would be a great addition to feature in further Big Finish Who dramas, especially for an older audience. 

The dynamic between Quill and Charlie was one of the most interesting part of the series - in television and audio - and this was a great story to really delve into that relationship. The entire cast really delivered with the perfect combination or drama and humour in this very dark storyline.

Jamie says:
A mock exam turned into something more dangerous and horrific. Wonderful! We get some more insight into Rhodia - delivered just as well as that which was given on TV - but this time, with a notable change in viewpoint. With us finally hearing of Rhodia and its history not from Bonnie Alien Prince Charlie but instead from Miss Quill, it's interesting to note the contrast between the luxury & beauty he knows and what we discover here... Though all of our main characters are present for some time within this story, the real standout has to be Dervla Kirwan. After a few minutes, she had me quite completely tied into Quill.

Her performance and the script combine to further illustrate her disdain with Earth life and the other teachers around Coal Hill. But we also get something drastically different in her reaction to the nature of the villain in this one (I shall say nothing more!); it's interesting to hear Quill so taken aback and it really does unsettle you. There's some cracking laughs in there too, though. Oh, and there's a magnificently done chilling yet kind of exciting moment in there. A group of people speak so perfectly in union... and honestly, it caught me offguard. How on earth (or Rhodia) did they do that? And of course, mention must be made to Greg Austin, who slips back in as Charlie superbly. He takes the recasting in his stride, and with some great chemistry with Kirwan, he's able to cement us into the story even further as Quill enlists him in her investigation of the present situation. Another strong starter!

Class: Volume Three 3.3 - Sweet Nothings by Michael Dennis (REVIEW)

Class: Volume Three 3.3 - Sweet Nothings (by Michael Dennis) Review

By Ted Ryan

Clarification: This is a review that may in certain points discuss at points details that could be considered spoilers.

This one is focused primarily on Quill - ever frustrated with her life on Earth - and finds small ways to vent her frustration... mainly insulting Charlie in front of his peers. Katherine Kelly's portrayal of Miss Quill was absolutely flawless, so I was apprehensive of the past being recast. Thankfully, Dervla Kirwan takes on this character with equal sarcasm and confidence. Dennis has written Quill's voice perfectly, finding the perfect blend of drama and humour while also going into some deeply emotional character moments.

Dervla Kirwan as Miss Quill

Quill's mundane existence is interrupted by Richard Mylan's The Man, whose presence initially irritating and is met with her usual scorn, but slowly she starts to let her guard down. Whisking her away to other worlds, he reignites her flare for action and feelings she had long since suppressed. As well as giving an insight into Quill's humour, we are given moments of real vulnerability as Kirwan and Mylan's chemistry plays out so naturally.

While Quill is off fighting intergalactic wars and punching out aliens who try it on with her date, Charlie and Matteusz are not used to all this freedom without their abrasive guardian. While Matteusz wants to take advantage of having "alone time", his innuendos and heavily flirtatious hints fall on deaf ears as Charlie is more preoccupied with what he insists is studying.

As she starts to have a life outside of Coal Hill and protecting Charlie, Quill's mood improves - she even gives Charlie small praises! Dennis wrote that shift with nice subtlety, but unfortunately it doesn't last long when she's stood up... Her day gets worse when she walks in on Charlie and Matteusz in the middle of a passionate encounter in the living room. (Matteusz's kinky side came up before in Tell Me You Love Me, but he seems more self assured and less insecure here.) Failed seductions aside, Matteusz gets into nature documentaries and Charlie attempts domestic bliss - both of which were very humorous.

However, Quill’s romance comes to a disheartening end. When she investigates a subtle but sudden oddity, it all comes to light that her new man, The Man is... a manifestation of some alien energy... created and, to some degree, controlled by Charlie. The story ends with a rather heated confrontation in which Charlie and Quill are clearly at odds with each other.

The script and character dynamics were perfectly written and acted, making this one of my personal favourites from the Class range.

Class: Volume Three 3.2 - Catfish by Kate Thorman (REVIEW)

                                   Class: Volume Three 3.2 - Catfish (by Kate Thorman) Review 

By Ellie

Clarification: This is an in-depth review of the story and may contain spoilers. 

It may have been a long wait for the next two volumes returning to the beloved world and characters of Class but the strong stories, characterisation and themes of Volumes Three and Four have proved the wait worth it. Picking a story to review was no easy task but ultimately 3.2 ‘Catfish’, written by Kate Thorman, felt like the right one to discuss.

My initial predictions of Catfish had been far from the awkward story of first love and self-doubt: I had been imagining a Rhodian/Quill centric story with the ‘Catfish’ being both a reference to their alien forms and the act of hiding who you were. I was surprised to see a Tanya centric story instead (although the themes of Quill and Charlie’s identity come up a lot in volume four instead). Despite my wrong prediction, I found ‘Catfish’ an interesting, thoughtful character driven story.

