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Month: September 2024

Doctor Who spin-off with Inside No. 9 star announced by Big Finish

Doctor Who spin-off with Inside No. 9 star announced by Big Finish

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Reece Shearsmith.
Reece Shearsmith – Big Finish.
 

Another Doctor Who audio drama is coming our way, and this time around it’s welcoming a TV legend into its mix.

That’s right, it’s been confirmed that The League of Gentlemen and Inside No. 9 star Reece Shearsmith will be making his Big Finish debut in brand new audio series Planet Krynoid.

Of course, this is not Shearsmith’s first foray into the Whoniverse as the actor and writer has previously starred in season 9 episode Sleep No More as Gagan Rassmussen.

The episode saw Peter Capaldi’s Twelfth Doctor and Jenna Coleman’s Clara Oswald take on Shearsmith’s character, who was a space station crew member left orbiting Neptune in the 38th century.

Now, Shearsmith will be starring in this new audio series, which will also feature a classic Doctor Who body horror monster – the eponymous man-absorbing alien plant creature that was first seen on our screens in the 1976 Tom Baker story The Seeds of Doom.

In the new adventure, Shearsmith will play Robert Hodan, the governor of Sunlight, “a paradise planet infested by the Krynoid”, according to the synopsis. It continues:

“When two seed pods are discovered lodged in a satellite, things swiftly go from bad to worse…”

On the announcement of his role in the series, Shearsmith said:

“I know a lot of actors on Big Finish’s roster – David Warner was a great friend, and he used to love doing them and would tell me about them: ‘Why haven’t you done one?’

“So I was thrilled to be asked to be in this. It’s a really huge drama, it feels a proper disaster movie of the 1970s, like The Poseidon Adventure – things just get worse and worse.”

As well as Shearsmith’s governor, the characters for the new audio series include xenobiologist Bryn Forrester (Melody Chikakane Brown) and the impoverished Hart family comprised of Sarah Whitehouse, Ian Conningham, and Nye Occomore.

And there’s also a special appearance in the second episode of the series, with Paul McGann (aka the Eighth Doctor) set to be included. The series will be made up of three episodes: Sunlight by Jonathan Morris, Sunset by Jonathan S Powell and Darkness by Chris Chapman.

On the announcement of the series, producer Jonathan S Powell said:

“Planet Krynoid is Doctor Who’s answer to The Last of Us and The Walking Dead, a heart-stopping vision of society’s collapse under the weight of one of television’s most terrifying creations: the Krynoid.

“The Krynoids themselves are terrifying because they do that great sci-fi thing of inverting the ordinary and making you petrified of pot plants. More than that though, they’re a sentient infection utterly antithetical to our existence, for which we are woefully unprepared, which makes them the perfect monster to explore today, half a century on from their debut.

“I adore The Seeds of Doom – not just for its B-movie brilliance, but for the creeping feeling it evokes that this time, for the first time, the Doctor really might lose. That’s what we’ve tried to convey in this set, that the gloves are off and nobody is safe.”

The Worlds of Doctor Who – Planet Krynoid: Nightfall is now available to pre-order at BigFinish.com and the box set is due for release in April 2025.

Doctor Who: Into the Vortex

Doctor Who: Into the Vortex

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Panini: Bookazine_Doctor Who: Into the Vortex_1

The makers of Doctor Who Magazine present a lavish, 224-page bookazine in an exclusive slipcase. Into the Vortex covers the entire history of the world’s longest-running science-fiction series, with details and highlights of all 311 television stories, plus sections dedicated to the series’ best-known monsters, villains and other characters. Newcomers to the show will find this the perfect way to navigate the vast archive of episodes on the BBC’s iPlayer, while longtime fans will find new and surprising insights into the television adventures of all 15 Doctors.

Release date: 26 Sep 2024

Get the Fifteenth Doctor’s sonic screwdriver now

Get the Fifteenth Doctor’s sonic screwdriver now

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Fifteenth Doctor Sonic - Open

The Fifteenth Doctor’s trusty sonic screwdriver is available now! The brand new accessory from Character Options is available to order in two editions.

Details of the global release of the brand-new Fifteenth Doctor’s sonic screwdriver came ahead of a limited edition run, available on the Doctor Who stand at San Diego Comic-Con. Now, it is available to purchase for all.

The limited-edition version boasts an exclusive ‘electro plated’ finish making it look like real polished steel and brass. It features two modes of operation, Open and Closed, as well as five brand new and totally unique sound and light effects, with each accessed by a different button sequence. It’s the perfect piece of memorabilia to start any Fifteenth Doctor collection.

