Judge Dredd: The Big Shot! (Big Finish Audio)

Now and then, an audiobook series sneaks its way onto the schedule. Why? Simple: I’m a slow reader. A single novel can take me a week or two to finish, and then another to review. But audiobooks? They’re my perfect filler, I can listen while walking to work, during the commute, or even while hammering away at the day job.

But enough about my scheduling. Let’s jump straight into The Big Shot!

Details

Title: Judge Dredd: The Big Shot!

Author: David Bishop

Cover Artist: Henry Flint

Director: John Ainsworth

Duration: 64 minutes

Cast:

Toby Longworth – Judge Dredd / Tannoy

Clare Buckfield – Cadet Amy Steel

Peter Sowerbutts – Quentin Quail

Nicholas Briggs – Jarvis / Control / Elevator

Teresa Gallagher – Chief Judge Hershey / Assassin

Regina Reagan – Enigma Smith

Kerry Skinner – Sabrina Mills

Timeline: August 2124

Official Synopsis

For decades, Brit-Cit filmmaker Quentin Quail has been a legend, a reclusive, self-absorbed auteur and possibly one of the most irritating men alive. Now, he’s arriving in Mega-City One for a retrospective of his work at the Museum of Post-Modern Art.

Unfortunately for Quail, someone wants him dead.

Judge Dredd and Cadet Amy Steel are assigned as bodyguards, but their task quickly spirals out of control as a mysterious assassin closes in — one whose motives could shake the very foundations of the Justice Department itself.

The bullets start flying, and Dredd has to make the ultimate call: who’s the real target here… and who deserves to be saved?

The Review

Big Finish delivers another winner. The Big Shot! sounds exactly like a story ripped straight out of the pages of 2000 AD. Sharp writing, snappy dialogue, and that perfect mix of satire and gunfire that defines Mega-City One.

The setup is classic Judge Dredd irony: the most no-nonsense Judge in the city forced to babysit the most pretentious celebrity alive. Quentin Quail is a fantastic character: a pompous film director who treats everything like a performance piece. Naturally, Judge Dredd hates every minute of it.

Their first encounter sets the tone perfectly: Quail lights up a cigarette the moment he steps into MC-1, and Judge Dredd’s first instinct is to arrest him. From there, the two clash constantly. Quail’s ego vs. Judge Dredd’s unbending sense of duty. It’s funny, fast-paced, and occasionally tense when the assassination plot starts to unfold.

No narrators this time, just a full cast, rich sound design, and immersive action sequences that make MC-1 feel alive.

Highlights

Toby Longworth once again is Judge Dredd. Stern, dry, and effortlessly commanding.

Quentin Quail steals every scene. Imagine an artsy Brit-Cit director who thinks Judge Dredd is a walking metaphor. It’s brilliant.

The sound design captures the city’s chaos perfectly. Every background hum, broadcast, and explosion feels real.

Verdict

Great story. Great acting. Great production. It’s sharp, satirical, and pure Mega-City madness. If you’re a Dredd fan or love Big Finish’s cinematic-style audio dramas, The Big Shot! is a no-brainer. A+ from me. Another reminder that in Mega-City One, the Law never takes a day off, not even for the arts.