Torchwood: Curios – Review

During World War Two, the Torchwood Archive has been stowed away in a Welsh coal mine along with countless other art treasures. Bilis Manger is among them. And there’s something hunting him in the dark. Jill has been sent to catalogue the collection. She’s on her own, she’s in disgrace and there’s something hunting her on the slopes of the mountain.

Torchwood contains adult material and may not be suitable for younger listeners.

Bilis is back! The malevolent caretaker whose backstory has always remained something of an enigma. With only two appearances in the televised show, it’s easy to imagine Bilis getting lost in Torchwood’s history, however, the creative minds at Big Finish have breathed new life into Murray Melvin’s delightfully devilish character (they do this so well with lesser explored characters) and man am I pleased they have!

Previously starring in ‘Deadbeat Escape’ and ‘Dead Man’s Switch’ Curios is Murray Melvin’s third story in the Torchwood monthly range. In my opinion, three of the best stories in Torchwood history.

Curios stars Murray Melvin (Bilis Manger), Rosie Baker (Jill Anderson), Matthew Gravelle (Wilf Church) and Laurie Kynaston (Brent Hall). Written & produced by James Goss, directed by Scott Handcock, music by Blair Mowat with sound design by Naomi Clarke & Peter Doggart.

Having written and produced the vast majority of the Torchwood monthly range and producing the continuation series; Aliens Among Us and its sequel, Gods Among Us, Goss has proven time and time again that he knows exactly what to do with Torchwood, and what the listeners want to hear.

Curios is no exception, set during World War II, Bilis has managed (no pun intended) to get himself stuck in a deep underground coal mine, covertly storing some of the world’s finest artworks and artefacts… and the Torchwood Archive… Jill Anderson is sent to catalogue the collection, but something is chasing them both in the dark.

I think the best thing about this story for me is the fact that just as we think we know what’s going on, the story takes a different turn and keeps the listener guessing almost up until the end. A large proportion of this, of course, is attributed to Goss’s fantastic script, but also from the stellar voice performances from Murray Melvin and Rosie Baker. Melvin has this eerie ability to flit between being a sweet and kind elderly man, to being deliciously dark and unnerving with such ease, gaining him instant fan favourite status.

Baker also excels wonderfully as the unassailable Jill Anderson, from proving she’s a force to be reckoned with when it comes to the sickening security duo (Church and Hall), to asking the right questions and being unafraid to stand up to both the creature and Bilis, which in turn earns her respect from Mr Manger.

I also love that Bilis is forced to work with Jill to escape the creature hunting them. The Bilis we’ve seen so far doesn’t play well with others, so it’s really interesting to see him having as close to a friend as Bilis will ever have.

Whilst this release isn’t as horror-esque as Bilis Manger’s previous outings, it works incredibly well as a creepy, well drawn-out character-driven story, focusing much more on the connections made between Bilis and Jill as the tale progresses, than the monster itself. Throw in a chilling score from Blair Mowat and it only adds to the sense of unease. This is another great piece of the Bilis Manger puzzle, that will leave you eagerly waiting to see what Big Finish do with him next!

By the end of the story, I am left wondering if maybe, just maybe, buried far deeper than any Welsh coal mine, Bilis Manger does have a heart after all?

9/10

Torchwood: Curios is available now, priced from £8.99 on the Big Finish website.