Block 2 now complete

With Block 2 now completed in rehearsals, of which there were only a couple of pages to finish off, we had a full run of everything to date so far last night (September 14). We're now nearing the end of Act One and it's polishing up very nicely indeed.

To make it easier during the final part of the Block 2 material for me to amend my script I performed with only two thirds of my costume - just the skirt and shoulders. This was much better than trying to not only hear what changes were being made but write in a cramped space as well.

After quite a few times inside a Dalek, one thing I do know is that it does get very hot. What I have done (see the photo below) is to get myself a small clip-on fan that is then attached to the inside and which I can turn on and off as necessary. Not only that, but I've also found space for a small bottle of water. Groucho is now very much my home from home!



Three little words from Block 2:

• murderous
• arrogance
• guilty

It's getting more difficult to get photos as I'm in more and more scenes at the moment, but here's some special ones...

• The relative comfort of inside a Dalek - note the bottle of water and clip-on fan!
• Part of a Dalek
• Essential footwear for a Dalek - my David Tennant red Converse trainers!

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Welcome to my unconventional conventionalists

As with last year's production, this year will see another mini-convention on the Saturday featuring (work commitments permitting) cast and crew from both the original and new Doctor Who.

Confirmed are:

• Nick Briggs - voice of the Daleks (amongst others) in the current series
• Barnaby Edwards - principal Dalek operator in the current series
• David J Howe - historian and collector, who will be the MC for the event
• Peter Labrow - webmaster of the Dalek Links site
• Terry Molloy - Davros from 1984 to 1989 on TV and Big Finish audios
• Rob Shearman - writer of the 2005 episode "Dalek"

This is a fantastic mix of guests, which should provide a fascinating time for all those lucky enough to be coming along.

What's more, I have been asked to coordiante this event!

That means I'll be getting unrestricted access to all the guests (that's my autographs and photos shorted!) throughout the Saturday afternoon. My role will be to make sure that they get to the theatre, are looked after fully once there and to ensure that everything runs smoothly for them.

Who would have thought that from originally being a Dalek I would now have the second entrance at the start of the play, be responsible for the mini-convention and... well, that would be telling at the moment - just wait and see!

Enter... the Daleks!

Today's rehearsal (September 10) saw the arrival of the Daleks! Three were brought along, the two main ones and the Dalek Commander, all of them built by Ashley Nealfuller.

The look and design of them is, at the moment, a closely guarded secret. So I'm sorry that currently I'm unable to post any of the lovely pictures and videos that were taken.

All of them are named after the Marx Brothers and mine is called Groucho. As always, it's a tight fit inside and very warm. However, I've discovered that there's room for a small bottle of water and also a mini sized battery fan - so hopefully I should be ok!

I know that I've been a Dalek before, using the ones that Stuart Currie has built at events, but there was something different this time... a magic quality you could almost say. This time I was a Dalek in Doctor Who!

Due to having to work with the Daleks we didn't get chance to finish all of Block Two so this will be picked up on Friday.



There's a couple of teaser photos today and one of me half in costume.

• Part of a Dalek, but what part?
• Another part of one of the Daleks
• Me being helped to get into Groucho

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Rehearsals start...

Friday (September 7) was the first rehearsal for the play at a secret location in Portsmouth. This was a run through of Block One, which takes us up to the first appearance of the Doctor.

As extra people are needed at the start, for reasons that I can't say, then this is my chance to be seen out of costume (so to speak) as a Dalek. In fact, after David (who is playing Marc Cory) I'm the second person to appear. Excited doesn't even come close to it!

The rehearsal went very well, with lots of laughter and some serious brainstorming to make the scenes flow better. I hope that all the rehearsals will be as much fun as this and look forward to the next one, which will be covering Block Two... and the appearance of the Daleks.



In the tradition of "Production Notes" in "Doctor Who Magazine", Dalek Spy will also be slipping you a selection of words from the script to tease you with. Block One contains:

• steam
• evacuate
• statues

Here's the photos...

• Start of Act One, with me in a Hong Kong Phooey t-shirt
• Nick Scovell (The Doctor) finds David Bickerstaff (Marc Cory) and Helen Stoddart (Katarina Taylor)
• The Doctor checks on Katarina
• Tim Skedge (Bret Vyon) confronts the Doctor

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Going, going, (nearly) gone

Tickets are going fast, with somewhere in the region of 1600 in total now sold.

Most performances are now sold out, as is Saturday's mini-convention.

If you haven't got your ticket yet I strongly urge you to get in touch with the theatre, as this will be the last Doctor Who play that we will be able to stage.

Don't miss out!