Where are they now? No. 11 - Sophie Aldred

Sophie Aldred was born on 20th August 1962 in Greenwich, London, but grew up near Blackheath. She studied drama at Manchester University in 1980 and graduated in 1983.

Career

In 1987, she was cast as Ace in Doctor Who. Her tenure on the show spanned the last nine stories of the programme's original run, from 1987 to 1989. First appearance was in Dragonfire 23rd October 1987, last appearance in Survival 6th December 1989.

Ace, real name Dorothy Gale McShane, a 20th Century teenanger from Perivale, suburb of London.

She is working as a waitress in the frozen food retail complex of Iceworld on the planet Svartos. She had been a troubled teen on Earth, having been expelled from school for blowing up the art room as a "creative statement". Gifted in chemistry (despite failing it for her O-levels), she was in her room experimenting with the extraction of nitroglycerin from gelignite when a time storm swept her up and transported her to Iceworld, and far in her future. There, she meets the Doctor (7th incarnation), and his companion Mel. When Mel leaves the Doctor at the conclusion of the serial Dragonfire, he offers to take Ace with him in the TARDIS, and she happily accepts.

Both before and since Doctor Who, Aldred has had a varied and busy television career, particularly in children's programming, where she has presented educational programmes such as Corners, Melvin and Maureen's Music-a-grams, long-running BBC series Words and Pictures and also CITV paranormal show It's A Mystery in 1996. She also played the character Minnie The Mini Magician from Series 8 onwards on CITV's ZZZap! between 1999 and 2001.

Aldred has presented and sung in several BBC Schools Radio series, including Singing Together, Music Workshop, Time and Tune and Music Box. She has also performed on radio and in the theatre. She has also reprised her role as Ace in the charity special Dimensions In Time and the Doctor Who audio plays produced by Big Finish Productions. Throughout the 2000s she has worked extensively as a voice-over artist for television advertisements.

She co-wrote the hardback reference book, Ace, The Inside Story of the End of An Era with Mike Tucker, published by Virgin Publishing in 1996. (ISBN 1-85227-574-x).

Personal Life

Sophie Aldred married Vince Henderson on 12 July 1997. They have two sons, Adam and William, who make occasional convention appearances with their mother.

Where Are They Now? - No.10 Richard Franklin

Richard Franklin born 15th January 1936 is best known as Captain Mike Yates during the Jon Pertwee Doctor Who era (1970-1974). Yates was a memeber of U.N.I.T (United Intelligence Task Force now known as UNified Inelligence Taskforce) Today he works as a Theatre Producer.

Yates first appeared in the Third Doctor story Terror of the Autons, the latest in a line of Captains assisting Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewert. He proved more durable than his predecessors, appearing semi-regularly in the programme from 1971 to 1974 alongside the Brigadier and Sergeant Benton. Together with the Doctor and his companions, Yates fought off alien invasions, the machinations of the renegade Time Lord known as the Master, rogue computers and mutated maggots.

Yates was a fairly non-descript character, typical of the British Army officer class, and little is known of him outside of his time with UNIT. He was cool under fire, efficient, and both gave and carried out his orders with a minimum of fuss. He appeared to have a relatively good rapport with his men, although he did remind Benton on occasion that "rank hath its privileges". He was attracted to the Third Doctor's assistant Jo Grant and they may have dated for a time - Jo was dressed up to go on a date with Mike at the start of The Curse of Peladon only to be taken on a trip in the TARDIS by the Doctor.

Yates's fall from grace started when he was brainwashed by the artificial intelligence BOSS in the 1973 serial The Green Death. The brush with ecological disaster apparently made Yates very concerned about the future of the planet, and he was easily recruited by Sir Charles Grover into a conspiracy to reverse time and return Earth to a "golden age" (Invasion of the Dinosaurs). The conspiracy was thwarted by the Doctor, and in return for his past service to UNIT, the Brigadier allowed Yates to take medical leave and then quietly resign (actor Richard Franklin believes the initial plan for this story was to kill off Yates.

