The Daleks Come to Life
- Publication: The Times
- Date: 1965-12-22
- Author:
- Page: 11
- Language: English
Wyndham's Theatre : The Curse of the Daleks by David Whitaker and Terry Nation
No less compelling on the stage than the television screen, the Daleks are the undoubted stars of this futuristic adventure story. Gliding sleekly round the stage carefully articulating their orders, they possess a magnetism lacking in the flesh-and-blood characters.
Until their massed appearance, the action seems somewhat tame. Returning to earth, a group of space-travellers find themselves forced to stop for repairs on the planet Skaro, inhabited by now-defunct Daleks. Though the period is the twenty-first century, the dialogue initially is strangely reminiscent of British war films, with upper lips being kept resolutely stiff. Then, with the first sign of a Dalek shuddering to life, the plot starts to grip. An invasion of earth by the mechanical monsters becomes a possibility, and we start to speculate about the identity of the character who has restored the Daleks' power supply.
Simultaneously exploiting the properties of the whodunit and science fiction, the authors have concocted an ultimately exciting adventure. After their false start, depending too much on weak jokes and technical jargon, a feeling of genuine crisis is generated. And the patience of the youthful matinee audience is rewarded as the Dalek menace increases. Despite the rather stilted dialogue, the actors play with all possible conviction, and Gillian Howell's direction has the necessary pace.
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- APA 6th ed.: (1965-12-22). The Daleks Come to Life. The Times p. 11.
- MLA 7th ed.: "The Daleks Come to Life." The Times [add city] 1965-12-22, 11. Print.
- Chicago 15th ed.: "The Daleks Come to Life." The Times, edition, sec., 1965-12-22
- Turabian: "The Daleks Come to Life." The Times, 1965-12-22, section, 11 edition.
- Wikipedia (this article): <ref>{{cite news| title=The Daleks Come to Life | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/The_Daleks_Come_to_Life | work=The Times | pages=11 | date=1965-12-22 | via=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=12 March 2025 }}</ref>
- Wikipedia (this page): <ref>{{cite web | title=The Daleks Come to Life | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/The_Daleks_Come_to_Life | work=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=12 March 2025}}</ref>
