By Nigel Powlson
FORMER timelord Sylvester McCoy watches the new Doctor Who series with a slight touch of envy but is heartened by the fact that his spell in the Tardis is still an influence on the BBC's flagship series.
"Each generation has its own favourite doctor and I'm getting to the point where for thirtysomethings I was their favourite," he says. "Which is great as they are getting into positions of power in the industry. I did a film recently where the producer was a huge fan of Doctor Who and I was 'his' doctor.
"I watch the new Doctor Who with envy of the technology they have got and money they pour into it but there are great similarities with what we were doing back then, which makes sense because the writers were growing up watching our show and were influenced by it.
"I am very proud to have landed that job and to be part of that television culture and, do you know, I'm in a museum. I thought you had to be dead to do that but I'm in a Doctor Who museum. People adore it, people love you for having been in it, which is wonderful. People buy me a drink when they see me – they don't pour it all over me.
%3Cbody%3E%3Cdiv%20id%3D%22adDiv%22%3E%3CA%20HREF%3D%22http%3A//ads.anm.co.uk/ADCLICK/CID%3Dfffffffcfffffffcfffffffc/AAMSZ%3D452x118/SITE%3DTHISISDERB/AREA%3DENTERTAINMENT/SUBAREA%3DHOME/ARTICLE%3D524250/acc_random%3D5458249229/pageid%3D/RS%3D%22%20target%3D%22_new%22%3E%3CIMG%20SRC%3D%22http%3A//iad.anm.co.uk/anmdefaultad.gif%22%20ALT%3D%22%22%20border%3D0%20style%3D%22margin-bottom%3A%200px%3B%22%3E%3C/A%3E%3C/div%3E
"And what's great about Doctor Who is that adults introduce it to their children so in that respect it's very much like panto. It's very important to have families enjoying themselves collectively, especially in society today where people aren't even having enough Sunday lunches together."
From this week, Sylvester is bringing families all the traditions of panto by playing 'Orrible Herman in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and forming part of a villainous double act with Sue Holderness' Wicked Queen.
"The first panto I ever saw was Peter Pan in Glasgow and I was no higher than the front seats," Sylvester says. "I still remember it even though I was only three or four. I was taken from the Highlands of Scotland to Glasgow and I have never forgotten that experience. That's why I love doing panto now – to give children that magical experience – and that's why I know what a responsibility it is doing it.
"I also love my boos and go out there and play to them as much as possible. I guess I have done just about every part in panto over the years. I enjoy them all but especially the villain, although I have never played a henchman before, which is going to fun, especially as Sue and I will be doing a duet where I play the spoons and she tap dances."
Sylvester also loves the sense of tradition that comes with panto.
"Panto was the Christmas party before there was TV, everyone let their hair down and joined in, including the actors. A lot of the time the villain speaks in rhyme, which is a homage to Shakespeare; their is a touch of musical theatre; often a serious thespian playing comedy – that's when you get that wonderful mix. A taste of all theatre's wonders.
"It's all great fun, slightly formuliac but a great tradition. It's the only thing we British have invented for theatre – all the rest came from the Greeks, the French, but we invented panto.
"I'm very proud of that.
"I also love the great family connection of it, the joy; the fun.
"The grandparents saw it as children and explain when to boo and hiss to the grandchildren. You have to keep that going and pass it on. Pantomime doesn't work anywhere else in the world because the audience don't know their role. It works here because audiences are brought up on it."
Sylvester is also always delighted to be back on stage.
"A big Doctor Who fan asked what I liked doing best and I said 'theatre' and he couldn't believe it.
"People who love a TV show, for them it's incredibly important but for an actor it's very different. The viewers think if you are on TV you have reached the heights.
"It's good (and it used to pay well) but it's in theatre where you really connect with the audience."
WHAT: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. WHERE: Derby Assembly Rooms. WHEN: December 10-January 11. TICKETS: £8.50-£18.50. BOX OFFICE: 01332 255800.