His acting credentials include: Crossroads (1969), Blake's 7, Dixon of Dock Green, Catherine Cookson's The Gambling Man. He has also guest-starred in a number of Big Finish Productions audio plays: Professor Bernice Summerfield; Dragon's Wraith, Sapphire & Steel; The Surest Posion, and I, Davros; Innocence.

His theatre acting work includes Peter Dews' production of As You Like It, Same Time Next Year (Prince of Wales Theatre), Macbeth (RSC), Rocky Horror Show (as the Narrator), The Spider's Web (UK Tour for Ian Dickens), Romeo and Juliet (UK Tour with Sean Maguire), The Importance of Being Earnest (English Speaking Theatre, Frankfurt) and many pantomimes. On radio he played Harrison Howell in the BBC Radio 2 production of Kiss Me Kate (1996).

Richard also runs his own theatre company Richard Franklin Productions and has in recent years produced an annual production as part of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. He has also been an artistic and associate director of a number of theatres. He currently lives in Brighton and is a drama lecturer at the Academy of Creative Training (ACT) and has directed many shows at Brighton's Marlborough Theatre.

He has maintained his contact with Doctor Who and appears regularly at conventions and contributing to video projects for Reeltime Pictures in their spin-off interview and documentary productions. He recreated Captain Mike Yates for the Twentieth Anniversary special The Five Doctors (1983) with Peter Davison and also the Thirtieth Anniversary 3-D Special for Children In Need Dimensions In Time (1993).

Franklin also wrote a novel featuring his Who character, Mike Yates, The Killing Stone, but it has been released only as an audio book, read by the author.

Where Are They Now? - No.9 Anneke Wills

Anneke was born on October 20th, 1941, in Berkshire. Her parents Anna and Alaric Willys (she later changed her name to Wills) had planned to buy a house in the South of France but World War II ended that idea. Alaric was a gambler whose severe debts forced Anna to take on a string of jobs while he became a captain in the British army and an absent figure. Anna worked as a companion to a blind aristocrat, gardener, teacher - moving Anneke and her brother Robin around the country several times. Anneke won her first role at the age of 11 while she was living on a houseboat in Bray, Berkshire. The film was called Child's Play and she gave the £9 fee to her mother. Deciding she wanted to be an actress she then studied drama at the Arts Educational School in London and quickly became one of the busiest actresses of her generation, early roles included an appearance as Roberta in the first TV version of The Railway Children in 1957.

She appeared in the show from 1966 to 1967 alongside William Hartnell and Patrick Troughton as the Doctor - the first in a long line of glamorous Doctor Who girls Travelled with the Doctorbetween The War Machines and The Faceless Ones.

Polly was the the secretary of Professor Brett, who had developed a malevolent computer called WOTAN. Personable, and strong-willed, Polly had recently befriended a despondent sailor, Ben Jackson.

The Doctor defeated WOTAN and the tank-like mobile War Machines it commanded. The Doctor accidentally took off with Polly and Ben on board, leading them into a series of adventures, including the Doctor's first encounter with the Cybermen.

Ben and Polly were present when the Doctor regenerated for the first time. When their travels eventually returned them to contemporary Earth, Ben and Polly took the opportunity to leave.

Other television credits include appearances in The Avengers and as Evelyn in Strange Report. However she left the latter series when it was planned to switch filming to Hollywood.

Anneke has had an extraordinary life. One of her early boyfriends was Daphne du Maurier's son, Kits Browning but it was Edward Fox who was her first love. At 17 she began a relationship with Anthony Newley while working on the TV series The Strange World of Gurney Slade. Later, she married Michael Gough, the distinguished actor who played The Celestial Toymaker in Doctor Who.

During the sixties Anneke spent much of her time at the famous Troubadour Coffee Shop and The Establishment, and was part of the so-called Chelsea Set, counting among her close friends Peter Cook and Dudley Moore, The Alberts, Sammy Davis Junior, Angela Douglas and Kenneth More, Mary Quant, Sarah Miles and many more leading lights of the Sixties.

