An Open Letter to The Mighty Pert…

Sunday 7 July 2019 marked the 100th birthday of the Third Doctor himself, the late Jon Pertwee – the man who saw Doctor Who into the age of colour television and proved that the programme could succeed even when the Doctor was stuck on Earth!

As part of the birthday celebrations, the DWCA will this month be holding a special day event devoted to Pertwee and his impact on Doctor Who history, running on 25 August at Club Burwood. We’re also sharing the love for the Third Doctor via the opinion piece below, written by actor and comedian Rob Lloyd.

Dear Mister Pertwee,

My name is Robert Lloyd, I’m a 41-year-old actor/comedian/improviser from Melbourne Australia and I’m a huge fan.

Even though you’ve been dead 23 years now, you still shape my life in so many ways and seeing this year is the 100th anniversary of your birth, I just wanted to tell how much of a positive influence you’ve been in my life.

I was only slightly aware of you when I was growing up in the 1980s in rural New South Wales. See… you terrified the living s*** out of me as the “lovable” head-swapping scarecrow, Worzel Gummidge. Also I thought you were pretty cool as Spotty on Super Ted. However my awareness of you all changed in 1996 when I finally started getting into Doctor Who.

Yes I am aware that that was also the year you died, my timing isn’t the best. Sorry.
The news of your passing made it to all the news channels and papers here in Australia. I remember watching every news segment with such intensity and I found out so much interesting information about you. The more found out about you, the more was I impressed.

I threw myself head-first into watching more of your stuff…particularly your influential era of Doctor Who.

The first of your stories I watched was actually your first one as the Doctor… Spearhead from Space. By the end of those four episodes of Robert Holmes gold I was hooked. The Third Doctor was MY Doctor.

It then became my mission to collect all your stories on VHS, cassette, DVD and now with the release of Series 10 boxset also Blu-Ray.

What are DVDs and Blu-Ray I hear you ask? I’ll explain later *wink*

I was also obsessed with building my “Pertwee Ensemble”. I had my grandmother construct for me a white, button-up shirt with ruffles, I picked up at various second-hand stores some velvet jackets, I even got a bowtie.

I dressed like you to all my important social events: show openings, fancy dress parties, going to the shops.

The Third Doctor was my hero.

You were my hero.

I adore how you embraced the role of Doctor Who, specifically how you saw this as a chance to stretch your “serious acting chops”.

Having built your success from working predominantly in comedy, I can see how eager you were to play this role with a “straight bat”. This was a smart move seeing you were following the great Patrick Troughton, who mastered the comedy of the Doctor.

This decision really shaped your entire time on the show. The Third Doctor is focused, impatient, a daring man of action, a lover of gadgets, a person who embraces the role of mentor/guide/father figure. At time he could be brash, horribly patronising and even downright rude and cruel.

I will admit that sometimes these character choices went too far (I’m sorry but you were completely unlikable in The Claws of Axos) but when you remembered to lay the charm on thick or push yourself fully commit to your character’s emotional state no other Doctor could come close to you (your final moments in Planet of the Spiders are still the highlight of your time on Who).

Some see your Doctor as an ‘Establishment Man’ which was a contradiction to the rebel spirit of the Doctor brought out so effectively by Troughton & Tom Baker. However I always saw your Doctor as someone bringing down the system from within…you were amongst them but you weren’t one of them. You were playing them at their own game and you always one. I loved that.

A couple of years ago I started blending my love for Doctor Who with my love of performing. I co-created a solo show about being a Who fan called Who, Me. Of course I mention you in it.

I’ve toured it all around the world, I got to work with and meet some of your U.N.I.T family:

-Katy (she sends her love)
-Richard (he speaks highly of you)
-And John (he’s still just as crazy as you remember)

Everywhere I’ve toured, I’ve always taken an action figure of you as my good luck charm. It has definitely come in handy.

I even got to write an article for Doctor Who Magazine about dressing up as you…I know right!?! What madness is that?

