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    Interview: Raising his Voice on Stage

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    Akshay Gulati talks about the upcoming tour of The Rise and Fall of Little Voice

    Akshay Gulati may be a fairly new name to many, but you are bound to know his mum, Shobna Gulati, who has been in everything from Coronation Street to Dinnerladies and Doctor Who! Akshay is determined to make us aware of his own career, and his next role as Billy in The Rise and Fall of Little Voice is a big step in achieving that. However, he can’t quite escape his mum yet, as she will be playing Mari in the same play. We thought we’d have a chat with Akshay, and yes, we had to ask about Doctor Who, because some of us are a little fanatical about it!

    Hi Akshay, it’s probably best to get this out of the way from the start; how cool is it having a mum who has been in Doctor Who? Surely the street cred from that alone is all you need?

    Don’t hate me, but I’ve never really been into Dr Who. Ma is always working on exciting projects, and Dr Who is just one in a long list of fantastic credits.

    [Interview paused while we decide if we want to go on after that bombshell]

    So more seriously, what’s it like working with your mum in the play?

    It’s lovely. Ma has always brought me to rehearsal rooms and on set from a very young age, and we’ve always had a close relationship, so working together in this context is easy.

    You starred in a previous adaption of Little Voice at Bolton Octagon; did you play Billy there as well, and did that help with getting the role in this touring production?

    I did indeed play Billy in the 2019 Bolton Octagon production of Little Voice. I try to approach every meeting or audition with the mindset that I’m the best person for the job and it just so happened with this one that I’d also recently performed the play so was pretty qualified (I think) to play the part.

    Is The Rise and Fall of Little Voice a play you were very aware of prior to the Bolton production; have you seen any other staged versions? 

    I’ve been studying acting for a long time so was definitely aware of the play – you can’t do GCSE drama without coming across Jim Cartwright plays. I also saw a brilliant production of Little Voice at the Bolton Octagon in 2012

    Most people will know Ewan McGregor best as Billy, the role he played in the film. How daunting is it to play a part that has such a name attached to it? And have you watched the film to see how McGregor plays it?

    No, I don’t find it daunting at all. Ewan McGregor is a fantastic actor but I feel he and I operate in different lanes at the moment. I’ve never seen the film and wouldn’t want to until after the run is over, as I wouldn’t want to be influenced in any way by someone else’s interpretation of the role.

    What is it like working with actors – including your own mum – with some big credits to their name? Is it the best way to improve and better learn the ropes?

    Learning from experienced professionals on the job is so much fun and I’ve been lucky enough to have met and worked with many brilliant actors in my career so far.

    The play is now 30 years old; do you think it’s such a classic play that it stands the test of time?

    Jim has created such wonderful human characters that are a joy to play and I feel that certain themes in the play are more relevant now than ever.

    The play tours for nearly four months solid; how daunting is that for a young actor? Is it four months living out of a suitcase?

    I’ve never toured before so can’t really say what it’s going to be like, but I’m more excited than anything; really looking forward to playing some theatres that I’ve always dreamed of playing since I was little.

    And finally, have you had the chance to think beyond July yet, and what you might be doing next?

    When the tour is finished I’d love to travel somewhere and finish writing an album I’ve been working on, but otherwise I haven’t given it much thought. It’s still quite a ways away!

    Thanks to Akshay for taking time to chat with us, although we are still reeling from the Doctor Who confession!

    The Rise and Fall of Little Voice opens in Southampton on 23 March, and then tours nationally until 16 July. Further information, including all tour dates, can be found via the below link. More

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      Whoopi Goldberg Dying to Be First American to Star as 'Doctor Who'

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      Instagram

      Opening up about her dream of bringing the long-running cult sci-fi series Stateside, the ‘Ghost’ star claims to have pitched the spin-off idea to former ‘Doctor Who’ Tom Baker.

      Jan 11, 2021
      AceShowbiz – Whoopi Goldberg has a dream of becoming the first American “Doctor Who”.
      The “Ghost” star admits she has always been a fan of the long-running cult sci-fi series and even pitched the idea of a U.S. spin-off to former Doctor Who Tom Baker.
      Speaking to The Daily Star, she said, “I wanted to be the first female Doctor, but they have one…”

        See also…

      Whoopi reveals her idea to bring the show Stateside was rejected by TV bosses, but she has never given up on her dream of leading the cast of the series, “(It could be) the American version of Doctor Who ends up in New York – and it’s me,” she adds. “We don’t have a Doctor Who. We don’t have that character who is travelling through dimension and time, and being an observer… The idea of that just so made me happy. But they (TV executives) were like, ‘Um, no!’ So I was like, ‘OK, I’m cool. I understand.’ ”
      But that didn’t end Whoopi’s dream, “I always hope, when I come to England, the BBC will say, ‘Hey, we want you to do something (on Doctor Who)’. I would love that… I’m still dying to do Doctor Who.”
      “Doctor Who”, meanwhile, may soon need to find a new incarnation of the title character. It’s recently reported that Jodie Whittaker is gearing up to leave the series after the current 13th season.
      “It’s all very hush-hush but it is known on set that Jodie is leaving and they are gearing up for a regeneration,” a source told Britain’s Daily Mirror newspaper. “Her departure is top secret but at some point over the coming months the arrival of the 14th Doctor will need to be filmed. It’s very exciting.”

