This year has seen a huge wave of brand extensions for cult sci-fi Doctor Who, including downloadable adventures on the PC, full video-games on the Wii and DS, and now this live stage show set to tour Great Britain over the next two months. I caught up with the show on 9th October at Wembley Arena, and can confirm it's a true representation of Who in all but the cast (leads Matt Smith and Karen Gillan predictably didn't want to spend even more time in role!). Nigel Planer of The Young Ones fame does a fine job, however, of leading the production, providing a comedic lead in Vorgenson, an obsessed fan of the Doctor who uses his Minimiser to capture villains and make them his play-things. This premise seems deceptively simple, but it's really just put in place as a backdrop to an array of wonderfully realised musical numbers from Seasons 1-5 (i.e. since the series revamp in 2005), spectacular lighting, exciting special effects (pyrotechnics included!) and well-edited clips from episodes. Of course, being a show aimed at all ages, there's some audience interaction which might get the eyes of teenagers rolling, but the immersive scenes with Matt Smith's Doctor filmed beforehand and the amazing final battle will put an end to the idea that the show is 'too kid-friendly'. If anything, there are times where the show is more of a celebration for long-time fans where kids may feel alienated, but again not for too long. Little moments are especially what make the production shine: the Weeping Angels scene; the crowd screaming "GERONIMO" and a regeneration sequence where Eccleston, Tennant and Smith got phenomenal applause made the experience unforgettable for this fan, and should do the same for all!
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