Two Box Productions is the multi Boyz Award-winning theatre company that brought us Harry Poppers, The Golden Girls and Dame of Thrones to the backroom of the Two Brewers. This week they turn their creative gaze to the greatest hero in all of space and time as Doctor Whosical materialises in the Clapham venue. Dave Cross spoke to writer and director Lawrence Bolton, who’s also Tia Koffe from The Vixens, and is playing Bill Potts in this time travelling musical.
Hi Lawrence, so what’s the idea for Doctor Whosical?
Hello sweetie! In classic Two Box style, we’ve taken a popular TV series and transformed it into a musical experience. We’ve written our own sci-fi tale set in the Doctor Who universe, featuring some of your favourite characters from the series. I won’t say too much about the story because, well, spoilers.
What characters can we expect to see in the Tardis?
You can expect to see a Doctor or two… Or maybe three. We’ve got some of the companions as you’ve never seen them before, including Donna, Amy Pond, Rory, Clara and the most recent companion, Bill. Of course, there’s a villain in every story. Ours features the Doctor’s greatest nemesis, Missy, the asshole formerly known as the Master.
So this is mainly a New Who show?
Yes, it’s mostly New Who, but we have some Classic Who references in places. We’ve focused on 2005 onwards for this one, but there is always scope for another edition featuring some classic characters. I’ve always wondered what happened to Susan when the Doctor left her, so maybe we’ll find out in a future Whosical?
What about the songs?
Well, I can confirm there are indeed songs. There is a parody of a song from Hairspray, there’s an original rap and there’s even a Cher classic – I’m sure you can probably guess which one… As if Doctor Who wasn’t camp enough, we’ve found a way to make it camper still.
Who’s the cast?
We have the Irish icon herself, Rose Garden, who has definitely not been typecast as the villain. Lip sync legend and Nicola Sturgeon impersonator, Ripley, and Brighton favourite, Stephanie von Clitz, are two of the most popular modern companions, Amy and Rory. We also have the talents of Tom Redican as the 12th Doctor and Two Box choreographer Rachael Blaney as Clara Oswald. The Vixens also appear in the show as you’ve never seen them before – wearing actual clothes rather than dressing as prostitutes. Speaking of wearing clothes, Damien Killeen plays one of the Doctors in the show, which unfortunately means he has a full head-to-toe costume rather than just a pair of pants, but if you meet him after the show I’m sure we can arrange something.
We remember the stunning special effects you did for Dame and Harry – can we expect to see an actual Tardis materialise on stage at the Brewers?
I can’t help but feel you’re being sarcastic, Dave. The special effects in Harry Poppers were saying the word “poof” while waving a chopstick. In Dame of Thrones we waved a pair of curtains and pretended we were flying on a dragon. This time, however, you may actually get something that vaguely resembles a special effect. Don’t get too excited though, it might just be a party popper…
In this year’s Boyz Awards you won two golds and a silver, what does that mean to you?
It means that we have something new to hang in the living room. There is still one picture hook free though, so I’m hoping to win Best Sauna next year. In all seriousness, to win something that has been voted for by Boyz readers actually means the world. It’s one thing to be handed something by a panel of judges, but to actually have people vote for you is such a wonderful feeling. We really pushed one of our shows in the Best Play/Musical category, so to have the other one come second felt miraculous and was a little overwhelming.
You’ve done Potter, Thrones and now Doctor Who, so what’s also on your list? Should the guys at Marvel or Star Wars be worried?
Oh we have plans, my friend. The Two Brewers Christmas Panto theme has already been discussed and it may be one of the things you’ve just mentioned. Of course, I could not possibly confirm that until tickets are released in October. We will have another episode of Golden Girls: A Musical coming up at the end of June and a few other shows. You can stay up-to-date by liking Two Box Productions on Facebook or following @twoboxtheatre on Twitter.
The Two Brewers, 114 Clapham High Street, SW4.
Book advance tickets at outsavvy.com
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