Who/What? Any Suggestions, Doctor? The Improvised Doctor Who Parody
Where? Pleasance Dome – KingDome (Venue 23)
When? 19:00
What are your feelings as you enter into this year’s Edinburgh Fringe season?
MANIA. TOTAL MANIA. As ever, we’re all absolutely hopped-up, pepped-up, gassed-up and supercharged for the most exciting month of the year. Indeed, we’ll all be living in a slum, working 22 hours of the day and existing only on beige food, but we have an undying love affair with Edinburgh (as most performers seem to). She can spurn us all she likes with rain, insomnia, and expensive beers, but the sheer thrill of performing daily to audiences made up of passionate creatives and lovers of life will keep us coming back again and again.
What is the premise of your Edinburgh show this year?
It’s an improvised episode of Doctor Who. We’ll take an audience suggestion for both a setting and an episode title, we’ll fire up the on-stage TARDIS, reboot K9, make sure the set’s not too wobbly, take you wherever you like in Time and Space, and have you home in time for tea. We’re joined, as ever, by our live radiophonic workshop, but beyond that… it’s up to you! We’ve been to the Sauce Mines of Heinz 57, an Inter-dimensional Woolworths, and even… Slough. We’ve seen Teletubbies take over planets, The Silence terrorise The Gorbals, and Daleks with a hangover so powerful that it could punch a hole in the universe. We can’t wait to see where you’ll whisk us off to this year.
What is the biggest obstacle you face(d) while putting this show together?
We’ve put everything into the show for 2019. That means having sets built, props made, music written, tech ordered, and, logistically, all of that can be tough. However, we all love doing the show so much (and more often than not end rehearsals rolling about on the floor laughing) that any administrative bits and bobs are always completely worth it.
Has your attitude towards the Fringe changed at all in recent years?
It’s a source of comfort that the Fringe is always there. Every August. One glorious month. It’s a constant, a lone bastion for silliness, joie de vivre and creativity whilst everything else in the world seems to be pulling in the opposite direction. Our attitude to the Fringe hasn’t changed, but perhaps we need this wonderful festival now more than ever. Come one, come all to the Edinburgh Fringe! A wonderful tonic! Forget the worries of Brexit and house prices and climate change and ease your mind with some comedy, or be inspired by some new writing to go out and change the path we’re on. And, most importantly, come to the Pleasance Dome every night at 7pm – it’s just what The Doctor ordered.
Do you have any other Edinburgh show recommendations?
I’ve asked every member of the company to recommend one show for 2019. (I regret this, the resulting debate and therefore response time was painful). Here’s our list:
Tom Taylor: Is the Indie Feel-Good Hit of the Summer
Baby Wants Candy: The Completely Improvised Full Band Musical
Diane Chorley: Modern Love
Tom Elwes and Ali Woods
The Silliad: Improvised Myths and Legends
Where would you like to be in a year’s time?
Exploding out of Jodie Whittaker’s face in a burst of golden light. Although that would mean no more Dr Jodie, and we love her. We’ll happily be a companion. Or get inside a Dalek.
GET YOUR TICKETS FOR ‘ANY SUGGESTIONS DOCTOR? THE IMPROVISED DOCTOR WHO PARODY’ HERE