March 2025 | 36 years ago this month, the stage production Doctor Who The Ultimate Adventure, by Terrence Dicks, premiered at London’s Wimbledon Theatre.
Starring Jon Pertwee as The Doctor with musical theatre favourite Rebecca Thornhill as Crystal and Graeme Smith as Jason. Stuntman and one time Jon Pertwee’s stunt-double in the series Terry Walsh also appeared in the cast, playing the Duelling Guard, as did David Banks, who appeared in the TV series as the leader of a phalanx of Cybermen, as Karl.
I saw it later in its UK Tour At Glasgow’s Kings Theatre where it was a ★★★★★ Doctor in a ★★★ production – famously Pertwee had cribs strategically placed about the set.
Saw it again even further into the tour with Colin Baker as The Doctor at the Edinburgh Playhouse – the audience was pitifully small in the 3,000+ seat theatre and the production dwarfed on what was then billed as the largest proscenium arch theatre in Europe. Very. much a missed opportunity.
JON PERTWEE TOUR DATES: 23/03/89-01/04/89 Wimbledon Theatre, London | 03/04/89-08/04/89 His Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen | 10/04/89-15/04/89 Empire Theatre, Liverpool |17/04/89-22/04/89 Theatre Clywd, Mold | 24/04/89-29/04/89 Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham | 01/05/89-06/05/89 The Bristol Hippodrome | 08/05/89-13/05/89 Towngate Theatre, Basildon | 15/05/89-20/05/89 Theatre Royal, Glasgow | 22/05/89-27/05/89 Manchester Opera House | 29/05/89-03/06/89 Apollo Theatre, Oxford
COLIN BAKER TOUR DATES: 05/06/89-10/06/89 Newcastle Opera House | 12/06/89-17/06/89 Theatre Royal, Nottingham | 19/06/89-24/06/89 Grand Theatre, Leeds | 26/06/89-01/07/89 Theatre Royal, Brighton | 03/07/89-08/07/89 Edinburgh Playhouse | 10/07/89-15/07/89 Grand Theatre, Wolverhampton | 17/07/89-22/07/89 Theatre Royal, Northampton | 24/07/89-28/07/89 Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury | 31/07/89-05/08/89 King’s Theatre, Southsea | 07/08/89-19/08/89 Congress Theatre, Eastbourne
Where did you see it?
