Billie Piper and Chris Evans were today granted a "quickie" divorce in the High Court in London.

The decree nisi went through at a brief hearing at the Principal Registry of the Family Division.

This decree does not end the marriage. That will happen when the decree is made absolute, and a decree absolute can only be applied for when six weeks have elapsed following the decree nisi being made.

Neither Piper nor Evans was in court.

The couple married in Las Vegas in May 2001 and separated in October 2004.

Also reported at BBC News.

Seventh Doctor Sylvester McCoy is set to appear on stage as the Fool in William Shakespeare's King Lear at the Westpac St James Theatre in Wellington on August 11 and 12. The Royal Shakespeare Company production stars Sir Ian McKellan, best known to science-fiction and -fantasy fans as Gandalf in Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings and as Magneto in the trilogy of X-Men films.

The Daily Record is currently featuring an interview with American actorRyan Carnes, best known for his role as Justin in Desperate Housewives, about his experience under heavy pig makeup as Laszlo inDaleks in Manhattan/Evolution of the Daleks.

Ryan had many years of research for the role under his belt even before being approached for it - he grew up on a pig farm: "It's ironic as my father and grandfather raised pigs until around the time I was 10. I used to help feed and call the pigs daily. And to make this part even more spooky, I grew up in Pike County, Illinois, which at one time was the 'pork capital of the world'. So playing a pig after working on a pig farm in the world capital of pigs is all very strange."

Ryan was not a fan of Doctor Who or of science fiction, but he says he "didn't have to really think too hard about taking the role" as he was familiar with the show's global appeal: "I wasn't a fan, but I'd known about it because a friend of mine had a Doctor Who pinball machine in his basement when I was a teenager, so that was my first introduction as an American."

Ryan also talks about the isolation of being under that much makeup, his desire to become an action figure, and his newfound respect for the Daleks.

The online edition of the News Shopper currently features an interview with Sixth Doctor Colin Baker about his upcoming appearance in the Alan Ayckbourn play Bedroom Farce at the Churchill Theatre, Bromley.

Bedroom Farce is a comic assault on the middle-class, revolving around three couples and the conversations and encounters within their three bedrooms.

"Alan Ayckbourn is a genius. I've done four Ayckbourn plays and they have always been the best fun I've ever had. I've never been to an Ayckbourn I haven't enjoyed and never taken part in one the audience haven't enjoyed. It's the main ingredient for success I think, Alan Ayckbourn."

Colin talks about his long career (both acting and writing), his entry into the Eurovision Song Contest last year, and about his co-star in the play, Louise Jameson.

"Around 90 per cent of what I do (in Bedroom Farce) is with Louise Jameson, who I know terribly well. We've worked together two or three times before and we're great friends. We even have a show we do together called Love Letters. This means rehearsals will be fun. She's always ticking me off for misbehaving."

According to the Manchester Evening News, Christopher Eccleston is set to star in a theatrical adaptation ofSusan Cooper's Young Adult novelThe Dark Is Rising.

Eccleston will play the main villain, the Rider, who leads the evil forces back and forth through time, in what are described as Harry Potter-style films. The five books in Cooper's series are optioned and will be produced, depending on the performance of the first film.

No information on production schedule or proposed release date is included in the article. Book description appears below:

The man who is the voice of the Daleks on TV has been enlisted for a stage adaptation of an epic adventure from the classic era.

Nicholas Briggs will join Interalia Theatre for The Dalek Masterplanat the New Theatre Royal in Portsmouth from Wednesday, October 24 to Saturday, October 27.

As reported on Outpost Gallifrey last December, after three previous stage hits the non-professional company has been granted a licence for a final adaptation of a "lost"Doctor Who story.

The other classic adventures given the theatrical treatment were The Web of Fear in 2000, Fury From The Deeptwo years later and The Evil of the Daleks last year.

Briggs was to have been involved with the production of Evil but had to pull out because of other commitments. Producer Rob Thrush said: "Some familiar faces are returning for the show and Nick is desperate to do this one, having missed out before.

"We're shooting a number of special links and some CGI action as well. It's going to be a spectacular sign-off to our Who stage shows."

A mini-convention is also to be held on the Saturday, including Briggs, Davros actor Terry Molloy and Dalek operatorBarnaby Edwards as guests.

Money raised from the shows will go to charity and local causes. See the box below for full cast and production crew details. Click on the thumbnails below for larger versions of the poster and some of the CGI work for the play.

(Thanks to Rob Thrush.)