Cult TV legend James Marsters makes his long-awaited return to the world of audio Torchwood for a brand new boxset.
Having reprised the role earlier this year for The Death of Captain Jack, there was no way Big Finish could let an actor like Marsters and a character like John lie dormant for long.
An anti-hero reflection of Captain Jack, Hart arrived in Cardiff as Jack’s former partner (in every sense) and fellow rogue Time Agent. He quickly showed a propensity for mayhem and murder in his debut episode Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang and delivered plenty more for the series finale Exit Wounds alongside Jack’s long-lost brother.
In January 2020, Torchwood: The Sins of Captain John shows us how he became the Captain John Hart who failed out of murder rehab.
“Doing The Death of Captain Jack was incredible! I have missed doing Torchwood so much,” said actor James Marsters. “Beyond being proud of playing a part in it, the character itself is a blast to play, and those two episodes just weren’t enough.”
The set consists of four stories all penned by David Llewellyn, who also wrote Marster’s first and only Big Finish story to date, taking John all around the galaxy. Set prior to the character reuniting with Captain Jack in Torchwood, Captain John hangs out in Restoration-era London, on gas planets and still finds time for a few deadly love affairs (presumably before visiting the gassy planets).
- The Restored
- Escape from Nebazz
- Peach Blossom Heights
- Darker Purposes
Llewellyn said, “Writing The Death of Captain Jack was a total blast, and both [producer] James Goss and I realised we could have a lot more fun with Captain John Hart, providing James Marsters was happy to return. Captain John is this chaotic, disruptive, insubordinate force of nature; completely amoral and unpredictable, so that gave me a lot of freedom! Writing is often a case of knowing when to hold back, when to tread a more subtle line, but with Captain John it’s the complete opposite. And setting it before Torchwood on television meant we were able to go to places where Torchwood can’t.”
Torchwood: The Sins of Captain John can be pre-ordered now at the Big Finish website. Priced at £28 for CD and £25 on download set for release in January 2020. That’s a long way off so, in the meantime, read my review of The Death of Captain Jack over on BlogtorWho.
The Death of Captain Jack is totally bonkers and utterly hilarious…James Marsters’ enthusiasm in the part is infectious and Llewellyn’s script really plays to his strengths. As a light, funny but nevertheless exciting story with great dialogue and standout moments, this comes highly recommended.