Peter Purves enjoyable at residence together with his canine (Picture: PA)
Put two former Physician Who stars and a companion collectively on stage and also you’d be forgiven for assuming that they had time travelled there of their trusty Tardis. However no blue police field was required to unite Tom Baker and Colin Baker with Blue Peter veteran Peter Purves, who performed the companion to the very first Physician, William Hartnell, again within the Sixties, for his or her new enterprise – only a message from the past the veil (of types).
The trio are starring in a brand new touring stage adaptation of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, with Victorian London as their vacation spot. Colin, 82, performs the long-lasting function of Ebenezer Scrooge, whereas Tom, 91, seems in a recording because the ghost of Scrooge’s enterprise companion Jacob Marley. Peter, in the meantime, narrates the much-loved spooky basic as writer Dickens.
“The present is offered as an on-stage radio drama, which is a beautiful format,” says the 86-year-old actor, who’s in positive type as he chats to the Day by day Specific from his residence in Suffolk. “I’m wearing Victorian costume to the facet as Charles Dickens, and there are 4 microphones on stage.
“What I like in regards to the staging of this manufacturing is it’s set out like an previous radio play, or like The Archers. There’s only a desk of kit for the sound results and 4 microphones.
“However there’s nonetheless loads of exercise on stage with the forged members enjoying a number of components. It’s actually very intelligent. There are simply seven of us, together with the stage supervisor who does all of the music and sound results on stage with the forged utilizing completely different voices to play the completely different roles. The phrases are taken straight out of the novel.”
Blue Peter presenters John Noakes, Valerie Singleton and Peter Purves (Picture: BBC)
So, one thing for actual Dickens aficionados in addition to Physician Who followers then?
“It’s carried out as if it was being performed on the BBC,” nods Peter. “However though it’s basically a radio play there’s loads for the viewers to have a look at and lots to maintain folks entertained. And since we’re enjoying in comparatively small theatres of 300 to 400, the environment is cosy and there are additionally Christmas carols and old style radio play music performed, too.”
Peter, who appeared in additional than 40 episodes of Physician Who as Steven Taylor and reprised the function in 2023 in spin-off sequence Tales of the Tardis, says Colin – who was the sixth Physician – makes for a “great” Ebeneezer Scrooge.
“And since it’s offered as a radio play, the good factor is that we are able to have the scripts, so I haven’t needed to study the strains,” he continues, earlier than rapidly including: “I nonetheless can study strains, in fact!”
The present, through which three Christmas ghosts – Previous, Current and Future – go to miser Scrooge on Christmas Eve to point out him the error of his methods earlier than it’s too late, is being produced by the Crime and Comedy Theatre Firm.
Why does this well-known story proceed to enthral new generations? “Partly as a result of it’s a very quick ebook, but in addition as a result of it’s a ethical story of redemption and a extremely intelligent little ghost story,” says Peter. “I like studying Dickens, though I must say my favorite type of ebook to learn could be a John le Carré spy thriller.”
He’s clearly having fun with being again on stage and admits it was performing, fairly than presenting, for which he’s higher identified, that was – and at all times will probably be – his real love.
Born in New Longton, Preston, in 1939, Peter initially set his sights on educating, however he ultimately deserted his coaching to return to his childhood love of performing.
“I began out in a repertory theatre in Barrow-in-Furness and did 96 performs in two years,” he says. “The work was so assorted, it was a brand new play each couple of weeks and simply two weeks off a 12 months. It was the toughest I’ve ever labored nevertheless it was probably the most enjoyment I’d ever had. I used to be beginning to construct a reputation for myself as an actor.”
He appeared on TV in reveals like Z Vehicles, The Saint, Dixon of Dock Inexperienced and The Villains…however then, all of the sudden, his performing work dried as much as nothing.
Peter Purves opens Dr Who Exhibition Adventures in Occasions and House in Peterborough in Could 2025 (Picture: Terry Harris)
“I used to be on the verge of giving up utterly when Blue Peter got here knocking,” he admits of the youngsters’s teatime present which made him a family title within the Sixties. “I wasn’t ready to show it down – it ended up being the most effective issues I’ve ever performed.”
He stayed for greater than 10 years, showing in 850 episodes in all.
“I initially signed up for Blue Peter for six months however I didn’t have an possibility to depart after which that was prolonged for an additional six months and so forth,” he explains. “Though I had began out eager to be an actor and solely bought into presenting when the performing jobs stopped coming in, Blue Peter ended up being a fully sensible job which took me everywhere in the world.
“I visited 27 nations at a time when journey actually wasn’t as accessible as it’s in the present day – locations like Fiji and Tonga, Singapore and Sri Lanka. And I bought to do some wonderful issues, like being on the helm of the QE2.”
He provides: “I additionally bought to do the Royal Indicators White Helmets impediment course at Catterick in Yorkshire throughout my time on Blue Peter and I’m very pleased with my honorary White Helmet, and was unhappy when the Show Crew was disbanded in 2017. They had been a legendary workforce of riders, and I completely loved my few days coaching with them.”
That exact high-octane stunt led to Peter being supplied the presenting job on the children’ bike trials TV present, Kick Begin.
He additionally offered the youngsters’s sport programme Stopwatch on the BBC for 5 sequence within the Nineteen Seventies and early Nineteen Eighties, alongside co-presenters Daley Thompson, Suzanne Dando and Nigel Starmer-Smith. After that, he turned a presenter on the Darts World Championships for eight years.
“I’m not boasting however I’m really a reasonably good darts participant myself and performed for the BBC workforce, which is how I bought that gig,” he laughs.
William Hartnell with Peter Purves and Maureen O’Brien in Physician Who (Picture: BBC Photos)
After which in fact there was Crufts, which Peter offered for an unbelievable 41 years from 1978 to 2019. “It was taking care of the Blue Peter German Shepherd canine Petra which bought me the Crufts job and I’ve at all times cherished canine,” he explains.
He was unceremoniously dropped from his function as a present commentator after 41 years and admits he was “shocked” and “damage” by the choice – accusing broadcaster Channel 4 of “ageism”. Pooches, nevertheless, proceed to play an essential half in his life. At residence together with his second spouse Kathryn Evans, 73, the couple have dachshund and Pekinese canine, in addition to an English shorthair cat… so it mustbe a bit just like the Blue Peter studio.
However not one to simply sit again and loosen up together with his canine at residence, Peter has additionally launched his personal podcast sequence.
“I began the sequence off with a chat with Colin Baker and right here we’re once more performing collectively in A Christmas Carol subsequent month – so it actually does really feel like I’ve come full circle,” he says.
He has additionally just lately been engaged on the pilot episode for a TV sequence known as Henry Home through which he performs a dementia affected person, who’s additionally bought PTSD.
If that wasn’t sufficient, there are 4 movie scripts on provide, sitting in his workplace. “There are some nice tasks on the market by some very artistic folks and I’ve been supplied some nice roles just lately, however it’s so tough for movies to get the funding today and for tasks to get off the bottom.”
So no plans at 86 – having been working for properly over 60 years – to retire, then?
“Retirement? What’s that? Retirement is a unclean phrase in our sport, actors don’t retire,” the TV legend laughs. “We collapse on stage… simply hopefully not throughout A Christmas Carol!”
A Christmas Carol excursions from November 7 to 16. For tickets and venue data, go to crimeandcomedytheatrecompany.
