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Saturday, 15 October 2011 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Tom Baker will be visiting St Michael’s Hospice in Hastings on the 30th October; a keen supporter, the actor will be signing for £5 donations to the hospice. Community Fundraiser Amanda Hildreth said: "We’re extremely excited to be welcoming Tom to the hospice and providing an opportunity for his many fans to meet him. Tom is a great supporter of the hospice and this kind offer shows his commitment to both his fans and the work of St Michael's. Tom has a huge cult following and we’re expecting the signing to prove very popular not only with local fans, but also fans from all over the UK." [Hastings Observer, 9 Oct 2011]

David Tennant will be playing Robert Louis Stevenson in a two-part adaptation for BBC Radio Four; Stevenson in Love focusses on two of the writer's trips, to France and in America, and on the influence upon him of his future wife. It is broadcast on 26th and 27th October. [The Stage, 11 Oct 2011]

Paul McGann will be appearing on 17-18th November at the Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse Studio in Grotesque Chaos, a play about former politician Derek Hatton by local writer Michael McLean. Suzanne Bell, Everyman and Playhouse literary manager, said: "We are thrilled Paul will be involved with this challenging and interesting play. He was excited to take on the role of Derek Hatton having read Michael McLean’s script and is also bringing a great deal of knowledge to the project." [Liverpool Echo, 12 Oct 2011]

Colin Baker arrives at the Malvern Theatres for performances of the Wilkie Collins play The Woman in White; it runs between 18th and 22nd October. [Worcester Standard, 13 Oct 2011]

Karen Gillan's role as Shirley in John Osborne’s Inadmissible Evidence is attributed as the reason for its sell-out at the Donmar Warehouse. On the play, the actress said: "I think the writing’s really amazing, it’s so full of hate. It sounds like John Osborne ranting. It goes to a place that I haven’t encountered before. It’s all jagged, sometimes it doesn’t even fit together logically. You really have to investigate it to understand it.". And on taking on the role and the encouragment of her Doctor Who co-stars: "I’m completely terrified. But that’s what makes it exciting. When Matt and Arthur heard I had a part at the Donmar they were so pleased. They were, like, you’ve got to grab this with both hands. So that’s what I’m going to do." [Telegraph, 15 Oct 2011]

Speaking of the Donmar Warehouse, Sir Derek Jacobi (Professor Yana/The Master) has been nominated for their touring production of King Lear; the actor is up for Best Performance in the 2011 Theatre Awards. [BBC News, 30 Sep 2011]

Eve Myles (Gwen Cooper) talks about how Torchwood has done wonders for Wales: "Yeah, it's really put it on the map, massively. The Welsh tourist board can't be more grateful because Torchwood uses the shots of the coastline, the mountains - and all the aliens we have and all the deadly goings on. It's also shown who the Welsh are, making the Welsh as real as possible on telly. We are not this stupid comedy nation. We are a bunch of smart, proud, passionate people who love showing off their country." [New Zealand Herald, 13 Oct 2011]

Back in September, we reported that Arthur Darvill would feature in the Bush Theatre production Sixty Six Books; now, it has been revealed that Catherine Tate (Donna Noble) will kick off the theatrical event by playing God - a high tech, high heeled, pale suited Almighty accompanied by an angel with a laptop who dispatches her tweets to the Internet in author Jeanette Winterson's interpretation of Genesis. Artistic director Josie Rourke said: "It's a very funny piece, it's very bold. Catherine came naturally to mind for that. She just walks out onto a stage and recruits everybody into what she's doing - and that's absolutely what it needs." [BBC News, 14 Oct 2011]

Christmas kicks off early in Skegness, with Frazer Hines (Jamie McCrimmon) appearing as Muddles in a special preview of Snow White at the town's Embassy Theatre - the show was attended by its writers, pupils from Skegness Infants School. The pantomine will open on 14th December. [Skegness Standard, 14 Oct 2011]





FILTER: - People - Tom Baker - Karen Gillan - Catherine Tate - David Tennant - Paul McGann