I feel like you’re my spirit animal Mister Pertwee. I’ve felt your guidance and positive presence over my life since 1996.

So I wanted to take this opportunity to say thanks…thanks for the inspiration and thank you for being my Doctor.

Yours obsessively,

Rob Lloyd

Facebook: www.facebook.com/roblloydwhome
Twitter & Instagram: @futurerobby
Website: www.roblloyd.com.au

The DWCA’s Third Doctor-themed day event, Reverse the Polarity, will be held on Sunday 25 August from 10am at Club Burwood, Sydney, with the 2019 DWCA AGM set to follow at 4pm. There will be a variety of Third Doctor merchandise available to purchase from the DWCA Shop at the event, such as DVDs, sonic screwdrivers and Big Finish audio dramas – including The Third Doctor Adventures Volume 5 and Torchwood: The Green Life, a sequel to The Green Death featuring Katy Manning as Jo Jones!

DWCA Book Club October – Resurrection of the Daleks

Classic Fifth Doctor adventure Resurrection of the Daleks has finally been novelised by original scriptwriter Eric Saward, a whopping 35 years after broadcast – and to celebrate, the DWCA Book Club will be discussing the novelisation at our October event.

The TARDIS is ensnared in a time corridor, catapulting it into derelict docklands on 20th century Earth. The Doctor and his companions, Tegan and Turlough, stumble on a warehouse harbouring fugitives from the future at the far end of the corridor – and are soon under attack from a Dalek assault force.

The Doctor’s oldest enemies have set in motion an intricate and sinister plot to resurrect their race from the ashes of an interstellar war. For the Daleks’ plans to succeed, they must set free their creator, Davros, from a galactic prison – and force the Doctor to help them achieve total control over time and space. But the embittered Davros has ideas of his own…

Resurrection of the Daleks is available now from all good book shops, and will be discussed at the DWCA Book Club meeting on Friday 4 October. You can also comment on our Facebook page if you can’t make the event.

It will be followed by Sixth Doctor adventure Revelation of the Daleks, also written by Saward, later this year.

SEND US YOUR REVIEWS AND WIN A PRIZE!

Do you consider yourself something of an armchair critic? Send us a written review of the current Book Club text, and your words just may end up published in our club fanzine, Data Extract. What’s more, you will go into the running to win a $5 voucher to spend at the DWCA Shop!

Reviews should be sent to fsq@doctorwhoaustralia.org.

2019 DWCA office bearer nominations

The DWCA would like to thank those members who have nominated themselves for a position in the club committee, to be officially elected at our upcoming AGM on Sunday 25 August.

The Returning Officer has received the following nominations for Office Bearer positions:

  • President – Jon Andersen
  • Vice President – Darran Jordan
  • Secretary – Roger Reynolds
  • Treasurer – Brad Harrison

Each position received only one nomination, so the people listed above will be declared elected unopposed.

For more information on the AGM, please visit our event page here.

The DWCA is also still seeking applications for the position of Merchandise Manager, which will be vacated in the coming months.

As this is a non-office-bearing role, there is no formal nomination or voting procedure – rather, the suitability of each applicant will be assessed by the standing committee. The successful applicant will also have the opportunity to shadow the incumbent Merchandise Manager before assuming full duties.

For more information on the role, click here. To apply, email enquiries@doctorwhoaustralia.org

 

The Game of Rassilon returns for 2019

How many limbs does a Racnoss have? Who was the Guardian of the Solar System who betrayed it to the Daleks in the 41st century? Why does the Fifth Doctor wear celery in his frock-coat lapel? How much do YOU know about Doctor Who?

Yes, it’s time again for the DWCA’s annual Trivia Night and Cosplay Competition – The Game of Rassilon. And we’re very excited to announce that the host of this year’s event is actor, comedian, Whovians High Brain and friend of the DWCA, Patrick Magee.

