A seven-minute reworking of the Doctor Who theme commissioned by the BBC and recorded by The Orb is to get its first public performance in Portsmouth (Hampshire, England) on Saturday 16 April. It is to be played at a gig by Portsmouth-based band The Autons, who took their name from the Doctor Who monsters. The three-piece band (website), who are well-known Doctor Who enthusiasts, will be performing at the Third Floor Arts Centre, in the city's Central Library, at 8pm (BST), using The Orb's rendition of the theme as their walk-on music. According to Autons band member Tony Rollinson,The Orbwere granted access to the original tapes from the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. He added that The Autons were offered the debut airing through cult Portsmouth band Ronaldo And The Loaf, who are friends of Orb member Alex Paterson. He added that the Orb track was being biked down especially - and that security measures would be in place to stop anyone recording it. Tickets to the gig apparently cost ú4 (with eyeliner) and ú5 (without eyeliner). Call the box office on 023 9268 8070 (website). Portsmouth (plus the Isle of Wight and the Solent) was used extensively for the location filming of The Sea Devils in October 1971. (Thanks to John Bowman)

Listeners to BBC Radio Five Live before 9am UK time this morning were treated to the new Doctor Who series theme tune by Murray Gold; reports are also in that a snippet of the tune was played on Chris Moyles' show on Radio 1 this morning. The broadcast of the Breakfast show will likely be on Radio Five Live's website very shortly; select the listening button and then "Listen Again" for Tuesday morning and you should be able to catch it. Update 8 March 1500 GMT: It's now on the FiveLive website; it's at about the 2:39:30 mark in the show. The show also discusses the downloading of "Rose".

The SFX Magazine website confirms that musician Murray Gold, previously announced as composing the incidental music for each episode of the new series, will be recreating the popular theme tune for the new series. "It's not as radical a remix as many thought we might get," says the article. "The new arrangement updates Delia Derbyshire and Ron Grainer's original, but keeps the basic sounds. Producer Russell T Davies told SFX that the production team did consider keeping the 1960s/70s original, but, 'When we watched it on the small screen, it just seemed a little bit empty and a bit old.'" The article notes that the new theme tune was delivered on January 17 by Gold, and quotes Davies as saying it's "brilliant, absolutely brilliant. I thought the original theme would be perfect though, but the version Murray's done is so faithful." Davies also told SFX that the show would bring back "the classic Jon Pertwee/Tom Baker 'cliffhanger screech'." The issue features an interview with Davies as well as artwork by famed Doctor Who illustrator Chris Achilleos; visit the website for more information.

Musician Murray Gold will be composing the incidental music for the new series, according to sources. Gold is also currently working on the score for new series producer Russell T Davies' other current project, "Casanova," and is responsible for such television scores as "The Canterbury Tales" (which starred Billie Piper), "Shameless" and "Servants," and Davies' other television projects, "The Second Coming" and both series of "Queer as Folk". (Thanks to Stephen Sherry)

Purple People, a new compilation CD from Purple Records, is out in June and features a special bonus track of Jon Pertwee's "Who Is the Doctor"? There's also details on the site of the history behind this song. (Thanks to Keith Hollinshed)

Sir Richard Rodney Bennett, film & TV composer whose work includes the Doctor Who story "The Aztecs," plus "Four Weddings and a Funeral" and "Murder on the Orient Express," will be interviewed on BBC Radio 3's "Stage & Screen" on March 22 at 4.00pm. (Thanks to Phil Creighton)

A new play about the life and career of Delia Derbyshire is being developed. Derbyshire, who produced the original recording of the Doctor Who theme as well as countless scores for the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, passed away last year and the co-production between The Tron venue, Glasgow and the Reeling and Writhing theatre company, "will use Derbyshire's creative career as a way of portraying the space age era of the early 60s." Says BBCi: "Every care has been made to make the production as historically accurate as possible, with Delia Derbyshire's life being directly researched through interviews with her friends and colleagues. The Doctor Who theme will feature heavily, as will Delia's other work. It's also hoped that new music, inspired by the music, and using the technology of the time, will be performed live. The design of the show will draw on the futurism of the 60s as well as 'swinging' London. The production will also be supported by a website, which will feature free music downloads. 'Delia Derbyshire' (working title) is planned to premiere in September 2004." More details when they become available. (Thanks to BBCi)

After more than a year's worth of request by fans, the composers of the incidental music for the FOX telefilm -- John Debney, John Sponsler and Louis Febre -- have released a very limited number of copies of a soundtrack for the TV movie. The score is apparently available only in select music and comic book stores, and will probably not be offered for long.