The recasting of both Quill and Tanya for these volumes had caused a little concern before I listened to the story. Both voice actresses feature in this story, although naturally Joanna McGibbon as Tanya Adeola is the star. McGibbon does a wonderful job as Tanya, getting even her quirks and manner of speech across as well as original actress Vivian Oparah did. McGibbon fits Tanya very well, making the fact she has only one IMDB credit to her feel like a shame, she’s clearly a great actress. Dervla Kirwan as Quill features at the end too, although I feel her performance was a little jarring here. She is a brilliant and convincing replacement for Katherine Kelly in the other audios she stars in. Both actresses show a good understanding of the original characters, making them good replacements overall. 

Joanna McGibbon at Big Finish HQ for the recording

The central plot involves Tanya befriending and dating new kid Paul (as played by Jacob Daniels). Paul is the Catfish, as it turns out - a shapeshifter alien trying to find a place and friends after being left behind by his own people, who rely on each other for survival. I found Tanya and Paul’s relationship both interesting and potentially the weakest part of the audio. For one, Paul’s age seems a little concerning, he shares an A-level class with Tanya (strangely, French, making it a total of five canon subjects she takes), suggesting he is at least posing as a sixteen or seventeen year old. This could be a potential source of tension between the friends, as their concern over the age gap would only add to Tanya feeling like the little sister of the group. Paul is a shapeshifter, being left without his people for ‘years’, making his true age and maturity level ambiguous, a fact I found a little off-putting as he dates fourteen year old Tanya without it ever being addressed. 

Joanna McGibbon and Jacob Daniels, as Tanya and Paul

Besides the age gap, there is an inequality in the relationship. At some points Paul appears manipulative, seeming to push a bigger divide between Tanya and her friends. The end of the audio, in which he literally pushes her out by taking her place after tricking her into staying home from school makes it seem like this was his plan the whole time. However, his final confession of his true affection for Tanya contradicts this and she seems genuinely upset when they part ways. There are a few sweet moments between them, like Paul building Tanya a robot to cheer her up, but overall the relationship doesn’t seem right for Tanya. 

Tanya is plagued by insecurities throughout the story, feeling left out and too young to fit in with her friends. She becomes irritated and whingeing, making her seem immature. This starts to feel like her only character trait by the end, leading to April being able to tell between her and the shapeshifted Paul as the real Tanya moans they like Paul more anyway. The recurring joke throughout the story is about Tanya’s strict mother keeping her from being able to spend time with her boyfriend or friends. She appears resentful of this despite the intense bond she has with her mother in the show. This makes setting the story after ‘Nightvisiting’ (with Matteusz and Charlie still in the process of moving in together) seem strange, as Tanya seemed most content with her Mother in the end of ‘Nightvisiting’. 

Tanya and her mother, Vivian, in Nightvisiting

Overall, ‘Catfish’ reminded me a lot of Volume Two’s ‘Everybody Loves Reagan’, although Paul turns out to be much nicer and better intentioned than Reagan was. Unlike the other Tanya centric stories of the first two volumes - ‘Now You Know’ (which I reviewed before) and ‘Life Experience’ - I felt the story didn’t fully understand her character and made Tanya feel a little bit too insecure and like a whining teenager. Whilst in canon it’s clear Tanya does feel this way, she keeps it more subtle and only outbursts at her friends when pushed to her limit in ‘Detained’. 

However, I did enjoy the Quill moment at the end, which adds to the outsiders in the group bond they share (which comes up again in the wonderful ‘Queen of Rhodia’). ‘Catfish’ is still a strong story for me, bringing in the friendship dynamics of the gang and adding a little more depth to tanya as she desperately tries to prove her maturity to her friends, despite her childish behaviour. 

Whilst not the stand out story for me, ‘Catfish’ still holds strong and I’ll definitely be giving it a relisten in the future. 

Class: Volume Three 3.1 - The Soers' Ditch by Carl Rowens (MINI-REVIEWS)

Class: Volume Three 3.1 - The Soers' Ditch by Carl Rowens (MINI-REVIEWS)

Reviewed by Ellie, Sean, Ted & Jamie

Clarification: This episode is covered by a series of mini-reviews of the story from all four reviewers. In some cases, these may contain what could be considered spoilers. You have been warned.

Fady Elsayed & Sophie Hopkins with some of the guest cast (Alexander, Shodeko, Abeysekera and Ramanee)

Ellie says:

The Soers' Ditch is an excellent starting point for the most recent Class audios. It brings together characters in both new, interesting dynamics, as well as further developing existing dynamics. The new alien cultures introduced are interesting, although limited to their tradition of the ‘hunt’. The Soers' Ditch does not hold back from exploring new depth of the characters - I found Charlie’s ruthlessness towards the Soers a great addition to his existing characterisation, as well as adding to how other characters see him. The budding relationship between April and Ram is also sweet and fills some of the development Class was lacking on TV. Similarly, the hint of insecurity of Charlie and Matteusz’ relationship made for nice emotional beats. Overall, a simple plot but great exploration of character dynamics.

