A mysterious old man known only as the Doctor saves the world at the cost of his own life, complaining his old body is “worn out”. His young friends, Ben and Polly, help him back inside his Ship, and are astonished as he literally transforms into a new man. Younger, impish and eccentric, this new Doctor nevertheless has the curiosity and moral compass of his predecessor – not to mention his knack for finding trouble…

Splendid Chaps is a year-long celebration of Doctor Who‘s fiftieth anniversary: eleven live performances recorded as podcasts in which your brains will be fed, your funny bones tickled, and your hearts opened (yes, both of them!). For our second instalment it’s all change, as the producers decide to replace their lead actor – but keep the same character. Well…more or less. The Second Doctor (or “Two”), played by character actor Patrick Troughton, is childish and panicky, yet this might just be a cover for his great intellect and capacity for planning. He now seems to see a motive beyond curiosity for his wandering, explicitly stating on more than one occasion that the evil creatures of the Universe “must be fought” – and so we also take this opportunity to explore the theme of “Evil” in Doctor Who. Is it absolute? Are there cosmic forces of right and wrong? And is the Doctor always on the right side?

Hosts Ben McKenzie, John Richards and Petra Elliott are joined by actor Toby Truslove (Laid, Outland, The Strange Calls) and cinema and television researcher Dr Djoymi Baker. Plus performance guest, cabaret comedian Dean Acuri – performing a song written especially for the show!

Space: 303, 303 High Street, Northcote
Time: Sunday, February 17; bar open from 4 PM, show starts 5 PM (note that as we are recording, latecomers will not be admitted until intermission)
Accessibility: We regret that this venue is not wheelchair accessible.
Tickets: $15 full price, $12 concession (plus booking fee)
Bookings: via TryBooking; tickets also sold at the door (subject to availability)
Podcast: not yet available; released 23rd of February, 2013.