The event, co-arranged with the BBC, featured photo opportunities, quizzes, costumes from the series (and a cosplay competition for those fans who wanted to go the extra mile), talks, and a drama school.
With the drama school, braver members of the audience had the opportunity to act out unused scripts from the series.
Talks were delivered by special effects companies Real SFX and Millennium FX.
For LEGO admirers, a life-size TARDIS created entirely from the plastic bricks was on display.
Other models were also exhibited, several from the classic series. The picture below depicts a Yeti (from the 1960s) and an Ice Warrior (which first appeared in the early 1970s.)
Here a Silurian and a Zygon are on display.
Each day included three panels. The first of these was special effects, where those tasked with blowing things up, making the TARDIS travel through time and space, and creating realistic looking monsters and aliens gave away some of their secrets.
The second panel was about writing for Doctor Who. This session featured head writer and executive producer Steven Moffat with two other script writers (each day featured a different set of writers.) The session offered an insight into the story creation process and script writing. It was interesting to hear how a story is paced and how story arcs are built up.
The session allowed the audience to ask questions. Many of these centered on the casting of the next companion for the Doctor, now that Jenna Coleman has announced her departure from the show. Here Steven Moffat was tight lipped, indicating the companion had yet to be cast and that this was something that would be revealed next season (although the possibility remains that a clue will be offered in Christmas special.) Here Moffat remarked: “To my unending terror, we have not yet finished episode 11 and episode 12 is nowhere near finished so we haven’t actually delivered the show yet.”
While the session was lively and interesting, Moffat appeared to become irritated with some of the questions from the audience, especially when someone expressed a dislike of the way Jenna Coleman’s character (Clara) sometimes dominate the Doctor (the inference here was the show was occasionally less about the Doctor and more about the companion.)
The third panel was all about the actors, although Steven Moffat popped up again. The star here was, of course, Peter Capaldi, who is in his second season of playing the Doctor. Capaldi is obviously a fan of the show, able to refer back to many classic episodes and he has a good hear for continuity with the show’s 52 year-old past.
Also appearing was Jenna Coleman, who spoke a little about her role in a new production where she is playing Queen Victoria. Alongside her was the actor Ingrid Oliver who plays a semi-regular character named Osgood.
The person who lit up the arena, however, was Michelle Gomez who plays Missy, the female regeneration of the Doctor’s main nemesis the Master. Gomez came across as extremely witty. The actor joked she should be given her own spin-off show called Missy Who. She also told the audience she was about to appear in a forthcoming episode of the hit U.S. show Gotham.
Back in the main exhibition area, various props and costumes from the series were on display. These included Davros, creator of the Daleks.
And of course a TARDIS (this time made from wood, rather than plastic bricks.)
There was also some ‘technology’ from the Doctor’s home planet of Gallifrey, including the Doctor’s ‘damaged’ sonic screwdriver.
With costumes, this petite one was worn by Maisie Williams in a recent episode.
Also on show was a costume worn by Jenna Coleman, an orange space suit.
Michelle Gomez’s bizarre take on an evil Mary Poppins.
And one of Peter Capalidi’s tops.
Perhaps more interesting is the guitar that the Doctor has taken to strumming in the 2015 series.
The event was well-organized and good value for money. The BBC allowed a variety of set pieces and props to be shown, which were of great interest. The highlight was, nonetheless, the actors who gave their time to interact with an appreciative audience. Peter Capalid and Michelle Gomez in particular came across as strong and talented artists while, at the same time, being down-to-earth and friendly.