Sean says:

The Soers' Ditch is a great story to bring us back to the world of Class after the long eighteen month wait for more. Following Ram and April, and Charlie and Matteusz as their double date spirals into chaos, it's quite the opening story. This story is a exciting story, with great performances from Greg Austin, Fady Elsayed, Sophie Hopkins and Jordan Renzo, as Carl Rowens explore each couple's relationship. It tackles how they've evolved up to this point in events and shows why they work together. More of April and Ram's relationship is always much appreciated! It's a fast and fantastic piece of writing. Gives you excitement as well as chills and is quite the starter!

Ted says:
Rowens' script cleverly moves away from the Coal Hill Academy and writes a detailed alien mythology, a perfect mixture of a thriller and a teen romance. Naturally, as this script focuses on the relationships within the main group, Rowens explores the romantic entanglements as both couples are past that initial 'honeymoon phase'. Hopkins and Elsayed had clever banter and their performances had great moments between them. This story surprisingly showed that April and Ram had better communication and understanding of each other than Charlie and Matteusz. It also explores Charlie and Matteusz getting to know each other more, bringing up stories of their childhood and their inner insecurities. Alongside writing and character work, the sound design was incredibly immersive and effective in setting up the world-building. The alien travellers (voiced by Amanda Shodeko, McKenzie Alexander, Sakuntala Ramanee, Ian Abeysekera) reminded me of the Gypsy society from Phillip Pullman's His Dark Materials. Shodeko, Ramanee and Abeysekera were superb in their respective roles, however, it took me a while to warm up to Alexander's performance - I personally felt his voice wasn't right for this character in certain moments, but his acting was decent. Overall, this was a solid start to the new series and really captured the essence of the series.

Jamie says:
Class is certainly back in session, isn't it? What a delight it was to have the gang back again - and particularly to be able to hear the familiar couplings of Chatteusz and Apram interacting with each other once more (as they were understandably kept apart for the first two boxsets to delve into other relationships and interactions). The story gets going very quickly and introduces to the rather intriguing Soers. I do feel sad that the time limitations of the story didn't allow for a great deal of exploration of their culture beyond the 'flag capture', as I would have loved to have heard more of that... But it's rather well made-up for by the superb guest cast.

MacKenzie Alexander and Amanda Shodeko are able to swiftly and effectively convey so much emotion in their characters, and their motivations are wonderfully clear throughout. Renzo & Austin are able to have a lovely support moment in which it's clear that the groundwork for their relationship's evolution in the TV episodes is being laid. And there's this lovely interdependent nature to how Apram tackle the situation, performed well by Hopkins & Elsayed. My only notable critique is actually that of the opening hook, as it felt somewhat detached from the rest of the story. Beyond that, however, lies a bold and thrilling opening story - a rollercoaster that gives enough breaks to breathe in some lovely character moments before whirling you on further.

Class: Audio Volumes 3 & 4 - Trailers and Cover Art

Class: The Audio Adventures Volumes 3 & 4 - Trailers and Cover Art

By Jamie H. C.

It's April - and almost time for a return to Coal Hill! So let's look over once more Big Finish's cover art and trailers for their upcoming third and fourth Class audioplay boxsets, set during the events of Series One.

The cover art this time has been done by Tom Webster and takes quite a different direction from the first two volumes... Though it's unavoidable that we return to those familiar publicity photos (to be fair, getting pictures of Greg Austin now might be a little bit troublesome given how much he's bulked up) but the vibrancy has been toned back some and we've been given something atmospheric... (and what does that wolf and moon mean? Werewolves?). It's certainly a nice addition for the shelf...

The Cover Art for Class Volume 3

The stories in Class Volume 3 (no synopsises this time round but we'll get to that in a minute) are as follows:

3.1 The Soer's Ditch by Carl Rowens

Now, plenty folk far more versed in these things have raised that Soer's Ditch is apparently an old name for Shoreditch. What does that mean? Well, I am hoping that means we might be getting a bit more time travel into Shoreditch's history - Charlie's experience in 1963 during In Remembrance in Volume 2 was a highlight, but it would be nice to see much more depth to that. Perhaps even without an alien touch involved?

3.2 Catfish by Kate Thorman

This sounds like it's a standard fare - something about the dangers of catfishing for teens... but given this is Class, I feel that's deceptively simple. We've seen some wonderful twists exploring teen issues so far and I've got a lot of hopes that this will be equally interesting as those.