The night will see teams test their knowledge of classic and revived Doctor Who – with the odd question on pop culture and general knowledge just to keep you on your toes – all for the chance to win some fabulous prizes! There will also be a special prize for the best Doctor Who cosplay, so whether you’re a dab hand with a sewing machine or you’re great at raiding op shops, now’s the time to start planning your outfit.

Tickets are available now for just $15 per person, or $75 for a table of six. Tickets will be available at the door for $20, if not sold out.

Date: Saturday 13 July
Time: From 6pm
Venue: Club Burwood, 97 Burwood Rd, Burwood NSW
Cost: $15 per person or $75 for a table of six (max)
$20 per person at the door
Registration: www.dwca.org.au/ticketed-events/

Series 12 to feature French Resistance heroine

An eagle-eyed Whovian on Twitter has discovered that Belgian actress Aurora Marion will guest star in Series 12 of Doctor Who – in a role of historical significance.

Twitter user @Ruther2 discovered that Marion’s online CV listed her as playing a “guest role” in an episode of Doctor Who directed by Lee Haven Jones, who has confirmed in interviews that he is indeed working on the upcoming series.

In a post from Marion’s Instagram account, which has since been deleted, she is shown in period hair and costume. The post was made from Cardiff Bay, which was dressed as Nazi-occupied Paris as part of Block 2 of filming for Series 12.

A later post featured a tag which revealed that the name of Marion’s character is Noor Inayat Khan – a real-life World War II wireless operator who was posthumously awarded the George Cross for her service in the Special Operations Executive.

Inayat Khan was a British Women’s Auxiliary Air Force service member of Indian and American descent trained for wireless operation and fluent in French. As an SOE agent she became the first female wireless operator to be sent from Britain into occupied France to aid the French Resistance during World War II. She was Britain’s first Muslim war heroine.

 

From the Archives: An Interview with Whovians’ Patrick Magee

On Saturday 13 July, the DWCA will be holding its annual Trivia Night and Cosplay Competition at Club Burwood in Sydney – this year to be hosted by actor and comedian Patrick Magee. In August 2017 the DWCA had the opportunity to interview Pat about his work as head researcher on ABC Comedy’s Whovians – the result was published in the club’s 2018 yearbook, Zerinza, but has been abridged below for your reading pleasure.

How did you come to be involved in Whovians?

Well, four years ago for the 50th anniversary, I did a show called Every Episode of Doctor Who Ever Live on Stage. It was a comedy show with me and two of my friends, and we just did 50 years of Doctor Who all on stage. And then through publicity for that I went to Triple J, went to some different radio stations and did promos and stuff for it. And then in about February or March this year, the executive producer called me up and said he’d like to meet up for a job thing at the ABC. I had no idea what it was for, and I was sort of chatting with my girlfriend. She said, “There is nothing the ABC would want you for that wouldn’t in some way be related to Doctor Who.” And I was like, “I don’t think the ABC’s doing something about Doctor Who.” And so I went the next day and he’s like, “So we’re doing a Doctor Who wrap-up show…” And I thought, “Oh, he’s going to ask me to host”, and he said, “Oh, you’re nowhere near famous enough. We’re going to get Rove to host.” I remember when I heard that, I was so underwhelmed. I was like, “Oh yeah, Rove, I guess he’s a real nerd.”

So as part of the pre-show preparation, I had to call up all of the panel members and all the guests and things, to try to gauge what their level of Doctor Who fandom was. I was kind of dreading calling Rove, ‘cos I thought I’d be like, “What’s your favourite episode of Doctor Who?” and he’d be like, “Oh, I just love The Impossible Astronaut” or something. So I call him up, I ask him his favourite episode, and he goes, “Probably The Dalek Invasion of Earth.” And I was like, “Okay. What scared you as a kid?”, and he was like, “Sutekh’s voice.” And I was like, “Okay, this guy knows what he’s talking about.” And then he came to the meetings and he had the River Song diary, and I was like, “Okay, this is all good. This guy knows exactly what he’s talking about.”