There is, in addition to this limited-edition version, a standard version of the Sonic with a ‘painted finish’ that is now available for pre-order via various independent retailers.

Following Ncuti Gatwa’s first full season as the Doctor on our screens earlier this year, fans have been waiting patiently for the release of the sonic screwdriver, especially since first seeing it in action from The Church on Ruby Road in December 2023.

Don’t delay! Pre-order the Sonic Screwdriver either in limited edition from Character here or in a standard edition now.

New audio adventures await the Fugitive Doctor in 2025

New audio adventures await the Fugitive Doctor in 2025

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Doctor Who: Most Wanted

Jo Martin and Alice Krige star in a brand-new box set of full-cast audio drama due to be released in January 2025, as the long-awaited Fugitive Doctor lands at Big Finish Productions.

The Fugitive Doctor, played by Jo Martin, is the mysterious incarnation from the Doctor’s past first seen in 2020 TV episode Fugitive of the Judoon. Having worked as an agent for the secretive Division, she’s now on the run from her Time Lord employers in THE FUGITIVE DOCTOR: MOST WANTED.

In three exciting audio adventures, Martin’s determined Doctor encounters ruthless bounty hunters, a mythical Russian witch, and even the Daleks (Nicholas Briggs). All the while, she must evade the hot pursuit of Time Lord agent Cosmo, voiced by Alice Krige (best known for her role as the Borg Queen in the Star Trek franchise).

Jo Martin said:

“Doing these audios has been super fun! There wasn’t enough time in the TV episodes to see all the different sides of the Fugitive Doctor. She’s gung-ho, but there’s a softer side to her. With these episodes, the listeners will hear her vulnerability, her kindness and her loyalties. She’s a lone wolf, and that can’t be easy.” 

The three episodes in this box set are:

FAST TIMES (by Robert Valentine)

When the mysterious Division tries to arrest their equally mysterious agent, the Doctor, she evades capture and heads out in search of answers… but trouble is never far behind.

Captured by bounty hunters and imprisoned in a maximum-security hulk ship, the Doctor is about to learn that there’s no time to stand still when you’re a fugitive. And times are about to get very fast indeed.

THE LEGEND OF BABA YAGA by Rochana Patel

On the run from the Time Lords and in serious need of help, the Doctor heads for 17th century Russia in search of the legendary witch of Slavic folklore… Baba Yaga.

But while trying to gain assistance from this powerful entity, the Doctor finds herself embroiled in events from the most famous of Baba Yaga’s tales when the tries to help a beautiful young woman called Vasilisa retrieve a burning ember to save her family from the bitter Russian winter.

What is real? What is fantasy? And will the Doctor be able to tell the difference in time?

THE DIMENSION OF LOST THINGS by Lisa McMullin

Fleeing Cosmo through the Vortex, the TARDIS gets sucked down a temporal plughole, and the Doctor emerges into a weird landscape. Finding other lost souls in the form of mountaineer George Mallory and scavenger Athelia, the Doctor soon stumbles across another, more surprising denizen of this strange dimension – herself!

With Cosmo still in pursuit and memory-stealing winds threatening to wipe her mind for good, the Doctor senses a complex trap in action. But whose trap is it, and how can she possibly escape?

Jo Martin in the Big Finish studio
Jo Martin records in the Big Finish studio.

Producer David Richardson said:

“This was an absolute treat to work on. The Fugitive Doctor is such a brilliant, head-turning twist in this amazing long-running show we all love, and script editor Robert Valentine and I had such fun making plans.

“Thirteenth Doctor showrunner, Chris Chibnall, very generously gave up his time and met with us on Zoom while we threw around ideas and he gave us some clarifications about this most enigmatic era of Doctor Who. We came out of that meeting elated, full of purpose and sure of our direction.

“Chris told us that Jo was fantastic and a gorgeous person to work with, and he was absolutely right of course – she came into the studio full of joy for the part, always smiling, always brilliant and charismatic. The Fugitive Doctor now has her own audio series – and as the saying goes, it’s about time…”

The Fugitive Doctor: Most Wanted releases in January 2025. Pre-order here

David Graham: 1925-2024

David Graham: 1925-2024

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David Graham (actor) - Alchetron, The Free Social Encyclopedia
David Graham, the actor who provided one of the original Dalek voices has died aged 99.

