Deep Breath - Leicester Square screening

After all the anticipation of the day, and having seen the episode already in Cardiff, now it is finally time to watch it in a simultaneous broadcast on tv and at cinemas up and down the UK.

The excitement and buzz in the cinema was amazing. Everyone was on the edge of their seats waiting for the show to start.

On the big screen of the Leicester Square Odeon, where so many blockbuster films have had their premiers, there was a slideshow reminder of the world tour Peter Capaldi, Jenna Coleman and Steven Moffat have just completed.

I was at the Cardiff screening on the 7th of August, which formed the first stop on their seven cities over twelve day global tour.

From Cardiff they had rushed down to the BFI for the London leg, before flying to Seoul in South Korea for their screening two days later on the 9th of August.

They then took in Sydney on the 12th of August for the Australian stop-off, prior to heading to the United States and New York for the 14th August.

They then took in South America with Mexico City on the 17th August, followed the next day by the final stop in Rio De Janerio.

It must have been a gruelling trip but an incredible commitment on the part of the BBC to back the launch of the Twelfth Doctor to this extent.

From the look of the photos in the slideshow they had a great time and enjoyed every minute of it.

It wasn’t long before the lights went down and the episode started to the rapturous appreciation of the audience.

I had specially booked to come to THIS screening, as it was due to be followed by a question and answer session with Peter, Jenna and Steven. This would be broadcast live to the other cinemas around the UK showing the episode - but here is would be LIVE!

There was a bit of a gap between the episode and the Q&A, during which some Cybermen marched up and down the aisles, scaring the children.

I had managed to nab some seats within the first five or six rows of the stalls, which meant our view for the Q&A was second to none.

Peter, Jenna and Steven made their entrance in dramatic style. The Odeon Leicester Square is one of the few London cinemas which still has its Wurlitza organ at the front of the screen. This rises up on a platform through a trap door - and it was on this that the trio rose ethereally to the applause of everyone in the cinema.

The Q&A was hosted by Zoe Ball, who almost precisely a year ago hosted Doctor Who Live: The Next Doctor, when Peter Capaldi was revealed to the waiting fans at BBC Elstree, barely a mile from where I live.
She had also hosted the disastrous Doctor Who After Show Party at the BFI where things didn’t entirely go to plan.

Luckily this was more organised and we enjoyed a good half hour of conversation with the stars with questions submitted by members of the audience from across the UK.

All in all its been an awesome month to launch the latest Doctor, and by the looks of things the role is in safe hands.
I look forward to seeing what the rest of his first season has to bring us.

Deep Breath - Leicester Square cosplayers

Today is the big day for Peter Capaldi! After a month of previews around the globe it is crunch time - when the bulk of the viewing audience will finally see what he has done with the role.

To unofficially round off their World Tour, the BBC are screening the opening episode live at cinemas up and down the UK, as well as selected countries around the world.


I wasn’t planning on going to see it (again) so soon after the Cardiff premiere, but the screening at London’s Odeon Leicester Square is a little unique in that it is followed by a live Q&A session with Peter, Jenna and Steven. This I gather is being beamed to the other UK cinemas in a live link-up.

In the mad scramble for tickets I had managed to grab a couple of choice seat - stalls, dead centre, only six rows from the front! So today I went up to town - in costume of course - to join the fun and share the buzz.

For those that don’t know, Leicester Square in London’s West End is the heart of the cinema district, and the Odeon is one of the largest cinemas there. It has played host to countless prestigious premieres down the years.

So, to my disappointment, there was no big poster promoting Deep Breath on the front of the building. Instead there was a TARDIS and a single Dalek on a grassed area of the park close by.


I had my photo taken with the display in the background, and then went cosplay spotting!

I found a cardboard TARDIS - who ended up to the the mum to young Eleven cosplayer!




I came across a couple of young lads as Eleven and Twelve.



Close to the entrance to the cinema I spotted a really cool Osgood.

I also found some great costumes for the Fifth Doctor; a First Doctor and femme Dalek who had come over from Paris specially for THIS screening; as well as a femme Eleven.

I was struck by how many young cosplayers were dressed as classic series Doctors, and cleverly using the costume t-shirts to block in their outfits underneath the coats they were wearing.

I then got corralled into a group shot of the Doctors. We had great fun posing for everyone.

We even made the Doctor Who Facebook page! How cool!

Facebook - official Doctor Who page

Within a few hours we had well over 10,000 likes! My mate James is so jealous.

Deep Breath - Parliament Square photocall

With just over 24 hours to go until the Peter Capaldi era officially kicks off, the BBC have pulled of an early morning publicity stunt - in the middle of Westminster’s Parliament Square!


Overnight they have set up a display of the TARDIS atop a grassy crack with a T-Rex skeleton underneath!





Peter and Jenna were on hand in full costume!

They took some great portraits of Peter looking suitably Doctory, with the smoke machine going into action in the background!