So I got into it because the guy at the ABC knew I was a massive Doctor Who fan, and in terms of research and asking questions and stuff, I’d be quicker than Google. And it was all Rove’s idea. I think he’d been wanting to do something like it for ages, and he had the star power to convince the ABC that it would be a fun, cool idea.

What was your first thought when you heard the idea for the programme?

I was apprehensive. Because I think originally they were going to make it an hour, and I was like, “I think that’s probably slightly too long.” And originally there were going to be a lot more sketches, we were going to get more musical guests, and all this kind of stuff, but it just didn’t feel right. And then we had our first rehearsal, we watched Hell Bent, and we realised that everyone in it was really on board, everyone had a different role to play. So you had Bajo, who was just very strangely excited by weird things; Tegan was really good at getting jokes that would appeal to non-Doctor Who fans, which was really important; Adam was great with his theories and stuff; and Rove was great at keeping them all together. So originally I liked the idea – I thought it would be a fantastic thing for me to do, and I was really excited to be part of it – but I wasn’t sure how well it would go. And then the first episode went out, and it just went gangbusters. We were trending on Twitter, it was great.

So the reaction from the audience overall was positive?

Oh yeah. I think we did have a few people who didn’t like it, for the first couple of weeks. They said, “You make too many jokes. You’ve got to be more serious about this.” But I think those people eventually stopped watching, and everyone else, especially on Twitter, the hashtag, the #WhoviansAU hashtag, the amount of people who were being brought together by this hashtag, and chatting about Doctor Who, and building this community – which obviously exists, but it was something that a lot of people wouldn’t necessarily know about, this community of Doctor Who fans in Australia. I thought it was really, really great that we could bring people together. And the ABC seemed to really like it. The ABC actually said to us, well they said to Rove, “So, do you reckon you could just keep it going after Doctor Who’s finished?” And we were like, “Uh, it kind of needs Doctor Who to uh, to work.”

And the BBC were fantastic. We used a lot of the facilities that The Fan Show uses. And in terms of getting interviews, they were fantastic. They would bend over backwards to get us interviews with people. For our last episode, we hadn’t even asked for an interview with Steven Moffat, ‘cos we’d done one at the beginning of the season. And they just said, “Hey look, do you want another interview with Steven Moffat to do a kind of wrap-up?” So the BBC were fantastic, the ABC were fantastic, the audience was fantastic – it was great. It was really fun.

What did your role on the show involve?

We started preproduction about four weeks before the show started. And so a lot of my part was finding well-known people who were Doctor Who fans and contacting them, seeing if they’d be keen. So looking at comedians, looking at politicians – as you know, we had George Christensen and Stephen Conroy on. So at first it was contacting people, and then, when we were still thinking we might need some filler stuff – like interviewing people who had big Doctor Who collections, or people who build Daleks – contacting those sorts of people.

Once the show started, we’d get the episodes a week prior. So we’d watch the episode and think, “Right, what can we get out of this? What kind of packages can we put in?” So in our first episode we had the connection with Australia package, and just on a whim I called Gai Waterhouse and asked if she’d like to come do an interview. And she was so keen, she was really, really keen. So basically, my role was working out what we were going to do for a package – and we’d aim to have two or three packages per show – and then we’d contact the BBC to get the episode. One of the things that we were limited by was that, because of the various copyright deals and everything, we could only use ten classic series episodes for each one. So for Smile, people were like, “You should have had a clip from The Happiness Patrol!”, but the problem was, we’d already used up all our clips on robots. So we were kind of limited there. But we just found ways to work around it.

And then the other thing I’d do was, I was writing scripts. Justin Hamilton was our head writer, and he was writing the episode script, which is all the links and segues and things, and then the two of us would also write a lot of the audition scripts – so you had Charlie Pickering, Jeremy Fernandez, Barrie Cassidy – all those people. ‘Cos everyone at the ABC wanted to be part of it. So I’d write scripts for that, and then I’d sit in. We’d do a quick rehearsal with the cameras, and if anyone wanted a quick Doctor Who reference or they wanted to get something right, they’d ask me and I’d give them the reference.

