Big Blue Box 2
Trinity Theatre, Tunbridge Wells
Saturday March 16 2013
Apologies for the shameless self promotion, but Big Blue Box, my unofficial Doctor Who convention raising funds for Compaid, the charity where I work, is returning for a second outing next March, and tickets are on sale now.
So why should you part with £50 (£30 if you’re 12 or under) to spend a Saturday in a church with 199 other Who fans? Well, for a start, there’s the guest list. Actresses Louise Jameson (Leela) and Sarah Sutton (Nyssa), Dalek operators Cy Town and Nicholas Pegg, actor Simon Fisher Becker (Dorium), composer Mark Ayres, historian Richard Bignell, script editor Gary Russell, and many more besides. Further names to be confirmed between now and March.
Then there’s the extras on the bill. Big screen showings of the Guerrier Brother shorts Revealing Diary and the Plotters, a light hearted debate on whether the Doctor is having a mid-life crisis, a charity auction of money can’t buy items, and a special benefit performance of Toby Hadoke’s new show, My Stepson Stole my Sonic Screwdriver.
Then there’s the venue. Trinity Theatre is a converted church with a state of the art digital projection and sound system, a funky cafe which at this year’s event had a special themed menu, and a reasonably priced bar where you can rub shoulders with guests and fans alike. All within five minutes walk of the town’s mainline train station.
Of course, there’s the cause. All the profits from the event will go towards Compaid’s work supporting disabled people in and around Kent, through computer skills training and a specially adapted transport service. We expect to raise several thousand pounds through this one day event.
Finally, what else are you going to do on a Saturday until series 7.2 of Doctor Who starts later in the Spring?
Tickets are limited to 200 to retain the intimacy and access to guests that was such a hallmark of the first Big Blue Box in January of this year. So what are you waiting for? Big Blue Box 2. It’s where every self-respecting fan of the Time Lord should be next March. I hope you can join me there.