On-screen, Graham appeared in two episodes of the first series of Doctor Who as an actor, but became much better known as the unemotional, harsh voice of the Daleks.

In an interview with the Mirror in 2015 about voicing the Daleks, Graham recalled:

“I created it with Peter Hawkins, another voice actor, we adopted this staccato style then they fed it through a synthesiser to make it more sinister.”

William Hartnell as Dr Who, Carole Ann Ford as Susan Foreman and three Daleks, in a black-and-white image from Doctor Who in 1963
William Hartnell as Dr Who, Carole Ann Ford as Susan Foreman and three Daleks, in a black-and-white image from Doctor Who in 1963.

Graham was born in London on 11 July 1925. His sister had married a G.I. and had moved to the United States, and his uncle had run away there, and so he became an actor after leaving his Orthodox Jewish household. He trained in New York City, at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre with Sanford Meisner, following service in the Royal Air Force as a radar mechanic.

Graham returned to England and began his theatre career, his breakout role being as Givola in The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui, alongside Leonard Rossiter. A friend of his, actor Christopher Benjamin, recommended the role to him. He was then recommended by director Michael Blakemore to audition for Laurence Olivier’s theatre company, eventually appearing alongside him in Saturday Sunday Monday, using an Italian accent.

While playing characters in the TV series Private Investigator in 1958, Graham met writer and producer Gerry Anderson, who was planning his first puppet productions. Graham said that he could pull off accents well, which led to his first voiceover role in Four Feather Falls, as Grandpa Twink, who he based on Walter Brennan. He would subsequently voice Dr. Beaker, Zarin and Mitch the Monkey in Supercar, Mat Matic and Lieutenant Ninety in Fireball XL5 and various guest characters in Stingray. Graham would also play Johnny in Crossroads to Crime, a live-action film Anderson directed.

In 1963, he became the voice of the Daleks in Doctor Who, alongside Peter Hawkins, who devised the way they spoke. He believed Hawkins would always play superior and higher-pitched Daleks, while he voiced with a lower-pitch. He voiced the Daleks in all four of their major First Doctor era appearances, as well as two 1960s feature films: Dr. Who and the Daleks and Daleks’ Invasion Earth 2150 A.D., departing due to other commitments, although he and Hawkins would remain lifelong friends. Graham also voiced the Mechonoids and played the onscreen role of Charlie in The Gunfighters. He returned to his role as the voice of the Daleks in 2023, when he recorded new lines for that year’s official colourised recut of the 1963 serial The Daleks for the show’s 60th anniversary.

In 1965, Graham became the voices of Gordon Tracy, Brains, Aloysius Parker and Kyrano in Thunderbirds, as well as its film sequels: Thunderbirds Are Go and Thunderbird 6. He did not believe Brains had a stutter, claiming that he was instead trying to find the words to explain his latest ideas excitedly. He based the voice of Parker on a waiter at the King’s Arms pub in Cookham, and he and Ray Barrett shared many of the guest villains. Although he was not highly paid for production, the many repeats earned him a lot more, and Parker became Anderson’s favourite voice.

Why is City of Death such a popular Doctor Who story? - Lovarzi Blog
David Graham as Professor Kerensky in Doctor Who: City of Death (1979)

Between 1975 and 1977, Graham was part of the Radio Drama Company. In 1979, he played Professor Kerensky in the Doctor Who story City of Death. He, later, played the role of Big Brother in the “1984” television Super Bowl advert to introduce the Apple Macintosh computer before reuniting with Hawkins and his wife, Rosemary Miller, to provide voices together in the English dub of German animated film Stowaways on the Ark. In 2004, Graham became the voice of Grandpa Pig in Peppa Pig, having known creator Mark Baker from when he was younger. The following year he played Albert Einstein in a Horizon docudrama, for which he was very proud that the BBC would select him to play the lead role.

In 2009, Graham began playing Edward Elgar in Stirring the Spirit, for which he thoroughly researched the composer, and would reprise the role many times over the next decade. From 2015 to 2020, he reprised his role as Parker in Thunderbirds Are Go, a reboot of the original series. Although Kayvan Novak took over as Brains, Graham had wanted to reprise that role as well. Most of his dialogue was recorded with Rosamund Pike, who played Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward.

In April 2021, Graham announced his retirement from his Thunderbirds characters. In December, actor George Layton, a long-time friend of Graham’s, announced on Twitter that Graham had suffered a stroke six months earlier and was unable to leave his home in London. However, Layton stated that Graham was recovering by performing voice-overs, and he has since conducted interviews from his home.