Basically, I was being paid to sit in an office five days a week and watch Doctor Who. I’d be sitting at a desk watching Seeds of Doom or whatever, and people would walk past going, “He’s clearly doing his job.” It was ridiculous – it’s the craziest job I’ve ever had in my life.

You mentioned that you got to watch the episodes a week early. How difficult was it to avoid leaking spoilers?

It wasn’t too bad. The only people that I kind of regularly speak to about Doctor Who are my girlfriend and my brothers. My girlfriend is more of a casual fan, so if I said something to her like, “Rona Munro’s coming back to write an episode!”, she’d just go, “Okay, great, cool, whatever.” Whereas with my brothers, more than anything it was kind tempting to kind of lord it over them, and be like, “I know what’s happening and I can’t tell you.” So it wasn’t too bad. The big moment was David Bradley coming back. I watched that, and then I emailed Adam Richard, and I was like, “Please can you watch it”, and they weren’t allowed to watch it early. Eventually I bullied him into watching it so I’d have someone to talk to about David Bradley coming back.

If someone had told your younger self that you’d end up working on a Doctor Who panel show, how do you think you would have reacted?

I’d ask, “Who are you?”, first of all, ‘cos Mum told me to never talk to strangers. I mean, if I was a kid, I wouldn’t have even imagined that you could work on anything related to Doctor Who. Doctor Who is just this thing that gets created somewhere in space, and then it ends up on our television. So it’s the craziest idea. I didn’t want to talk about it, with confidentiality agreements and all that. When I first got offered it, we were still kind of negotiating stuff with the BBC, so there was no guarantee that it was going to happen. And then as soon as it started, as soon as it got broadcast, I’d bump into people and they’d go, “Have you heard about this new show called Whovians?” I said, “Oh yeah, I work on it”, and they were like, “Oh thank God. ‘Cos if you hadn’t been, I was gonna go and burn down the ABC.”

I remember two years ago, there was a point in my life where I was thinking, “I have wasted my life. My brain is so full of Doctor Who facts, and this will never do me any good. If only there was some way of monetising my hobby.” And then there was! And it’s been incredible, and hopefully we’ll be back next year. You know what the ABC’s like, you know what the BBC’s like – it’s all negotiations, and obviously ‘cos Chris Chibnall’s coming in we might have to renegotiate stuff. So I’m hopeful we’ll come back, but nothing’s set in stone at the moment.

Is there any chance there’ll be more audience participation in future episodes of Whovians?

We really wanted to get more audience participation. But then I wrote a quiz for the audience, and people were rubbish at it. I didn’t think they were difficult questions, but apparently a lot of fans these days don’t know in which episode the Black Guardian first appeared. A lot of people these days don’t know who the Black Guardian is. So then I had to level the questions down. But we’d love to get more audience participation. At the end of the day, we just had so much stuff in terms of packages. In that prep time, we were like, “We need to have so much stuff. We need to have bands. We need to have comedy sketches.” But then when it came to the records, most of the records went for 50, 55 minutes and had to be cut down to a half hour. So we always had so much stuff. I really want to do Doctor Who fans speed dating, which’d be really fun. So we’re always trying to build new stuff.

I remember my favourite part from the recording – it was such a surreal thing. In the very first episode, we had this idea that Rove would run into places yelling “Shark attack!” to see who would react. And we did it, and we ran into this pub, and this guy was like, “What are you filming for?”, and we told him it was a Doctor Who wrap-up show. He was like, “I was in Doctor Who”, and we were like, “No you weren’t, old man.” And then it turned out it was Ian Cullen from The Aztecs! It made no sense! Why was he in this pub at the exact moment we were filming this thing for Whovians? And he was wonderful.

