Dr Who fans will see him as the villain
- Publication: Sandwell Evening Mail
- Date: 1990-11-17
- Author: Alan Kersey
- Page: What's On, p. 1
- Language: English
WHETHER he is emerging in a wisp of smoke from the thin end of a magic lantern or with a swish of his scarf from the back end of a Tardis, you can always depend on Sylvester McCoy to be dressed in the best possible taste.
When he touched down in Cambridge in time for rehearsals for "Babes in the Wood", this year's Arts Theatre pantomime which opens next Friday, he was in his most familiar guise, as BBC's "Dr Who", plus a few panto trimmings.
Those who are not addicted either directly or through their offspring to this literally timeless favourite could be unnerved by his colourful ensemble incorporating Fairsle pullover, odd socks and brolly with a question-mark handle to match the motifs on his jacket.
But he is by no means the most awe-inspiring of the galaxy-hopping gallivanters to tackle the role since dear old William Hartnell took his first tentative steps from his rickety telephone box in glorious black and white.
"My whole back froze up with fear when I flint appeared on 'Tiswas'," he said, "and I am not one of those who goes along with the theory that children enjoy being frightened ... I just want them to have a good time.
"This goes for the whole family when it comes to pantomime — I don't think you will find many really scary moments in 'Babes in the Wood', which is a blend of tradition and charm with me as the robber."
But his costume is unmistakably a whodunnit affair covered in question marks. "I am a bit of a villain, I suppose, but with characters like Rupert the Bear getting in on the act, and Cambridge's King Slocombe School of Dancing providing the chorus. it is aimed very much at the young ones this year.
"The kids are used to seeing me in different guises, bemuse all the Doctors have a change of apparel from time to time."
President
Asked if this was his first visit to Cambridge in any of his outfits, he said that in one meted he wished it was.
"Cambridge means the loss of half a tooth to me," he said, whistling through a gap caused by biting on something very hard in a restaurant whose name, fortunately for it, he could not remember.
It makes it easy for him to hiss, but tie has played more kissable roles than that of the Robber the Devil in a play by Vaclav Havel of Czechoslovakia, for instance.
"It was a very wordy piece. but it was quite extraordinary to be performing in it at the same nine that its creator was being made president of his country," he said.
Sylvester has also played the Plied Piper at the National Theatre, Feste in "Twelfth Night" at Leicester, and Triano in 'Taming of the Shrew" and Pompey in "Antony and Cleopatra" at the Haymarket, where the stars were Vanessa Redgrave and Timothy Dalton.
Adrian Mitchell wrote the part of Erik Satie for him in "Satie's Day Out" at the Lyric, Hammersmith, and other roles have included Asdak in Brecht's "The Caucasian Chalk Circle" at the Young Vic and Androcles in Shaw's "Androcles and the Lion" at Bristol.
One of the things he enjoyed most was appearing in "Aladdin" at the Palace Theatre. Manchester, last year with Earths Kitt. He was the male genie and the slinky singer of "Old Fashioned Girl" was the female genic. "We got on extremely well and it was great fun. Although she fives in Connecticut and I live in North London, we still communicate with each other," be said.
He is willing to tackle any part offered. "I consider myself as an actor in the British tradition of being ready and willing to do everything," he said.
"t enjoy the infinite variety of it all and I want to carry on for as long as possible Yes, I do tend to get asked to do this type of thing rather a kit, but I don't mind that.
"At the moment I am working on a musical about the great silent screen star. Buster Keaton. I did a play about him years ago and Peter Fieldson. who wrote the part for use, always agreed with me that there was scope here for a great musical."
Sylvester is no stranger to the screen himself — his TV and film credits include the last Cannon film, "Three Kinds of Heat, "Eureka", "Tiswas", "Big Jim and the Figaro Club", "Do It", "Dramarama" and "No 73".
He also appeared in "The Secret Policeman's Ball" and the Olivier film version of "Dracula."
But "Dr Who" eclipses all these roles, and he went to Florida for a Dr Who convention. "It was quite fascinating, even for me," he said.
"I was interrogated, with other Dr Whos, about every aspect of the series, which is up in the air at the moment with body seeming to be clear about where it is going.
"But I don't mind what turns up. I enjoy being Buster Keaton: he was a funny littke man and that is good enough for me!"
Caption: Who's there? . . Sylvester McCoy as the robber Callaghan) with Maid Marion (Claire Callaghan) in a scene from "Babes in the Wood".
Caption: Man of many faces ... Sylvester McCoy in the TVS show "Do It", with Sheelagh Gilbey, demonstrating off-beat tricks.
Disclaimer: These citations are created on-the-fly using primitive parsing techniques. You should double-check all citations. Send feedback to whovian@cuttingsarchive.org
- APA 6th ed.: Kersey, Alan (1990-11-17). Dr Who fans will see him as the villain. Sandwell Evening Mail p. What's On, p. 1.
- MLA 7th ed.: Kersey, Alan. "Dr Who fans will see him as the villain." Sandwell Evening Mail [add city] 1990-11-17, What's On, p. 1. Print.
- Chicago 15th ed.: Kersey, Alan. "Dr Who fans will see him as the villain." Sandwell Evening Mail, edition, sec., 1990-11-17
- Turabian: Kersey, Alan. "Dr Who fans will see him as the villain." Sandwell Evening Mail, 1990-11-17, section, What's On, p. 1 edition.
- Wikipedia (this article): <ref>{{cite news| title=Dr Who fans will see him as the villain | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Dr_Who_fans_will_see_him_as_the_villain | work=Sandwell Evening Mail | pages=What's On, p. 1 | date=1990-11-17 | via=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=13 April 2025 }}</ref>
- Wikipedia (this page): <ref>{{cite web | title=Dr Who fans will see him as the villain | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Dr_Who_fans_will_see_him_as_the_villain | work=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=13 April 2025}}</ref>