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      Jodie Whittaker Rumored to Leave 'Doctor Who' After Season 13

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      BBC

      Rumor has it, the actress who plays the thirteenth incarnation of the Time Lord will not return to reprise her role after completing the upcoming 13th season.

      Jan 5, 2021
      AceShowbiz – Jodie Whittaker is reportedly gearing up to leave “Doctor Who” at the end of the current series.
      The actress made history as the first female incarnation of the Time Lord, but is believed to have told BBC bosses that she’s hanging up her Sonic Screwdriver once and for all after the upcoming 13th season.
      “It’s all very hush-hush but it is known on set that Jodie is leaving and they are gearing up for a regeneration,” a source told Britain’s Daily Mirror newspaper. “Her departure is top secret but at some point over the coming months the arrival of the 14th Doctor will need to be filmed. It’s very exciting.”
      When contacted about the report, the BBC played coy, issuing a statement which read, “We won’t be commenting on any speculation around Jodie’s future on the show.”

        See also…

      If the report of Jodie’s departure is correct, she would be the third Doctor to leave the programme after three seasons – following in the footsteps of Matt Smith and Peter Capaldi.
      The report about her exit comes after it was announced that British comedian John Bishop is joining the show for the next season.
      Bishop made his debut on the show in an episode airing Friday, January 1. At the end of the outing, he was announced as the Time Lord’s companion for the next installment.
      “I have loved the last few months on set and I am looking forward to working with the brilliant team in 2021,” he tweeted after the episode. “Honour to join such a legendary show.”

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      John Barrowman Thrilled to Be Back as Captain Jack on 'Doctor Who' Holiday Special

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      BBC

      The ‘Torchwood’ actor expresses hope that fans will ‘enjoy Jack’s heroic adventure with Thirteen,’ whereas showrunner Chris Chibnall teases that it will be an epic and emotional episode.

      Nov 24, 2020
      AceShowbiz – Actor John Barrowman is returning to the world of “Doctor Who” once more for a BBC holiday special.
      The Scottish-born star will reprise his role as Captain Jack Harkness for “Revolution of the Daleks”, joining Jodie Whittaker as the Thirteenth Doctor to help save planet Earth.
      “Putting on Jack’s coat and setting foot back on the set of Doctor Who was just like going back home,” Barrowman shares in a statement.
      “It’s always thrilling to play Captain Jack. He’s a character very close to my heart who changed my life, and to know the fans love him as much as I do makes his return even sweeter. I hope everyone enjoys Jack’s heroic adventure with Thirteen.”

        See also…

      [embedded content]
      Barrowman made a small appearance in the season 12 episode Fugitive of the Judoon, which aired in January, 10 years after he last played Captain Jack on the cult sci-fi series, and showrunner Chris Chibnall is excited to welcome the actor back into the fold.
      “A Doctor Who holiday special means treats galore, and there’s no bigger treat than the return of John Barrowman to Doctor Who, for an epic and emotional feature-length episode,” he says. “If anyone can blast away the sheer rubbishness of 2020, it’s Captain Jack. Daleks beware!.”
      Barrowman also starred as Captain Jack in TV spin-off Torchwood, which ran from 2006 to 2011.
      An air date for “Revolution of the Daleks” has yet to be announced.

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      'Doctor Who' Makes History With Jo Martin as the First Black Doctor

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      BBC America

      Revealed in the Sunday, January 26 episode of the BBC series, Martin’s character is the next incarnation of the titular character and the first black Doctor in the show’s history.
      Jan 28, 2020
      AceShowbiz – “Doctor Who” has made another bold move. A little over two years after casting its first female Time Lord, the long-running BBC series crossed another milestone by bringing in Jo Martin to play Ruth Clayton, the first black incarnation of the titular character in its 57-year history.
      The introduction to Martin’s Doctor was done on Sunday, January 26 in the episode titled “Fugitive of the Judoon”. Assuring fans that Martin’s character is not fake, showrunner Chris Chibnall told The Mirror, “The important thing to say is – she is definitively the Doctor. There’s not a sort of parallel universe going on, there’s no tricks.”
      “Jo Martin is the Doctor, that’s why we gave her the credit at the end which all new Doctors have the first time you see them. John Hurt got that credit,” the TV writer continued explaining as he referred to the time Hurt made his first appearance as War Doctor, another previously-unseen incarnation, for the show’s 50th anniversary in 2013.
      On how Martin’s character fits into the mythology, Chibnall promised, “There will be answers to some of these mysteries this series. But as ever with Doctor Who, answers often reveal new questions. It’s all very deliberate.” He added, “We’re telling an ongoing story and there are plenty of things in Doctor Who that change all the time but I’m very aware of the history and very aware of the continuity.”
      Sharing how Martin came to be the show’s newest Time Lord, Chibnall spilled that the “Fleabag” actress was recommended by director Nida Mazoor, but did not know she was auditioning for the part when she was called to read. “We called her in and she read for it – with secret pages that didn’t mention that it was the Doctor,” he recounted.
      “But she’s a massive fan of the show and I think she guessed,” the TV writer continued to dish. “I had to ring her up and tell her and she was overwhelmed and thrilled. A lot of her family are fans and she kept that secret brilliantly for so long – nobody knew. We filmed it in the middle of last year.”
      During the interview, Chibnall additionally described Martin to be “the best person for the job.” On the reason why, he explained that the “Holby City” actress has “got a brilliant combination of humour and warmth and wit and softness and steel. She’s a really exciting Doctor.”

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