Graham died on 20 September 2024, at the age of 99.

ARCHIE PANJABI JOINS CAST AS VILLAIN FOR SERIES 15

ARCHIE PANJABI JOINS CAST AS VILLAIN FOR SERIES 15

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Actress Archie Panjabi will star in the next series of Doctor Who, coming to BBC and Disney+ in 2025, as a new villain. The news was first reported by Deadline, with the BBC and Disney+ declining to comment on the reports.

Meanwhile, like many Doctors who have come before him, one is not enough for the Fifteenth Doctor and in season two, he will have two companions by his side as Varada Sethu steps aboard the TARDIS.

Varada joins the Whoniverse from a galaxy far, far away after starring in the Disney+ Star Wars series ‘Andor’. Now she straps in for another journey through time and space alongside Ncuti Gatwa as the Fifteenth Doctor and Millie Gibson as Ruby Sunday. Sethu’s compantion will be called ‘Belinda Chandra’.

Sethu says:

“I feel like the luckiest person in the world. It is such an honour to be a part of the Whoniverse, and I’m so grateful to the whole Doctor Who family – because that is what they are – for welcoming me with open arms and making me feel so at home. I couldn’t ask for a better team than Ncuti and Millie to be on this adventure with, this is SO much fun!”

Showrunner, executive producer and writer Russell T Davies says:

“I first worked with Varada on a BBC production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and it’s a joy to welcome her on board the TARDIS. Right now in the studio, shooting for 2025, we’ve got Ncuti, Millie and Varada fighting side by side – we need all three, because the stakes are higher than ever!”

Sethu is best known for her standout role as Cinta Kaz in the Disney+ Original series “Andor.” Her additional credits include “Jurassic World Dominion,” “Annika” and “Strike Back.”

Currently in post-production, the 15th series of Doctor Who is set to debut in 2025 on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in the UK and Disney+ in the U.S. and around the world (where available).

THE WAR BETWEEN: GEORGE ROBINSON TO JOIN CAST OF DOCTOR WHO SPIN-OFF

THE WAR BETWEEN: GEORGE ROBINSON TO JOIN CAST OF DOCTOR WHO SPIN-OFF

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Sex Education star George Robinson has reportedly joined the cast of Doctor Who spin-off The War Between The War And The Sea, which recently commenced filming in Wales. Robinson’s casting was revealed online by Doctor Who Filming Locations.

Over the Summer, the BBC and Disney announced the first Doctor Who spin-off since their partnership, titled The War Between The Land And The Sea. The series is created by Doctor Who Showrunner Russell T Davies, who has written the series with Executive Producer Pete McTighe.

When a fearsome and ancient species emerges from the ocean, dramatically revealing themselves to humanity, an international crisis is triggered. With the entire population at risk, UNIT step into action as the land and sea wage war.

Leading the five-part series is Russell Tovey (Feud, American Horror Story: NYC) and Gugu Mbatha-Raw (Surface, Loki). The series will also see the return of UNIT alumni Jemma Redgrave (Doctor Who, Grantchester) who will reprise her role as Kate Lethbridge-Stewart and Alexander Devrient (Doctor Who, Ted Lasso) as Colonel Ibrahim.

Russell T Davies, Showrunner, Writer and Executive Producer says:

“I’m so lucky to work with such a magnificent cast. And this is a huge, muscular, thrilling drama which will shake The Whoniverse to its foundations. When the Doctor’s not in town, the whole of humanity is in trouble.”

Lindsay Salt, Director of Drama, BBC says:

“The War Between The Land and The Sea is another utterly unique and gripping drama from Russell T Davies and we’re delighted to welcome the show to The Whoniverse! Featuring a stellar cast, with Russell Tovey and Gugu Mbatha-Raw taking on leading roles, this brand new epic mini series will leave audiences on the edge of their seats as they watch UNIT take on one of their biggest battles to save humanity.”

More details about The War Between The Land And The Sea will be announced in due course.

