Having received a cease and desist letter from chief Dr Who writer Stephen Moffat, Jess and Jamie’s musical tribute to the world’s favourite time traveller has undergone some drastic changes.
But with boundless enthusiasm and a Fringe-worthy can-do attitude they aren’t letting it stop them celebrate “a fully-qualified doctor”, who happens to be a “lord of time” travelling the universe in a “phone box”.
It is the inventiveness and authentically shonky props which make this family-friendly take on the BBC’s best-loved export enjoyable.
Jessica Spray plays the travelling companion, desperate to head out on adventures, while James Wilson-Taylor creates his own incarnation of the time-travelling hero, as well as classic villains, such as Da Maista, the cybergents and exterminators.
The production tackles the current rebooted series rather than the golden age – with references to the slo-mo running, Jess’s crush on David Tennant, Amy ‘Wand’ as a fairy god companion, and lots of jokes specifically aimed at the Whovians in the audience.
But the songs, although well sung, tend to outstay their welcome.
And plot is pretty thin on the ground, aside from the attempts to sidestep the BBC ban. Instead the show focuses on celebrating the sci-fi series, making it a must-see for fans.
Three stars
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