Following on from what you said about the Black Guardian, do you think some of the members of the audience had no concept of how old the series actually is?

That was one of the big things with making the packages and the montages and stuff. Obviously there are so many New Who fans, and we really wanted to emphasise this kind of continuing thing, and that this is an ongoing show that’s been going for ages. One of the things that we wanted to do, but again got cut for time, was that we wanted to do a classic series recommendation. So say if it was Smile, you’d go, “If you liked this episode, you should check out The Happiness Patrol.” We really wanted to do that, but again, we didn’t have time. But I think there were a lot of New Who fans, and I mean, the new series has been going for twelve years. It’s already longer than so many series on television, and that’s just from 2005 onwards. We definitely skewed slightly towards the New Who demographic, obviously because we’re discussing the new series.

We did have a very silly idea to try and convince the ABC to let us show classic episodes and then show Whovians after that, which obviously would have been a lot of fun, but then we also would have had to pretend we didn’t know what was happening; like, “Hmm, who’s this mysterious Watcher figure in Logopolis? Maybe it’s the Master!” But we were definitely very conscious of trying to bridge that gap. And Adam has seen every episode of the classic series and listened to all of Big Finish, whereas Bajo and Tegan only got into it with Christopher Eccleston.

What was it like working with Rove and all the panellists?

It was great. It was an absolute joy. Bajo is a nerd – he’s the most delightful nerd, who is just so excited about kids dying. He’s not a murderer himself – he’s happy just to watch. Tegan was great – I’ve known her for years through the comedy circuit, so it was great to be able to work with her on something. Rove was so down to earth, and he was such a big fan. It was such a relief to find that out. And Adam and I would just sit in the corner talking about the Rani. So everyone was fantastic, all the guests were lovely – everyone was just so excited and really happy to be there.

Are there any plans to release Whovians on DVD?

No, only because it’s obviously so tied to the individual episodes. So it’d be another bout of licensing issues, because we use clips from the episodes, we use old clips. So I think it’s probably a bit too much trouble, and the ABC wouldn’t exactly see it as cost-effective. Which is a pity. I didn’t realise this, but it is such a painstaking process to get licensing for all the different things that you need.

Which was your favourite Thirteenth Doctor audition?

Ooooo. Um, of the ones that I wrote, I really liked the Barrie Cassidy one and the Jeremy Fernandez one, just because they were the most serious people you can imagine doing it, and then throwing themselves into it and being so silly. My favourite one that I didn’t write, this is one that Rove wrote, was the Play School one with the Zygon song. Costa was great as well, apart from the fact that he pronounced Krynoid incorrectly. God, that was silly. But they were all just so dumb and so joyful.

***

Pat will be quizmaster and MC of the DWCA’s annual Trivia Night and Cosplay Competition – The Game of Rassilon – to be held on 13 July at Club Burwood from 6pm. The night will see teams test their knowledge of classic and revived Doctor Who – with the odd question on pop culture and general knowledge just to keep you on your toes – all for the chance to win some fabulous prizes. There will also be a special prize for the best Doctor Who cosplay!

Tickets are available now for just $15 per person or $75 for a table of six – register here to guarantee your place. Tickets will be available at the door for $20, if not sold out.

Data Extract #243 out now

Issue #243 of Data Extract, the official magazine of the Doctor Who Club of Australia, is now in the mail for all DWCA members.

This issue, we go back to the ’70s (or is it the ’80s?) to discuss all things UNIT, including an interview with Sergeant Benton himself, John Levene and an examination of THAT dating controversy. We’re also celebrating everyone’s favourite robot dog in an interview with K9 co-creator Bob Baker, while writer Jon Blum presents his argument for why the 2009-2010 K9 spin-off series deserves a second chance. Plus, it’s the beginning of the end for the Eleventh Doctor and Eleanor saga…

The new issue is available exclusively to DWCA members, so click here to sign up today. Select back issues of the magazine can also be purchased from the DWCA Shop.