Doctor Who Magazine 608

Doctor Who Magazine 608

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Doctor Who on X: "The latest #DoctorWho Magazine cover is a monster mash! 👹 Get all the insider info on the Doctor Who Prom when issue 608 of DWM releases this week -

Inside this issue

  • Join DWM at rehearsals for the Doctor Who Prom! We talk to host Catherine Tate, composers Murray Gold and Segun Akinola and exec producer Julie Gardner.
  • Voice of the Daleks, and Big Finish boss, Nicholas Briggs talks about the challenges presented by the live performance of audio drama The Stuff of Legend, and his experiences on the TV show itself.
  • Script to Screen! Discover how Dot and Bubble’s monstrous Mantraps were brought to life!
  • Ahead of the release of Season 25 on Blu-ray, we interview Kandy Man actor David John Pope.
  • The concluding part of our in-depth chat with 80s designer John Asbridge, covering his work on Silver Nemesis and The Happiness Patrol…
  • Cyber Leader David Bank face the Memory Worm – will he remember the highlights of his Doctor Who career?
  • DWM presents an indispensable guide to Doctor Who related activities around the UK…
  • …and checks in with the Worlds of Wonder exhibition as it reaches New Zealand.
  • Doctor Who fan Danny Howroyd shares his experiences of working on 73 Yards as a supporting artist.
  • Back to 1964 – viewers left bereft as Doctor Who goes off air for the first time!
  • The Fact of Fiction – we examine the Twelfth Doctor’s encounter with Davros in The Witch’s Familiar…
  • A brand-new comic strip adventure with the Fifteenth Doctor and Ruby.

PLUS!

  •  Gallifrey Guardian – the latest news from the Whoniverse – including details about new books and audio releases!
  • Shelf Life – including reviews of the latest action figure exclusives.
  • Other Worlds – the essential guide to new stories in Doctor Who’s expanded universe.
  • Prizes to be won including the new comic collection Black Sun Rising.

Doctor Who Magazine Issue 608 is on sale Thursday 12 Septmber from panini.co.uk and WH Smith priced £7.99 (UK).

Also available as a digital edition from pocketmags.com priced £6.99.

Screening of The Happiness Patrol, BFI, 31 August 2024.

Screening of The Happiness Patrol, BFI, 31 August 2024.

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Doctor Who: The Happiness Patrol Main Screen at The BFI London  (Photograph © Jacqueline Lindemulder and Angela Scholder)

Last Saturday (August 31st 2024) the BFI hosted the launch of the next season in the Doctor Who Collection” Blu-ray range – Season 25.  The chosen story to represent this season was “The Happiness Patrol” and our good friends and intrepid reporters  Jacqueline Lindemulder and Angela Scholder of the Dutch Whovian Community reports.

Before 10:00am people were already queueing to see if they would be able to still get hold of a ticket from the returns desk.

While walking in to the theatre they played a song with lyrics “The Greatest Show on Earth”. While Sylvester walked in he made the funny gesture of not wanting to look at his younger self on screen.

The presenter Justin walked in with Bagpuss. He mentioned that today we would be getting rid of any killjoys: “If anyone is unhappy, security guards are standing by”.

He mentioned a Blake’s 7 Blu-ray box set later in the year.

Later he joked “It’s not Whooverville, then you’re in the wrong place”. People laughed. He talked about “The Happiness Patrol” and about how it has grown in reputation, while initially it had been a story which had a lot of negative reviews and was seen as just extremely camp, and “not Doctor Who”.

He also checked on social media at what people had commented about “The Happiness Patrol”, mentioning someone having posted about having badges made, he was there where they then immediately got one.

There was a joke about the audience looking more like Oppenheimer than Barbie.

The usual quiz, where Sylvester won a Build your own Kandyman package.

There was also a talk with Pete McTighe who remarked about this season being one of his favourites of the show, “being comfort food.”

Television script writer Pete McTighe. (Photograph © Jacqueline Lindemulder and Angela Scholder)

Pete wore a nice Pink TARDIS T-shirt. He explained that most cut material has been reinserted, running to a total of 18 minutes. This was possible as the original studio tapes were still existing. One thing is that now the Kandyman is getting a proper on-screen send-off.

It was noted that Graeme Curry’s wife and daughter were in the audience, where then a message from the daughter was read.

Unfortunately during the first episode it quite quickly became clear that what was being shown was not the remastered and updated version, but the original. They announced this and that they had tried to get the right version quickly, but that it wasn’t managed.

So, we then watched the first two episodes of the original broadcast version.

The first talk was with Stephen Mansfield, the puppeteer for Fifi. He talked about rediscovering one of the three original Fifi puppets where the mechanics was still working, which only needed restoration works on the nose. Fifi then was unveiled.

Dick Fiddy (left) with puppeteer Stephen Mansfield and Fifi from Doctor Who: The Happiness Patrol  (Photograph © Jacqueline Lindemulder and Angela Scholder)

They was joking about him having to work Fifi from in between Sheila’s legs.

