Blade runners
- Publication: TV & Satellite Week
- Date: 2025-05-10
- Author:
- Page: 12
- Language: English
The TARDIS lands at a mysterious Nigerian barbershop
An adventure steeped in the power of the spoken word awaits in this week's Doctor Who as the TARDIS lands in Nigeria.
After arriving in Lagos, the Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) and Belinda (Varada Sethu) meet The Barber (Ariyon Bakare), whose shop is at the heart of the local community. But as they learn of an entity called the Spider, it's clear that all is not peaceful there.
"This was my favourite location of the season,' says Gatwa, 32. 'Lagos is where the Doctor goes to get his hair cut – which is also my favourite thing to do! Also, the TARDIS in Africa is a great thing?
WORD POWER
This week's episode, The Story & the Engine, is written by Nigeria-born British playwright Inua Ellams, and Bakare was delighted to be part of a story that felt deeply authentic.
'What I love about this episode is its cultural depth, says the star of His Dark Materials. 'It's about storytelling and the origins of stories, and the power they hold to heal, educate and inspire. The barbershop serves as a hub of conversation where these stories are shared, and Inua employs old Nigerian folk tales and creates a timeless piece that is Nigerian in essence but universal in appeal?
NEW ROLE
This isn't Bakare's first time in the Whoniverse, as he originally appeared opposite Peter Capaldi's Twelfth Doctor in 2015, playing an alien called Leandro - but the experience of playing The Barber was very different.
'It was a wonderful surprise, he recalls. 'I was worried they had forgotten I had been part of the franchise before, but then they remembered I was in full prosthetics as Leandro! I was delighted to step back into that world; it was an instant yes.’
Bakare, 53, grew up as a huge fan of the series, and remembers collecting Doctor Who cards from cereal boxes as a child.
'Doctor Who always stays fresh with new faces, companions and creative teams, he says. 'But what makes the show stand out is its hopefulness about people. At its heart, it believes we can be better, and that compassion and intellect matter more than violence.
Caption: Danger awaits Belinda and the Doctor in Lagos
Caption: Ariyon Bakare (left) as The Barber
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- APA 6th ed.: (2025-05-10). Blade runners. TV & Satellite Week p. 12.
- MLA 7th ed.: "Blade runners." TV & Satellite Week [add city] 2025-05-10, 12. Print.
- Chicago 15th ed.: "Blade runners." TV & Satellite Week, edition, sec., 2025-05-10
- Turabian: "Blade runners." TV & Satellite Week, 2025-05-10, section, 12 edition.
- Wikipedia (this article): <ref>{{cite news| title=Blade runners | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Blade_runners | work=TV & Satellite Week | pages=12 | date=2025-05-10 | via=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=16 July 2026 }}</ref>
- Wikipedia (this page): <ref>{{cite web | title=Blade runners | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Blade_runners | work=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=16 July 2026}}</ref>
