Here is my review of the production which a few of us went to see recently....
Last night I took my wife (who casually enjoys the odd new episode of Doctor Who, probably due to the aesthetic value of its leading man) to see the highly acclaimed Moths ate my Doctor Who Scarf, written by and starring Toby Hadoke, at the Carriageworks in Leeds.
Toby, like me grew up in the 1970s and, like me is a Doctor Who fan and makes it clear that hes not going to apologise for it. His one man show takes us on a journey through his life, starting with his his father leaving home at a young age (suggesting that the character of Doctor Who was in part a replacement father figure) and recounting the familiar setting of Saturday nights watching a certain Time Lord in the 1970s. He even knitted a Tom Baker scarf!
As we progress through his school days, Toby recounts tales of being bullied, spectacularly failing to get off with girls and his ability to name every actor who had ever appeared in Doctor Who. The show is funny, very funny. He interweaves comedy routines, social comment and Doctor Who facts seamlessly whilst tugging at your emotions when we learn that he struggled to bond with his young son but it was the Doctor who saved the day! His recount of how his son had asked (as a treat) if he could stay up late to watch Doctor Who with his dad was made even more poignant when his son asked if he could cuddle him during the scary bits. Grown men were filling up at this stage.
If I were more talented and was brave enough to get up on stage in front of a few hundred people then I would be saying exactly the same things as Toby. His life is my life and this is all because of Doctor Who. All the way through the show he shows us why it is the greatest show ever.
Towards the end of the show we heard the voice of David Tennant himself coming out of the speakers announcing the he was back. This was to illustrate the announcement in 2003 the show was returning. Toby went to dig out his scarf in celebration but it had been eaten by moths, the crowning glory of the show was the revelation that, well I’m not going to spoil it for anyone who hasn’t seen it.
I urge everyone in the world to see this show. You don’t have to be a fan to be moved by it but if you are you will have a different experience.
Toby, like me grew up in the 1970s and, like me is a Doctor Who fan and makes it clear that hes not going to apologise for it. His one man show takes us on a journey through his life, starting with his his father leaving home at a young age (suggesting that the character of Doctor Who was in part a replacement father figure) and recounting the familiar setting of Saturday nights watching a certain Time Lord in the 1970s. He even knitted a Tom Baker scarf!
As we progress through his school days, Toby recounts tales of being bullied, spectacularly failing to get off with girls and his ability to name every actor who had ever appeared in Doctor Who. The show is funny, very funny. He interweaves comedy routines, social comment and Doctor Who facts seamlessly whilst tugging at your emotions when we learn that he struggled to bond with his young son but it was the Doctor who saved the day! His recount of how his son had asked (as a treat) if he could stay up late to watch Doctor Who with his dad was made even more poignant when his son asked if he could cuddle him during the scary bits. Grown men were filling up at this stage.
If I were more talented and was brave enough to get up on stage in front of a few hundred people then I would be saying exactly the same things as Toby. His life is my life and this is all because of Doctor Who. All the way through the show he shows us why it is the greatest show ever.
Towards the end of the show we heard the voice of David Tennant himself coming out of the speakers announcing the he was back. This was to illustrate the announcement in 2003 the show was returning. Toby went to dig out his scarf in celebration but it had been eaten by moths, the crowning glory of the show was the revelation that, well I’m not going to spoil it for anyone who hasn’t seen it.
I urge everyone in the world to see this show. You don’t have to be a fan to be moved by it but if you are you will have a different experience.
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