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Maggie Stables - Dr Evelyn Smythe, the Doctor's companion.

Escape to Who
  How did you come to act in Doctor Who?

Well, I haven’t been an actress for that long. This is my second career.

I got into acting because I was asked to be an escapologist’s assistant. I taught French for about 150 years and I helped the escapologist in my spare time and in the holidays. One thing led to another and I was offered the chance of an early retirement. I took that and thought, "Well it’s great fun and you only live once, don’t you... I’ll try theatre".

Then in about 91 I was very lucky because I was able to go legit, stop doing musical numbers and do straight plays. I was in a straight play, a tour of Jane Eyre with Nick Briggs. There’s the connection.

So Nick Briggs rang me up and said, "I’ve got just the part for you, she’s an alien and she’s part Russian, part German and half warthog - absolutely right for you dear." I did it and that was my introduction to Doctor Who. Then I learnt a year or so later, that I was going to be Colin Baker’s companion. I couldn’t believe it. Very exciting.

Characterful companion
  Could you tell us about your character and her relationship with the Doctor?

She has a very good relationship with the Doctor, whom she doesn’t take too seriously. She teases him a lot.

We met in a university context, The history of her family was going to disappear from the records if she didn’t do something about it, so she went back with the Doctor to Mary Tudor’s court and that’s how it all started. She’s an academic lady, but she’s got quite a good sense of humour and feeds her students on chocolate cake.

She’s rather motherly really, although she’s not married. Well, in one of the books she did have a husband, but she doesn’t seem to have one now and there’s been no mention of any children. She keeps a bit of a restraining hand on the Doctor and if he gets a bit boastful she puts him down. She’s not respectful, although she’s very fond of him.

Ten jolly men
  I believe that this is your first opportunity to work with Cybermen. Now the thing about Cybermen is they are often said to have the strength of ten men….

Yes, terrifying isn’t it?!

If you had ten men at your disposal what would you have them do?

What a wonderful thought! I think we would probably go somewhere rather nice where there was good food and dancing, and if there were ten men then if one of them couldn’t do the tango, then maybe another one could and we could have a very jolly evening with champagne and dancing and some very nice food.