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.

David Tennant is to flick the switch marking the start of this year's Blackpool Illuminations.

Blackpool Tourism says the event on August 31 will take place during a free concert and live broadcast on BBC Radio 2.

Jackie Potter, the strategic director for tourism and regeneration, said: "We are absolutely delighted that David Tennant has accepted our invitation to switch on the lights.

"The celebrations are enjoyed by a huge family audience and we are sure this will be a popular choice."

Illuminations bosses are to unveil plans for a new display featuring characters and creatures from the show.

Tennant, who coincidentally starred in the BBC drama Blackpool, follows in the footsteps of Tom Baker, who similarly had the honour of switching on the lights in 1975 when he was the Doctor.

(Thanks to Tony Clark.)

Interalia Theatre has released a special trailer for its forthcoming production of The Dalek Masterplan.

As reported earlier by Outpost, the 12-part Hartnell epic has been adapted and condensed for the stage, to be performed at the New Theatre Royalin Portsmouth from Wednesday, October 24 to Saturday, October 27.

Nick Briggs, who voices the Daleks for Doctor Who on TV, will be helping the non-professional company in a similar capacity.

This will be the fourth and final presentation of a "lost" Doctor Who story by the company.

Special links and CGI action have been shot for the play, and producer Rob Thrush said: "It's going to be a spectacular sign-off to our Who stage shows."

To view the trailer, which begins with action from Interalia's production ofThe Evil of the Daleks last year, click here.

According to the official exhibitions website, Bloodtide - one of the witches from The Shakespeare Code - will be appearing for a limited period at Shakespeare's Globe in London, where some of the Series Three episode was filmed, as part of the tour and exhibition.

Information on the Globe's website would suggest, however, that it is actually the Carrionite's costume that is on display at the exhibition rather than the actress who played Bloodtide, Linda Clarke, taking an interactive part.

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.)

The one-man show Moths Ate My Doctor Who Scarf is to return to the Edinburgh Fringe this year.

A nationwide tour was reported by Outpost Gallifrey in January, with dates in Leicester, Bath, Glasgow, Hemel Hempstead, St Albans, Salford, Ammanford and Sheffield.

Now Toby Hadoke, pictured right, reports that dates have been added for a limited run at the 2007 Fringe.

See the textbox below for more from the press release.

Viewers in Scotland who missed out on last Friday's broadcast of the Doctor Who special of The Weakest Link because of regional scheduling will be able to see it on BBC One Scotland on Sunday, April 8 at 6.10pm, according to the official Doctor Who website.

To celebrate the return of Doctor Who to UK television screens, fans in Leicester are invited to meet a Cyberman and Dalek at the BBC's Open Centre.

Enrty to the centre is free. As well as the Doctor Who monsters it has an underground vault with cameras and lights, which takes visitors back two thousand years to the city's Roman origins.

The Doctor Who event runs from Monday 2nd April until Thursday 5th April 2007 and is open from 9.00am -5.00pm each day.

David Tennant will be at the auction of his signed script from The Satan Pit at John Nicholson Auctioneers this coming Wednesday.

As earlier reported by Outpost, the script has been signed by Tennant, Billie Piper and Russell T Davies.

It was given by Tennant to Arabella Weir, who played the Doctor in the Big Finish audio Exile, and will be sold by her in aid of a parent-teacher association of a primary school supported by Tennant, who is godfather to her son.

The fine art and collectables auction will take place at the auction rooms in Midhurst Road, Fernhurst, Haslemere, Surrey and will be filmed for the ITV show Dickinson's Real Deal.

There is a reserve price of 1,000 pounds on this item, although the auctioneers expect it to go for between 3,000 and 5,000 pounds.

No ticket is necessary to go along to the event.

The full details of the lot going under the hammer are given below, and are as stated by the auctioneers.