Notice of 2019 Annual General Meeting of the DWCA

DATE: Sunday 25 August 2019
TIME: 4pm
VENUE: 2nd Floor Club Burwood, 97 Burwood Road, Burwood NSW
AGENDA: President’s Report; Treasurer’s Report; and Election of Office Bearers.

Any candidate standing for election as an Office Bearer (President, Vice President, Secretary or Treasurer) must be a current DWCA member who has held membership for a minimum period of five years, including at least one year immediately prior to the election. Additionally, they should be able to attend regular committee meetings held in Sydney and demonstrate an ongoing commitment to the club.

To nominate for an Office Bearer position, download the form below and fill in the following information:

  • the name of the nominee;
  • the address of the nominee;
  • the Club member number of the nominee;
  • a statement that the member wishes to nominate for a specific Office Bearer position (a person can only nominate for one position in any election);
  • the signature of the nominee;
  • the date of the nomination; and
  • the signature and the Club member numbers of two members endorsing the nomination.

The form must be submitted to the following address by 26 July:

The Returning Officer DWCA
PO Box 870
Epping
NSW 1710

Eligible nominees will be notified by the Returning Officer once nominations are closed and invited to submit a statement to be provided to members in support of their nomination.

Nomination Form
Election of Office Bearers – Rules & Procedures (attached to the DWCA constitution as a special resolution)

Paul Darrow: 1941-2019

Actor and writer Paul Darrow has sadly passed away at the age of 78 following a short illness.

He first appeared in Doctor Who with Third Doctor Jon Pertwee in the 1970 story The Silurians as UNIT soldier Captain Hawkins. He returned as villain Tekker opposite Sixth Doctor Colin Baker in the 1985 story Timelash. Further to this he went on to play the part of Guidance with Eighth Doctor Paul McGann in the audio story The Next Life, as well as Kaston Iago in the Doctor Who spin-off audio series Kaldor City.

He was best known however for the role of Kerr Avon in Terry Nation’s Blake’s 7, the calculating criminal turned freedom fighter who was the balance to idealist Roj Blake in the show’s “Dirty Dozen in space” line-up. In addition to starring in all four seasons from 1978 to 1981, Darrow wrote the Blake’s 7 novels Avon: A Terrible Aspect (1989), Lucifer (2013), Lucifer: Revelation (2014) and Lucifer: Genesis (2015). His autobiography You’re Him, Aren’t You? was released in 2006, with an audio book version read by Darrow released in 2016, including an extra chapter.

Between 2012 and 2019 Darrow starred in over thirty original audio dramas for Big Finish, including multiple Blake’s 7 releases. Big Finish producer John Ainsworth stated: “I will cherish the memory of our days in the studio. How lucky I am to have worked with Paul. A real star and legend.”

Visit the DWCA at Sydney Supanova 2019

The DWCA is pleased to announce that we will be exhibiting at Supanova Comic Con & Gaming, being held at Sydney Showground from 21-23 June.

The DWCA booth will feature a range of merchandise from across the Whoniverse, with DVDs and original audio dramas starring all your favourite characters – including limited edition Blu-ray boxsets featuring select full seasons of the classic era. This is in addition to a huge range of graphic novels, sonic screwdrivers, action figures, Pop! Vinyls, mugs and other collectables.

If you’re more interested in the activities of the club itself, you can sign up or renew your membership at the booth, as well as peruse back issues of the club magazine, Data Extract – and as a Supanova special, all membership purchases will include a bonus talking plush clip-on absolutely free (while stocks last). We’re also on the lookout for fresh faces to join the DWCA committee – including a new merchandise manager – so if you think you’ve got what it takes to help run the club, let us know!

The DWCA booth will be located with other general exhibitors in The Dome, with trade beginning on Friday 21 June at 1pm. Check us out at Booth #1202, circled on the map below.