Today marks the sixth anniversary of the first broadcast of the Doctor Who spin-off, Class. The highly-acclaimed drama, which originally began on BBC Three on 22 October 2016, followed the students of Coal Hill Academy struggling with the stresses of adolescence while fending off alien threats!
Class has since had a second and hugely successful life on audio, with the lead cast all reprising their roles in Big Finish's follow-up series. Now a brand-new limited-edition audio drama featuring original series stars Greg Austin and Jordan Renzo, is due for release in January 2023.
I had the pleasure of interviewing the TV and audio series’ original music composer and long-term fan, Blair Mowat when he made his Big Finish writing debut with Queen of Rhodia. Class: Secret Diary of a Rhodian Prince sees him returning to the Patrick Ness-inspired audio series as writer and producer alongside director Scott Handcock. In a new and compelling tale, Charlie Smith — the last surviving member and prince of the humanoid species, the Rhodians — candidly reveals the trauma of relocating to Earth and spills the tea on his romance with student Matteusz Andrzejewski.
What's it like being an alien stranded on a strange planet in the aftermath of a genocide? What would you think of Earth's culture? What's it like falling in love with a human when you only met one just the other week? Who is the Doctor?
And what happens if your secret diary falls into the wrong hands…?
In Secret Diary of a Rhodian Prince we find out what Charlie really thought about his life on Earth and hear the bits you never got to see.
Being an audio drama from Big Finish, they keep castings and any potential spoilers very well guarded. However, the new cover by Sean Longmore leaves a lot to be analysed. With visuals reminiscent of the previous Class releases, the design drops hints of the plot revolving around Rhodia and the Cabniet of Souls.
While there’s a strong chance this could be a two-hander between Austen and Renzo - as the plot summary heavily suggests this special will focus on the pivotal moments of their characters’ romance - eagle eyed fans would see other characters are featured on this cover.
Unless they are only mentioned through dialogue, there is a possibility that Sophie Hopkins (April), Katherine Kelly (Quill) and Paul Marc Davis (Corakinus) could be reprising their roles from the TV show in some capacity. Again, this is merely guesswork as Big Finish will most likely release a final cast list closer to the release date in January.
An origin story that’ll explore both Charlie’s past life and trauma on Rhodia is very appropriate for this franchise. As much as the TV show and audio continuation hinted at Charlie’s dark past, only a couple episodes really delved into it. We also have no idea how Matteusz and Charlie got together, especially because the show introduces them as an established couple who quickly move in together - the four audio volumes also lean into the couple being in a stable relationship across their first twelve audios.
Scott Hancock has confirmed on Instagram that this will be his last Class episode as director. On Big Finish’s website, writer and producer Blair Mowat confirmed he’s eager to return to the hallow halls of Coal Hill Academy:
“Class is back! Patrick Ness created the most wonderful characters in Charlie and Matteusz and I always wanted to know a little bit more about how they met, how they fell in love and what it was like for Charlie adjusting so suddenly to life on Earth.
The format of a diary really allows us to see his experiences through a very personal lens and lets us jump quickly between different events. We dive into his past, his present and maybe even his future. In regard to what comes next, anything is possible...”
Head over to the Big Finish website to read more about Secret Diary of a Rhodian Prince. This exclusive Class audio will be strictly limited to a pressing of 1,000 CDs, which listeners can now pre-order for just £10.99 here. It is also available to pre-order as a download for just £8.99.
Listeners can catch up on all four volumes of Big Finish's popular Class series, which are available to purchase in a download bundle for just £68.
My previous reviews of Big Finish's third and fourth volumes of Class can also be read on Vocal.
Comments (1)
Fantastic!!!