Theatre & Dance

Colin Baker and Terry Molloy are well-loved by fans of the classic series of Doctor Who for their portrayals of the sixth Doctor and his arch-nemesis Davros, creator of the Daleks.

Until January 2008, the actors have been reunited to tread the boards in the Norwich Theatre Royal's production of Dick Whittington, but with a cunning twist - Colin Baker has turned evil as King Rat, while Terry plays the kind-hearted Alderman Fitzwarren.

Davros and the Doctor

Terry Molloy, who lives in Norfolk, first played the role of Davros in 1984 in the Doctor Who episode Resurrection Of The Daleks. He then reprised the character a year later starring opposite Colin Baker in Revelation Of The Daleks.

Colin gained his key to the TARDIS in 1984, taking over the title role from Peter Davidson in an episode called The Twin Dilemma.

More than 20 years later, Doctor Who has once again become a jewel in the BBC's crown, winning a string of awards including a Bafta for best drama.

All aboard: The Doctor and Astrid Peth

The series has also become a corner-stone of the BBC's Christmas schedule which in 2007 saw pop-princess Kylie Minogue OBE join David Tennant for a space adventure aboard the Titanic in Doctor Who: Voyage Of The Damned.

Colin Baker and Terry Molloy spoke to Martin Barber about their thoughts on the Christmas special:

MB: Are you still interested enough in the show to still watch it? If so, what did you think of Voyage Of The Damned?

CB: I've got four daughters who, when Doctor Who came back with Christopher Eccleston, suddenly realised that the programme I'd tried to interest them in over the years and they said 'Nah I don’t want to watch that' -  suddenly watched this programme and said, 'Is that what you were in 20 years ago?'

Suddenly I'd achieved some status.

Doctor Who has come back remarkable well and I think Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant are doing a marvelous job.

Traditional the Christmas specials and Red Nose Day specials – even though they report to be part of the cannon aren't - it was a passably good story for Christmas.

I enjoyed watching it... it was wonderful to see Kyle Minogue in it because she's a very good actress and it's nice to see her acting again.

King Rat and Alderman Fitzwarren

It was a sweet story. It doesn't bare too close inspection.

How many times have we seen that thing where people have to walk across a narrow plank above a pit of oblivion – oh dear, almost every sci-fi film I've ever seen!

It was derivative, but well-enough made and an inconsequential piece of Christmas entertainment.

MB: Terry?

TM: I love the new series. Right from when they started I was delighted in the way they'd approached it.

They've got such a good team behind them. They've driven the story, advanced it and taken what we did before and carried it forward. It’s great to see some of the older characters coming back from time to time.

As Colin says, Christmas specials are a world of their own. There were some glorious moments.

The bit with Clive Swift and Christmas and this total mismatch of what Christmas is was a delightful idea which I'd like to have seen more of.

Sadly people like Geoffrey Palmer and Clive weren't given that much chance to be the brilliant actors they were – but that's the nature of a Christmas special.

Martin Barber and Terry Molloy

MB: Terry, the last time we spoke was when the I Davros audio series was released; they've just been re-released in a Davros box set with a new episode.

TM: Yeah – a new Davros story called the Davros Mission which follows chronologically on from Revelation [Of The Daleks].

Davros is taken off to stand trail by the Daleks and is incarcerated on a Dalek prison ship when he's visited by a Thal spy. It was a nice little story to do.

I'm also very pleased to hear the Davros box set is now the biggest selling boxed-set of Doctor Who so far which is great news.

MB: That sounds like a gauntlet being thrown Colin.

CB: Oh yes, but I'm very pleased about that as it contains my story so I want it to sell extremely well as I get something like .00001 of a penny per thousand sold!

MB: Do you still enjoy being part of the Doctor Who world?

CB: Yes, I'm an actor. If you had said to me before I started acting that I'd get two bites of the cherry – you would do things that people will remember forever like the Brothers which I did in the '70s and now Doctor Who – I'd have been overjoyed and I still am.

Doctor Who: Vengeance On Varos

I’m not one of those actors that says, 'Don't talk to me about the work I did 20 years ago, talk to me about this play.'

No, I'm in the entertainment business and if people 20 years after I've done something still want to celebrate it in whatever way, then I'm still more than happy to facilitate that and turn up at things and to listen to their theory's and sign autographs.

I'm proud of the work I did.

Colin Baker and Terry Molloy star in Dick Whittington at the Norwich Theatre Royal until Saturday, 20 January, 2008. For more details call 01603 630000.