Toby Hadoke Interview
April 7, 2008 – 9:10 pm | by Peekay
Toby Hadoke brings his well reviewed stand-up show to the Arts Theatre London from this Wednesday, we caught up with him beforehand.
So, what’s the inspiration behind this “Moths ate my Doctor Who Scarf ” show?
“Well, moths did actually eat my Doctor Who scarf. Being well cool and hip and with it as a youth I knitted myself a Doctor Who scarf, and it remained with me until the year 2000, when I was clearing out some boxes and discovered a rather forlorn woolly pile that had been feasted on by marauding lepidoptera. I thought then that it would be a good title for something (after weeping a
lot, obviously). When I decided to do Edinburgh I figured the best way to do an hour was to “write what you know”, and I know Doctor Who. It started off as a party political broadcast for the Doctor Who Party, but evolved into a more personal tale that can be appreciated by fans and non fans alike.”
This last weekend saw the new series of Doctor Who start, what did you think of it, and the new series in general? How about Torchwood?
“I think the new series is marvellous – it has just the right levels of wit and jeopardy. There’s nothing like it on television. I was terrified when it came back that it wouldn’t be the same show, or that I would have moved on, but I still get the same giddy excitement I felt when I was 12. That’s some achievement seeing as I’m now 34. I thought Torchwood took a while to find its feet, but this last series has been very good – the season finale this year was like a punch in the face: gobsmacking stuff.”
Haven’t you been touring this show for a while now? How much more touring do you have?
“I only intended to do the show for one Edinburgh (2006 – although I’d been doing previews and rewriting it constantly, since October 2005), but it assumed a life of its own. We’ve certainly got bookings right up to the end of this year, and there’s even a possibility of doing it in America in late 2009. So I’m just going with the flow. I’m not bored of doing it, and I keep sharpening it, updating it and tinkering with it, so it never gets stale.”
Are you more of an actor or a stand-up comedian? How did you get into both areas?
“I’m both. Stand-up’s more of a meritocracy: if you’re any good, you get work. There are more variables with acting – casting directors need to be aware of you or see you in stuff. I’ve always wanted to act and have kept my hand in (I’ve done The Royal Today and Casualty 1907 recently – both medical dramas with a time travel element to them … I’m holding out to see if they make a show called Holby City 1066, coz i’d be a shoe in!). I got into stand-up by mistake. A friend of mine was setting up a night and asked if I fancied a crack. I said yes and thought no more of it till he showed me a flyer with my name on it. It went well and I’ve never really stopped.”
One of the running themes of Doctor Who, particularly the recent incarnations, is the importance of the assistant character – who is/was your most and least favourite assistant?
“I can’t understand the furore over Catherine Tate – I think she’s brilliant. My favourite companion has to be The Brigadier – a stoical military man having to put up with this crazy world-saving anarchist, and doing so with a weary stiff upper lip. Least favourite – hmm, the rather woefully acted Adric I think, but I was still sad when he got blown to bits by the Cybermen.”