Originally Fifi had been thought of as a person in a costume and the pipes people being puppets, but it was swapped around. The pipe people were played by kids.

Then the 3rd episode was shown.

After this episode the value added material was shown, starting with the trailer and a preview of “Looking for Dursley”, a documentary about the life of Dursley McLinden.

Following this we had the Q&A with director Chris Clough, script editor Andrew Cartmel, Dame Sheila Hancock, Sophie Aldred, and Sylvester McCoy.

Q&A with director Chris Clough, script editor Andrew Cartmel, Dame Sheila Hancock, Sophie Aldred, and Sylvester McCoy. (Photograph © Jacqueline Lindemulder and Angela Scholder)

Sheila normally doesn’t watch any of her work, but said she had been totally engrossed in it and thought it was an example of modern art. “The sheer creativity”. She mentioned to really not hating happy people, after which Sylvester mock walked off. She had not been told anything about the context to the story, but had felt it to be anti-Thatcher and had played it that way, also, the ugliness of the period.

Sylvester mentioned all of it was such fun making, not only “The Happiness Patrol”. He said how brilliant the Kandyman was. Sophie mentioned that “The Happiness Patrol” is still so relevant.

Many Doctor Who fans rejected the story as then, they could only see the camp surface and not really the story underneath.

They talked about how Chris Clough had cast Sophie, to which Sylvester responded “So it was you who’s to blame!”

There also was an interesting conversation about Doctor Who and being political and people commenting about that now, while it always has been the case. Sylvester mentioned this as why he had started watching Doctor Who.

After the Q&A there was a signing, and a quiz in the bar.

It was a great day, even if we didn’t get to see the remastered and updated version.

With thanks to Jacqueline Lindemulder and Angela Scholder of the Dutch Whovian Community

Doctor Who: The Collection Season 25 will be released on October 28th 2024

STATEMENT FROM THE BFI SOUTHBANK

Doctor Who: The Happiness Patrol

+ Q&A with actors Sylvester McCoy and Sophie Aldred and script editor Andrew Cartmel

Sunday 29 September 2024 16:30 NFT1

We apologise to customers who attended the screening on Saturday 31 August as we weren’t able to show the correct version. We understand the disappointment this will have caused during what was otherwise a great event.

We are pleased to have this opportunity to show the new version. Previous bookers are being contacted by the Box Office and have exclusive priority on this event until Thursday 12 September 12:00 (noon). After this time, any remaining tickets will go on general sale at £17, concs £14 (Members pay £2 less). 

CHARLIE CONDOU JOINS CAST FOR SEASON TWO

CHARLIE CONDOU JOINS CAST FOR SEASON TWO

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Actor Charlie Condou, best known for his role on ITV soap Coronation Street, will join the cast of Doctor Who for series 15 next year. It follows confirmation that Jonah Hauer-King, known for roles in The Little Mermaid, Howards End and World On Fire, has also joined the cast.

Meanwhile, like many Doctors who have come before him, one is not enough for the Fifteenth Doctor and in series 15, he will have two companions by his side as Varada Sethu steps aboard the TARDIS.

Varada joins the Whoniverse from a galaxy far, far away after starring in the Disney+ Star Wars series ‘Andor’. Now she straps in for another journey through time and space alongside Ncuti Gatwa as the Fifteenth Doctor and Millie Gibson as Ruby Sunday. Sethu’s compantion will be called ‘Belinda Chandra’.
 
Sethu says:
 
“I feel like the luckiest person in the world. It is such an honour to be a part of the Whoniverse, and I’m so grateful to the whole Doctor Who family – because that is what they are – for welcoming me with open arms and making me feel so at home. I couldn’t ask for a better team than Ncuti and Millie to be on this adventure with, this is SO much fun!”
Showrunner, executive producer and writer Russell T Davies says: “I first worked with Varada on a BBC production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and it’s a joy to welcome her on board the TARDIS. Right now in the studio, shooting for 2025, we’ve got Ncuti, Millie and Varada fighting side by side – we need all three, because the stakes are higher than ever!”
 

Sethu is best known for her standout role as Cinta Kaz in the Disney+ Original series “Andor.” Her additional credits include “Jurassic World Dominion,” “Annika” and “Strike Back.”

Currently in post-production, the 15th series of Doctor Who is set to debut in 2025 on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in the UK and Disney+ in the U.S. and around the world (where available).