Doctor in the house
- Publication: KM Leisure
- Date: 2005-02-18
- Author:
- Page: 31
- Language: English
Sylvester McCoy may not have his question-mark handled Dr Who umbrella with him - but he's back displaying eccentricity as he steps into the shoes of Dr Einstein in the screwball comedy Arsenic and Old Lace. Ellie Guttridge caught up with Sylvester ahead of the show's opening at Bromley's Churchill Theatre.
THE veteran actor famed for playing one of the darkest and manipulative Doctors in the BBC cult classic is returning to the stage for a national tour of the classic comedy.
Sylvester has a vast and varied performing history, with appearances such as The Pied Piper at the National Theatre and Midsummer Night's Dream for the Welsh National Opera as well as many TV and film shows.
But he wasn't always dreaming of a life of glitz and glamour with his name in lights.
Sylvester originally intended to train for the priesthood and claims to have got into acting "accidentally" when someone mistook him for an actor and offered him a job.
"Priesthood and acting are very similar really," he muses. "When you are a priest you have to get up on a stage and entertain people, it's just in a different way.
"I guess ultimately I decided that instead of wearing a skirt I would chase it," he added with a chuckle.
Sylvester's wicked sense of humour and quick wit make him particularly suited to comedy. In this latest farcical thriller he keeps the audience amused with the drunken antics of Dr Einstein.
The tale is set in a quaint Brooklyn House where two sweet lovable maiden aunts populate their cellar with the bodies of lonely old men whom they have "helped find peace".
Throw into the mix a drunken plastic surgeon, an impatient bride-to-be and a policeman who wants to be a playwright and chaos is sure to ensue.
"Dr Einstein is a bit like me really, a bit eccentric and a drunk," Sylvester laughs heartily. "It's a fun part. I play a doctor who does face-lifts. We play it very seriously but it is actually very funny. I guess I do draw on my own eccentricities for this part and have a little fun with it."
Sylvester's future plans include a well earned break after this tour and of course the obligatory panto appearance at Christmas.
With a new Dr Who series in the making, Sylvester declared he would always love to appear in another Dr Who show "I loved doing Dr Who," he said. "I was very disappointed when it finished. They twisted my arm to do a fourth year and then it was cancelled.
"I think the new TV show will be fantastic. They have a new pedigree of talent working on it. I would go back at the drop of the hat if I was asked to. I have very fond memories of my years working on Dr Who."
Sylvester does have another project in the pipeline but he is remaining tightlipped about the details. We will just have to wait and see.
Sylvester McCoy is appearing in Arsenic and Old Lace at the Churchill Theatre, Bromley, from Monday February 21 until Saturday, February 26. To book tickets call 0870 060 6620.
Caption: Sylvester McCoy plays Dr Einsten and Huw Higginson is Jonathan Brewster in Arsenic and Old Lace at the Churchill Theatre, Bromley
Caption: Sylvester McCoy looks forward to playing the fun part of Dr Einstein
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- APA 6th ed.: (2005-02-18). Doctor in the house. KM Leisure p. 31.
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- Wikipedia (this article): <ref>{{cite news| title=Doctor in the house | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Doctor_in_the_house | work=KM Leisure | pages=31 | date=2005-02-18 | via=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=27 March 2025 }}</ref>
- Wikipedia (this page): <ref>{{cite web | title=Doctor in the house | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Doctor_in_the_house | work=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=27 March 2025}}</ref>
