Doctor in demand
- Publication: Daily Mail
- Date: 2008-12-31
- Author: Liz Thomas
- Page:
- Language: English
Tennant now biggest stage draw in Britain
HE has already enthralled millions of TV viewers playing the Time Lord in Doctor Who.
And now it seems David Tennant is extending his power over a new audience - theatregoers.
The 37-year-old actor has been named as one of the most influential people in showbusiness by entertainment newspaper, The Stage.
He is only the fifth actor ever to make the top 20 - after Dame Judi Dench, Dame Maggie Smith, Nigel Havers and Simon Russell Beale - in a list normally dominated by theatre directors and producers.
Alistair Smith, The Stage's news and opinion editor, said Tennant has such an influence, that any production starring him is guaranteed to sell out within hours.
This year the actor has starred in just two productions; Love's Labour's Lost and the title role in Hamlet, both with the Royal Shakespeare Company.
Runs in Stratford-upon-Avon and the West End sold out within hours, with many of the £40 tickets going on to make more than £500 on internet auction sites and the black market.
Mr Smith said Tennant's pulling power was so potent he could 'read the phonebook and people would still buy tickets'
'David Tennant makes the top 20 of The Stage 100 this year because he has been the biggest box office draw of the year,' he added.
'In fact, he has been the biggest box office draw in recent memory. He has been one of the most influential figures because he was the reason a lot of people bought tickets to see Hamlet in the first place.
'It's quite rare for us to list actors in the top 20, but when we do it is because they are performers who have a huge box office draw, no matter what production they are in.'
Topping the list was producer Cameron Mackintosh, who has helped create several hit shows including Mary Poppins and My Fair Lady.
Composer Andrew Lloyd Webber - who has won the top spot six times - came second, while Kevin Spacey, the Hollywood actor and artistic director of the Old Vic Theatre, came 11th.
Tennant is currently recovering from a slipped disc and has been unable to appear on stage since Hamlet transferred to London at the start of the month. Doctors have said he will not return until the New Year at the earliest.
Caption: Influential: David Tennant in the title role of Hamlet
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- APA 6th ed.: Thomas, Liz (2008-12-31). Doctor in demand. Daily Mail .
- MLA 7th ed.: Thomas, Liz. "Doctor in demand." Daily Mail [add city] 2008-12-31. Print.
- Chicago 15th ed.: Thomas, Liz. "Doctor in demand." Daily Mail, edition, sec., 2008-12-31
- Turabian: Thomas, Liz. "Doctor in demand." Daily Mail, 2008-12-31, section, edition.
- Wikipedia (this article): <ref>{{cite news| title=Doctor in demand | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Doctor_in_demand | work=Daily Mail | pages= | date=2008-12-31 | via=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=31 March 2025 }}</ref>
- Wikipedia (this page): <ref>{{cite web | title=Doctor in demand | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Doctor_in_demand | work=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=31 March 2025}}</ref>
