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• The Dalek Masterplan
  • Performance dates and cast details
  • Looking back, moving forward
  • From screen to script to stage
  • Composing a Masterplan
  • The Daleks
  • Daleks out and about
  • Making the music for Masterplan
  • Inside the music studio
  • So it begins
  • The Return of the Daleks
  • The Dalek Masterplan reviewed
  • Photograph gallery
  • Music from the Masterplan
  • Behind the scenes video
• Related Web sites
  • New Theatre Royal
  • Doctor Who: Devious
  • My Dalek Life

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Whenever you take on a show, the tickets never sell themselves. Even though we are sure of a healthy advance box office return for The Dalek Masterplan, we always do whatever we can to let the great British public know what we are doing, and when you have Daleks at your disposal, you can always be sure of pulling a crowd...

So, the first of our many up and coming publicity events took place on Saturday June 16 at Merchiston Hall in Horndean, a little village about 10 miles north of Portsmouth. We were invited to go along with some Daleks to help their village fete go with a swing! The group there booked in some considerable numbers to come and see Evil of the Daleks last year and this was by way of returning the favour. They are also booking a group to come and see Masterplan, so my thanks go out to them again for their custom and hospitality.

Nick Scovell, who plays the Doctor, and a Dalek

We opened the fete by storming out of the main building with our Daleks, accompanied by the Doctor Who theme tune and Rob Thrush belting out on the ring modulator. Children and adults by the dozen crowded round the Daleks and engaged in many a long banter session with them. We also had a ‘pitch’ in the main hall where we gave out leaflets and showed photos and clips from previous shows. Needless to say, many flyers were taken and much interest was taken in the show.

Rob Thrush and Dalek

The Daleks were Dylan (Genesis type) and Dougal (Masterplan type)! Two splendid props built by Stuart Currie and operated by Stuart himself and Adrian Cranwell-Child, both of whom are operators for the show. These are not the props we will be using in the show. We are keeping the look of them a surprise for the opening night…

What surprised me, although it shouldn’t by now, is the amount of excitement they generated. Now, I am pretty used to walking around with Daleks by now, but it still intrigues me what a smile and buzz they create when people actually meet them. It’s all part of the eternal debate of what makes them such a success – a question to which we will probably never get a definitive answer.

My thanks to all who took part and to all who came. We have at least three more events lined up for the summer, all of which will help to reinforce the Daleks appeal and help sell our tickets!