"Now, surely you can't be surprised to see me!"

Reunited with the TARDIS, the Doctor, Charley and C'rizz find themselves hurtling towards a small blue planet. For some reason, the ship refuses to pull away and the companions fear the worst.

What they find is an island, where the richest man in the galaxy is on a mission, spreading the word of the Church of the Foundation. Something C'rizz finds all too familiar.

With Rassilon waiting in the shadows, can the Doctor unravel the mysteries surrounding the Church, the island and the planet before the greatest Time Lord ever makes his final move?

This life is almost over. The next life is waiting. Along the way there will be danger, revelation and betrayal. Who will cross over? Who will not? And what is waiting on the other side?

And so we reach the finale of the Divergent Universe arc that began at the end of Zagreus. And for most of the first episode and part of the second, it almost seems like were getting Zagreus part 2. But then things settle down into a straightforward quest tale, with a number of twists along the way.

The regulars really need very little comment from me. They have grown together into a dependable unit, a team you can rely upon to give strong performances time after time. Yet while India and Conrad are at their best, it is Paul that excels this time around. He is full of boundless energy and witty comments, even at one point making a joke about eBay! The Next Life is very much his play and he takes all his opportunities to shine.

His partner in crime for most of the play is Daphne Ashbrook as Perfection. Their chemistry is obvious from their first meeting, and anybody who enjoyed their scenes together in the TV Movie will enjoy this. And Daphne's interaction with India is amusing, the two sniping at each other any chance they get.

The rest of the guest cast are all good in their various roles. Don Warrington is once again quietly menacing as Rassilon, though he doesn't appear as much as I was expecting in the play. Stephane Cornicard is a nice mixture of the urbane and the slightly mad as Daqar Keep, the richest man in the galaxy. And it is always good to hear Paul Darrow in an audio drama, his role here as Guidance both surprising and challenging.

The plot is good and pacey, keeping the listener guessing most of the time. A number of things from previous stories are either explained or tied into the story here. Also there are many in jokes that make the listener smile, the previously mentioned eBay reference being one, another being a reference to Grace! Some of the revelations are telegraphed well ahead of the game, while others do slap you in the face with their unexpectedness. One complaint though is the number of times the play's title gets mentioned during the course of the story. I wasn't counting, but it must be at least three times an episode! Still, that is a very minor gripe on my part.

This isn't as good a play as either Neverland or Zagreus, but it is still entertaining and fun. And the final twist is an absolute killer!

This life is over. Welcome, one and all, to the next.