Doctor Who Live (Theatre Preview for Buzz Magazine)

Words originally for Buzz Magazine, written during a week's work experience completed in August 2010, published in Buzz's October issue.

Doctor Who Live

Feeling a little too old and grown up for hiding behind the sofa from all the monsters on Doctor Who? Sensible enough to have realised that a flight of stairs would stall those Daleks for long enough for you to escape were they to storm your house in the middle of the night? So tough that not even the biggest and baddest of Cybermen could stop you from enjoying your morning newspaper on the bus to work? Perhaps a Dalek flying towards your face in a live arena will fix all of that growing up and maturing that age has done to you... Say “hello” to Doctor Who Live, the BBC Worldwide audio and visual production that comes to Cardiff International Arena at the end of this month.

Doctor Who Live follows Vorgenson, a new character played by Nigel Planer (Neil from The Young Ones, performances in We Will Rock You and Chicago), who is described as ‘an inter-galactic showman’ and the Doctor’s biggest fan. Vorgenson, who was adapted exclusively for the show by {Doctor Who} executive producer and lead writer Steven Moffat, travels the galaxy with his clever invention, the Minimiser – a machine that can summon any Doctor Who character as part of his travelling show dedicated to his hero, the Doctor.

As he travels, Vorgenson brings a wide range of monsters to the stage for his audience to see, with terrifying live voices provided by Nick Briggs. Briggs, who creates the voices for the likes of Cybermen and the Daleks for the award winning BBC television show, will also play the role of Winston Churchill – another of the characters summoned by Vorgenson using the Minimiser.

The live show brings together music, live performances from top actors, optical illusions, special FX (including a flying Dalek), pyrotechnics and video scenes of Matt Smith as the Doctor shown on giants screens on stage; promising the same suspense, excitement, and terror that {Doctor Who} has provided for almost 50 years.

Doctor Who Live, Thurs 28-Sun 31 Oct, Cardiff International Arena. Tickets start at £25. Info: 029 2022 44 88 / www.livenation.co.uk/cardiff