Joined by Jenna, you can really see Peter getting into his Doctor persona.

There truly is something in how he is getting into these poses that evokes the Pertwee era - something he has freely admitted influences his approach to the role.

Matt was good at this stuff - but even before we have seen him on screen, Peter is hitting his stride and RUNNING WITH IT!

The Capaldi look - a Doctor in civvies!

Series eight of Doctor Who official wrapped this week and the very next day the Doctor Who World Tour kicked off.

I was lucky enough to be at the first leg in Cardiff, and saw WORLD premiere of Deep Breath.

The next stop was the later the same day in London at one of my favourite film venues, the BFI.

The BBC issued some nice portrait shots of Peter Capaldi and Jenna Colman, taken just before the screening.

Peter is sporting a rather natty shirt with a star constellation design.
It reminded me very much of the many fabric designs available through Spoonflower!

I wondered where it came from and did a bit of research.

It didn’t take me long to track it down to - of all places - Paul Smith!

Paul smith seems to be the choice of the recent Doctors, with David Tennant’s tuxedo from Voyage Of The Damned; Matt Smith’s Burgundy and Blue Scroll shirts in series Five; and now it’s the favourite of the latest Doctor, Peter Capaldi.

You may remember that in October last year I reported that Peter had visited Paul Smith’s workshop for a cup of tea with the man himself, so seeing him wear a shirt outside of the show isn’t entirely surprising.



Great choice for a Time Lord though!

The shirts are available to buy online and are in stock in all sizes (while I write).

Paul Smith Men’s Shirts
Navy Cosmos Print Shirt

Deep breath preview - a new colour has been invented

THE REVIEW IS SPOILER FREE

Today was one of those days that just went nicely to plan beginning to end.

I managed to grab myself a ticket for today’s preview of Deep Breath, so at the crack of dawn I’m off down to Cardiff on the train.

With the work I have on at the moment I can’t afford to waste too much time, so I took along a handful of tweed jacket collars for pad-stitching!
My reserved seat on the train was a bit cramped for hand stitching, so I relocated to a table seat where two ladies looked at what I was doing with curiosity.
I explained I was a tailor and what I was up to.
They were over from the States, one from Texas the other from New Mexico and were visiting Cardiff for the Doctor Who Experience.
Sometimes it seems everyone goes to Cardiff for Doctor Who.

We pulled into Cardiff around 11:30 giving me a comfortable 45 minutes to find the venue and get seated.

There was a red carpet arrival for Peter Capaldi and Jenna Coleman, but I assumed I had missed this.

Inside I found somewhere to drop off my overnight bag and I headed upstairs. Ultimately I need to get to level six, so it was up and up.

In the bar area there was a photo op for you to have you picture taken in front of a large display of Peter. It was free, and the pictures are posted on the BBC Cymru Wales Facebook page. A friend of mine, James, would be so jealous. Spot me there!

BBC Cyrmu Wales Facebook - Doctor Who Cardiff Premiere 2014

The next level up has a balcony overlooking the red carpet, which I hadn't missed after all.

In the distance we could see Peter signing autographs and posing with fans. Jenna was in a stunning ankle-length red dress and was following on behind.
Time was running short so they had to rush past a lot of fans so they didn't miss their entrance.

BBC News - Doctor Who gets red carpet premiere in Cardiff

I found my seat, which was very high up, but at least very central. The screen seemed very far away, but at least I was in.

This was the FIRST ever public screening of the episode - in the world, so everyone was fired up ready to see how Peter plays the part of The Doctor.

After a brief introduction it was on with the show as the lights dimmed and the excitement mounted.

I'm not going to go into a great deal of detail on the episode, but for those who want to know a bit about Peter’s costume, and how it evolves throughout the story, click the spoiler below.

Deep Breath - Costume Index preview: 

As you’d expect, Peter does wear Matt’s costume to start, but this is lost after the new design opening credits.

He spends a fair time wearing a Victorian nightshirt, before swapping his watch for some tramps clothes (the exchange is not seen on camera).

Later he disguises himself in a classic Gentleman’s Victorian frock coat with wing collar shirt.

It is only right at the end of the episode do we finally see in wearing his new, somber costume. There is no introduction to the costume. It is not seen to have been acquired from another character nor chosen from the TARDIS dressing up wardrobe. It just happens.

I’m sure you’re reading this wondering how Peter plays the part. How does he act? Does he do a good job?

Well, I was asked the question on Facebook, and this was my reply.

When they cast a new Doctor it is like they have invented a new colour. It’s not blue, or pink, or red, or aquamarine, or vermillion - it’s a NEW colour. If you could liken it to something else it wouldn’t be a new colour - it would be that other colour, but maybe a little different.

You can describe it til dawn, but whoever you tell is still gonna say, “Yeah, but what was it like?” Until they see the colour for themselves, no-one can say what it’s like. You tell me what you think of the new colour when you see it.