Doctor Who and the Daleks in the Seven Keys to Doomsday
Encyclopedia
Doctor Who and the Daleks in the Seven Keys to Doomsday was a stage play based on the long-running British
science fiction television
series Doctor Who
. The play ran at the Adelphi Theatre
in London
, England
for four weeks, beginning on 16 December 1974. Originally, the part of the Doctor
was going to be played by Jon Pertwee
, but the role went to character actor Trevor Martin
instead. Martin had previously appeared in Doctor Who as a Time Lord
in the 1969 serial, The War Games
. In the play, it is stated that Martin's version of the Doctor is regenerated from Pertwee's; this makes him an alternate version of the Fourth Doctor
(the play premiered about two weeks before Tom Baker
began his television tenure as the Fourth Doctor).
Appearing as the Doctor's companions
were Wendy Padbury
(who had previously played Zoe Heriot
in the television series) as Jenny, and James Mathews
as Jimmy. Future The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
star Simon Jones
appeared as the Master of Karn.
The plot centred around the Dalek
s, who were trying to take over the universe with the help of their crab-like slaves, the Clawrentulars. The play was directed by Mick Hughes and was written by Terrance Dicks
, former script editor
for the television series. Dicks would later use some of the plot elements in his Fourth Doctor
story The Brain of Morbius
.
The play was actually titled Seven Keys to Doomsday but the additional words preceding the title became known as part of it.
, Porirua
, New Zealand
. Performances began at 3pm and 7:30pm on November 24 and 25, and December 1, 2 and 8th.
This production used the same script as the 1974 English production, with actor Micheal Sagar taking the role of the Doctor. The Doctor's companions Jenny and Dave were played by Theresa Milgate and Alistair Hudson respectively. Three Daleks, custom-built for the play, were used to promote the play in central Wellington
.
Director Brian Hudson had previously worked for the BBC during the late 1960s and early 1970s, and was a fan of Doctor Who.
In a February 2008 interview with Dicks, it was revealed that he had been contacted by Big Finish Productions
to adapt his Doctor Who plays for audio release. Seven Keys to Doomsday was released in October 2008 and features Trevor Martin as the Doctor.
audio drama.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
science fiction television
Science fiction on television
Science fiction first appeared on a television program during the Golden Age of Science Fiction. Special effects and other production techniques allow creators to present a living visual image of an imaginary world not limited by the constraints of reality; this makes television an excellent medium...
series Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
. The play ran at the Adelphi Theatre
Adelphi Theatre
The Adelphi Theatre is a 1500-seat West End theatre, located on the Strand in the City of Westminster. The present building is the fourth on the site. The theatre has specialised in comedy and musical theatre, and today it is a receiving house for a variety of productions, including many musicals...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
for four weeks, beginning on 16 December 1974. Originally, the part of the Doctor
Doctor (Doctor Who)
The Doctor is the central character in the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who, and has also featured in two cinema feature films, a vast range of spin-off novels, audio dramas and comic strips connected to the series....
was going to be played by Jon Pertwee
Jon Pertwee
John Devon Roland Pertwee , was an English actor. Pertwee is best known for his role in the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who, in which he played the third incarnation of the Doctor from 1970 to 1974, and as the title character in the series Worzel Gummidge...
, but the role went to character actor Trevor Martin
Trevor Martin
Trevor Martin is a British actor.He is perhaps known for playing the Doctor on stage at the Adelphi Theatre, London in Doctor Who and the Daleks in the Seven Keys to Doomsday based on the popular television series Doctor Who...
instead. Martin had previously appeared in Doctor Who as a Time Lord
Time Lord
The Time Lords are an ancient extraterrestrial race and civilization of humanoids in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, of which the series' eponymous protagonist, the Doctor, is a member...
in the 1969 serial, The War Games
The War Games
The War Games is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which originally aired in ten weekly parts from 19 April to 21 June 1969. It was the last regular appearance of Patrick Troughton as the Second Doctor, and of Wendy Padbury and Frazer Hines as companions Zoe...
. In the play, it is stated that Martin's version of the Doctor is regenerated from Pertwee's; this makes him an alternate version of the Fourth Doctor
Fourth Doctor
The Fourth Doctor is the fourth incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC British television science-fiction series Doctor Who....
(the play premiered about two weeks before Tom Baker
Tom Baker
Thomas Stewart "Tom" Baker is a British actor. He is best known for playing the fourth incarnation of the Doctor in the science fiction television series Doctor Who, a role he played from 1974 to 1981.-Early life:...
began his television tenure as the Fourth Doctor).
Appearing as the Doctor's companions
Companion (Doctor Who)
In the long-running BBC television science fiction programme Doctor Who and related works, the term "companion" refers to a character who travels with, and shares the adventures of the Doctor. In most Doctor Who stories, the primary companion acts as both deuteragonist and audience surrogate...
were Wendy Padbury
Wendy Padbury
Wendy Padbury is a British actress from Warwickshire, England. She is most famous for her involvement in various Doctor Who projects....
