Lambeth Fantastical - December 2024
The Miser and the Doctor
For the eighth year running Waterloo’s Old Vic theatre is presenting Matthew Warchus’ production of Charles Dickens classic yuletide ghost story ‘A Christmas Carol’. It is adapted for stage by Jack Thorne who has ‘Harry Potter and the Cursed Child’ and ‘His Dark Materials’ under his belt. The show boast some fantastically creepy special effects when the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future materialise on stage. And there is also several Doctor Who connections to the actors who have taken on the lead role of the miser, Ebenezer Scrooge.
First, some timey-whimey stuff. Back in 2017 Rhys Ifans was the first to take on the role of Scrooge. Ifans is about to assume the role of a future regeneration of the Doctor in the Mark Gatiss created spin-off, ‘The Time War’. Mark McGann will reprise his one-off role as the eighth Doctor, with Ifans playing the version of the Doctor who ultimately regenerates into the War Doctor version of the Doctor played by John Hurt in the Matt Smith episode ‘The Name of the Doctor’. The spin-off will also feature several other Doctors from both the classic and modern eras of the show.
2019’s Scrooge was played by Paterson Joseph. Joseph appeared as the character Rodrick in the final two episodes of Christopher Ecclestone’s tenure as the Doctor, ‘Bad Wolf’ and ‘The Parting of the Ways’. Joseph’s other fantastical roles include the character Giroux in the 2005 adaptation of Aeon Flux, with Charlize Theron in the lead role.
In the 2022 run Welsh actor, Owen Teale, took on the Scrooge role. His original Doctor Who connection goes way back to 1985 when he appeared alongside the sixth Doctor, Lambeth born Colin Baker and companion Peri (Nicola Bryant) in Vengeance on Varos. He played a guard named Maldak who ultimately disobeys orders and saves the day. The two-part serial also featured Martin Jarvis, Jason Connery (son of Sean Connery) and Sheila Reid who played the grandmother in 45 episodes of the TV series ‘Benidorm’. Reid also has another Doctor Who connection, playing Clara Oswold’s grandmother in the episodes ‘The Time of the Doctor’ and ‘Dark Water’.
Owen Teale himself returned the world of Doctor Who in 2006 in ‘Countycide’ the sixth episode of spinoff series ‘Torchwood’ in which he plays the leader of a cannibalistic community investigated by Torchwood.
Last year it was the turn of the ninth Doctor himself, Christopher Eccleston, to step into Scrooge’s nightshirt and nightcap. Eccleston of course reintroduced the world to the time travelling Doctor, alongside companion Rose (Billie Piper), when the show was relaunched in 2005. Appearing at the Old Vic marked a return to Waterloo for Ecclestone. ‘Rose’, episode one of the relaunched series, featured the London Eye on the Southbank as a central location. The location was again featured in the fourth episode of the series ‘Aliens of London’. The Brandon estate on the edge of Kennington Park appeared a number of scenes featuring the Doctor and Rose, along with Rose’s mum played by Wandsworth born Camille Coduri.
This year the Scrooge role fall to the ‘Master’, John Simm. In the David Tennant era episode ‘Utopia’ broadcast in June 2007, the Master makes his first appearance since the 1996 Paul McGann TV film. For most of the episode he is played by Derek Jacobi who reveals himself to be the Master shortly before regenerating into John Simm. Simm then played the Doctor’s Nemesis in several episodes. The role was then taken over by Michelle Gomez allowing the Master to pip the Doctor to the post in terms of female regeneration.
Returning to Christopher Ecclestone, he appeared alongside Charles Dickens (played by Simon Callow) when the Doctor and Rose travel back in time to 1869 for the Episode ‘The Quiet Dead’ written by the afore mention Mark Gatiss.
Other actors who have taken on the Scrooge role at the Old Vic include Stephen Tomlinson, Stephen Mangen and, star of The Walking Dead franchise, Andrew Lincoln.
A Christmas Carol will be just one of the ghost stories visited on my upcoming Tradition of the Christmas Ghost Story Guided Walks on the 13th and 28th December.
And I will be doing another Doctor Who walk on the 21st December.
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