FORMER timelord Sylvester McCoy watches the new Doctor Who series with a slight touch of envy but is heartened by the fact that his spell in the Tardis is still an influence on the BBC's flagship series.
"Each generation has its own favourite doctor and I'm getting to the point where for thirtysomethings I was their favourite," he says. "Which is great as they are getting into positions of power in the industry. I did a film recently where the producer was a huge fan of Doctor Who and I was 'his' doctor.
"I watch the new Doctor Who with envy of the technology they have got and money they pour into it but there are great similarities with what we were doing back then, which makes sense because the writers were growing up watching our show and were influenced by it.
"I am very proud to have landed that job and to be part of that television culture and, do you know, I'm in a museum. I thought you had to be dead to do that but I'm in a Doctor Who museum. People adore it, people love you for having been in it, which is wonderful. People buy me a drink when they see me – they don't pour it all over me.
%3Cbody%3E%3Cdiv%20id%3D%22adDiv%22%3E%3CA%20HREF%3D%22http%3A//ads.anm.co.uk/ADCLICK/CID%3Dfffffffcfffffffcfffffffc/AAMSZ%3D452x118/SITE%3DTHISISDERB/AREA%3DENTERTAINMENT/SUBAREA%3DHOME/ARTICLE%3D524250/acc_random%3D5458249229/pageid%3D/RS%3D%22%20target%3D%22_new%22%3E%3CIMG%20SRC%3D%22http%3A//iad.anm.co.uk/anmdefaultad.gif%22%20ALT%3D%22%22%20border%3D0%20style%3D%22margin-bottom%3A%200px%3B%22%3E%3C/A%3E%3C/div%3E
"And what's great about Doctor Who is that adults introduce it to their children so in that respect it's very much like panto. It's very important to have families enjoying themselves collectively, especially in society today where people aren't even having enough Sunday lunches together."
From this week, Sylvester is bringing families all the traditions of panto by playing 'Orrible Herman in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and forming part of a villainous double act with Sue Holderness' Wicked Queen.
"The first panto I ever saw was Peter Pan in Glasgow and I was no higher than the front seats," Sylvester says. "I still remember it even though I was only three or four. I was taken from the Highlands of Scotland to Glasgow and I have never forgotten that experience. That's why I love doing panto now – to give children that magical experience – and that's why I know what a responsibility it is doing it.
"I also love my boos and go out there and play to them as much as possible. I guess I have done just about every part in panto over the years. I enjoy them all but especially the villain, although I have never played a henchman before, which is going to fun, especially as Sue and I will be doing a duet where I play the spoons and she tap dances."
Sylvester also loves the sense of tradition that comes with panto.
"Panto was the Christmas party before there was TV, everyone let their hair down and joined in, including the actors. A lot of the time the villain speaks in rhyme, which is a homage to Shakespeare; their is a touch of musical theatre; often a serious thespian playing comedy – that's when you get that wonderful mix. A taste of all theatre's wonders.
"It's all great fun, slightly formuliac but a great tradition. It's the only thing we British have invented for theatre – all the rest came from the Greeks, the French, but we invented panto.
"I'm very proud of that.
"I also love the great family connection of it, the joy; the fun.
"The grandparents saw it as children and explain when to boo and hiss to the grandchildren. You have to keep that going and pass it on. Pantomime doesn't work anywhere else in the world because the audience don't know their role. It works here because audiences are brought up on it."
Sylvester is also always delighted to be back on stage.
"A big Doctor Who fan asked what I liked doing best and I said 'theatre' and he couldn't believe it.
"People who love a TV show, for them it's incredibly important but for an actor it's very different. The viewers think if you are on TV you have reached the heights.
"It's good (and it used to pay well) but it's in theatre where you really connect with the audience."
WHAT: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. WHERE: Derby Assembly Rooms. WHEN: December 10-January 11. TICKETS: £8.50-£18.50. BOX OFFICE: 01332 255800.
No comments:
Post a Comment