(who had previously played Zoe Heriot
Zoe Heriot
Zoe Heriot , or simply Zoe, is a fictional character played by Wendy Padbury in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who...
in the television series) as Jenny, and James Mathews
James Mathews
James Mathews may refer to:* James Mathews , member of the US House of Representatives from Ohio* James Mathews * James Mathews , Australian rugby player...
as Jimmy. Future The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a science fiction comedy series created by Douglas Adams. Originally a radio comedy broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 1978, it was later adapted to other formats, and over several years it gradually became an international multi-media phenomenon...
star Simon Jones
Simon Jones (actor)
Simon Jones is an English actor, most famous for his appearances in the television and radio series of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, in which he played the lead role of Arthur Dent from 1978 to 2005...
appeared as the Master of Karn.
The plot centred around the Dalek
Dalek
The Daleks are a fictional extraterrestrial race of mutants from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Within the series, Daleks are cyborgs from the planet Skaro, created by the scientist Davros during the final years of a thousand-year war against the Thals...
s, who were trying to take over the universe with the help of their crab-like slaves, the Clawrentulars. The play was directed by Mick Hughes and was written by Terrance Dicks
Terrance Dicks
Terrance Dicks is an English writer, best known for his work in television and for writing a large number of popular children's books during the 1970s and 80s.- Early career :...
, former script editor
Script editor
A script editor is a member of the production team of scripted television programmes, usually dramas and comedies. The script editor has many responsibilities including finding new script writers, developing storyline and series ideas with writers, ensuring that scripts are suitable for production...
for the television series. Dicks would later use some of the plot elements in his Fourth Doctor
Fourth Doctor
The Fourth Doctor is the fourth incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC British television science-fiction series Doctor Who....
story The Brain of Morbius
The Brain of Morbius
The Brain of Morbius is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 3 January to 24 January 1976...
.
The play was actually titled Seven Keys to Doomsday but the additional words preceding the title became known as part of it.
Other Productions
In 1984, the show was performed by the Porirua Little Theatre at the Community Hall in Titahi BayTitahi Bay
Titahi Bay is a suburb of Porirua in the North Island of New Zealand. It is located at the foot of a short peninsula along the west coast of the Porirua Harbour, to the north of Porirua city centre. The suburb's population in 2006 was 7,527...
, Porirua
Porirua
Porirua is a city in the Wellington Region of New Zealand, immediately north of the city of Wellington, with their central business districts 20 km apart. A large proportion of the population commutes to Wellington, so it may be considered a satellite city. It almost completely surrounds...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. Performances began at 3pm and 7:30pm on November 24 and 25, and December 1, 2 and 8th.
This production used the same script as the 1974 English production, with actor Micheal Sagar taking the role of the Doctor. The Doctor's companions Jenny and Dave were played by Theresa Milgate and Alistair Hudson respectively. Three Daleks, custom-built for the play, were used to promote the play in central Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
.
Director Brian Hudson had previously worked for the BBC during the late 1960s and early 1970s, and was a fan of Doctor Who.
In a February 2008 interview with Dicks, it was revealed that he had been contacted by Big Finish Productions
Big Finish Productions
Big Finish Productions is a British company that produces books and audio plays based, primarily, on cult British science fiction properties...
to adapt his Doctor Who plays for audio release. Seven Keys to Doomsday was released in October 2008 and features Trevor Martin as the Doctor.
Audio Adaptation
The Seven Keys to Doomsday was produced as a Big Finish ProductionsBig Finish Productions
Big Finish Productions is a British company that produces books and audio plays based, primarily, on cult British science fiction properties...
audio drama.
Cast
- The DoctorDoctor (Doctor Who)The Doctor is the central character in the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who, and has also featured in two cinema feature films, a vast range of spin-off novels, audio dramas and comic strips connected to the series....
— Trevor MartinTrevor MartinTrevor Martin is a British actor.He is perhaps known for playing the Doctor on stage at the Adelphi Theatre, London in Doctor Who and the Daleks in the Seven Keys to Doomsday based on the popular television series Doctor Who... - Jenny — Charlie Hayes
- Jimmy — Joe Thompson
- Jedak — Nicholas Deal
- Tara — Christine Brennan
- Garm/The Master of Karn — Steven Wickham
- Computer/Marko — Paul Thornley
- The DaleksThe DaleksThe Daleks is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in seven weekly parts from 21 December 1963 to 1 February 1964...
— Nicholas BriggsNicholas BriggsNicholas Briggs is a British actor and writer, predominantly associated with the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who and its various spin-offs, particularly as the voice of the Daleks. Briggs sometimes uses the pseudonym Arthur Wallis...
Cast notes
- Charlie Hayes is the daughter of Wendy PadburyWendy PadburyWendy Padbury is a British actress from Warwickshire, England. She is most famous for her involvement in various Doctor Who projects....
, who played Jenny in the original stage production.