3.3 Sweet Nothings by Michael Dennis

"Sweet Nothings" are basically lover's flirtatious words. Given that we've already had a very word-centric Chatteusz story in Tell Me You Love Me, I suspect this will be a Ram and April-centric piece along similar lines. But then I could be massively wrong.

That said, based on the trailer, it sounds like we have another new kid, Paul, in a Tanya-centric story. Perhaps he's an alien posing as human... but then wouldn't Quill and Charlie also be catfishes of sorts? Hm... Either way, there's someone - I presume, asking for a date to the theatre. And it seems that Soer's Ditch is a Charlie and Matteusz-centric story. There's some Matriarch... and Charlie quoting Shadow Proclamation law in a dangerous situation? Of course he would.

Like with those first two boxsets, I am incredibly curious as to how they will fit into Series 1 and how the characters will develop. But I'm also eagerly curious - I'm left in the dark without any synopsises and I'm actually majorly excited by that. The prospect of going into Class blind, like I did with those first two episodes? Brilliant!

You can listen to the trailer for Volume Three of Class: The Audio Adventures below.

The Cover Art for Class Volume 4

Okay, I'll admit - I'm a little that Volume 4 doesn't link up with 3 coverwise like the first two as it made for nice displaying... but still, it is a lovely and lively cover. Something very off-kilter. The "torchlight in darkened school" promo pics are finally put to good use, Matteusz has been lifted from one of the rarer promos... and Charlie's got a whole new body. Not his original (Why do I say that? You'll see when we get to 4.3...) though, given the cobwebby-ness of this cover... is this perhaps Charlie in a Halloween outfit? Oh, and there's a nice nod within the trailer in that Quill references something being on "Old Street"... and said street is also very close to trouble within the Joyride novel.

The stories in Class Volume 4 are as follows:

4.1 Mock by Alfie Shaw

Like the trailer states, there's a Physics mock for the gang. This also got previewed in the Big Finish podcast sometime ago, and it seems it will have all six of the gang featured within to some capacity. How exciting! Though, I do wonder, is this the mock that Tanya said she failed in Everybody Loves Reagan? And, honestly, I will say now - if this story is going to be almost entirely set in a mock exam room (I'm speculating entirely here) then I'll be impressed majorly!

4.2 The Creeper by Lizzie Hopley

Little to theorise here except that perhaps this is what Charlie is dressed up for? And Halloween celebrations get interrupted by this mysterious creeper?

4.3 Queen of Rhodia by Blair Mowat

Right, okay, I'll admit - I did suss who this was gonna be written by when Blair started teasing on Instagram during recording... but HOLY HECK, I DID NOT EXPECT THAT TITLE! And honestly, I don't know what to expect here. References to Charlie in a honourable fashion, swordfighting... is this what Rhodia was like? I don't know... Blair has said this story might not be what we expect, and there's a distinct lack of a Wanda O'Connor here... could this be Halloween instead? Does Charlie gets set as a fake prince at a Halloween roleplay party (which would work because honestly if Ram thought he sounded like royalty, surely everyone else would...) and the roleplay becomes all too real? Then there's the bit in the trailer where everyone is trying to call Charlie back, break him free from something. Is Charlie going to fall into his own mind? Or an illusion from which we'll not be sure exactly how much is true? There's so many questions here. No matter what, I'll say one thing - if Class does have this as its last official tale (this is the end of Big Finish's current licensing agreement for Class) then it sounds like we're certainly ended on quite the bang.

I should also - at last - address the elephant in the room. Yes, I'm sad that Katherine and Vivian shalln't be returning in their parts... but sadly, if people are unavailable or not up for it then things have to push forward. I imagine waiting for Greg and Jordan to back over from America made things difficult enough. Based on what I've heard thus far in the trailers and the teaser bit for Mock in the BF podcast, the writing is certainly in place and Kirwan and McGibbon are running with the rhythms and vocal mannerisms already set down by Kelly and Oparah - but not making it a impersonation attempt. If I were making a likeness, I'd compare it to Mark Elstob's work for Big Finish on the Prisoner - flavour of McGoohan with a touch of his own. And honestly, I'm happy with it so far. McGibbon's voice has settled in nicely already and a few relistens of the trailers is easing Kirwan's into my head too.

You can listen to the trailer for Volume Four of Class: The Audio Adventures below.

Volumes 3 & 4 of Class: The Audio Adventures are available for pre-order now at £20 each on CD or £17 each on download from the Big Finish website (They can also be purchased as a bundle together at the price of £38 on CD and £33 on download.) and will remain at this price until the boxsets are released until release later this month. Additionally, it's worth noting that after the significant interest in Class Volumes 1 & 2, the physical run number has been increased to 1000 sets for each.

And as Charlie says, let's hope this is not the end because "I hate cliffhangers."