In 1966 she was offered her role in Doctor Who and life seemed perfect for the young actress. However after leaving Strange Report her professional acting career drew to a close, she moved to Norfolk with Gough and found an Elizabethan farmhouse which they bought and she threw herself into motherhood and gardening. For years they were happy but when Gough started work at the National Theatre and returned to Norfolk only at weekends, the strain began to tell. He was also womanising and though, as with Newley, Wills initially let this slide, the situation deteriorated and after two years of trying to keep it together they admitted defeat and divorced. She walked away from the marriage without asking for any alimony. Her next move was to take a course in meditation in London which led to her finding out about the teachings of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh. Leaving daughter Polly who was then 14, she took 12 year old Jasper with her and headed for India, donning the orange robes of Bhagwan's cult followers and joining his ashram where free love was the order of the day. However Wills was more interested in meditation and after initial doubt of her decision she settled down and stayed in the ashram from 1975 to 1981, at one stage spending ten days blindfolded on a cushion. She then followed Bhagwan and his disciples to Oregon.

There is much, much more to this amazing life...and it can be read about in Anneke's Autobiography, 'Self Portrait'.

£11.99 plus £2.00 p&p

If you would like your book signed, please allow up to 4 weeks for delivery, and please ensure that you include a note with your payment stating who you would like the autograph dedicated to.

Coming soon.

Volume 2 of Anneke's autobiography.

The second part of her autobiography continues from the 1970's through to the present day.

£11.99 plus £2.00 p&p

Anneke on Facebook

There is now an official Facebook group for Anneke - simply search on 'Anneke Wills' and the group will be at the top of the search results.

Polly Returns in Brand New Doctor Who Adventure

Written by Steve Lyons, 'Resistance' is a new Doctor Who adventure in Big Finish's 'Companion Chronicles' series. Anneke reprises her role as Polly, and tells the story which features the second Doctor, Ben and Jamie in occupied France during the second world war. For the first time, we see Polly's point of view, as she confronts her own history. Release date to be confirmed, but likely to be summer 2008. Watch the Big Finish Website for news. Resistance is expected for release in March 2009.

Drawn by Anneke herself and on sale from her website for £15. You can view more of her drawings at her shop.

Where Are They Now? - No.8 Mary Tamm

Mary Tamm was born in Bradford , Yorkshire. (born 22 March 1950 in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire). Best known for being the first actress to play the character of Romana in Doctor Who opposite Tom Baker as the Doctor, from the 1978 - 1979 season known collectively as The Key To Time.

Her parents were refugees from Estonia, Mary's first language is Estonian, she didn't learn English until she started school.

She attended Bradford Girls Grammar school, and left with 6 O- levels and 3 A-levels.

She trained at Rada where she won the Emile Littler and Hannam Clarke awards.

Her first professional job was at the new Birmingham Repertory theatre where she spent nine months in the new building on Broad Street, working alongside Derek Jacobi, Joan Sims and Ronnie Barker.

TV work swiftly followed, notably, The Donati Conspiracy, with the late and great Richard Beckinsale, and Girls of Slender Means, with Miriam Margolyes and Patricia Hodge.

Her first feature film was Tales that Witness Madness, with Kim Novak, a cult classic, and The Odessa File, with Jon Voight, which pitched her career into the international arena.

Best remembered for Doctor Who, playing Romana, and Brookside, for her performance as Penny Crosbie, Mary's work has been varied and highly acclaimed .

Romanadvortrelundar (I)

Tamm was not initially interested in playing a companion to the Doctor as she believed that the role was merely that of the "damsel in distress". However, she changed her mind when assured by the producers that Romana would be different. Romana was supposed to be a Time Lady, a member of the Doctor's own people and therefore as capable as the Doctor. She left the programme after only one season due to her late discovered pregnancy. The role of Romana was assumed by Lalla Ward.

Recently she has starred in Diamond Geezer, with David Jason, A Class Act, Doctors, the BBC drama series Paradise Heights with Neil Morrisey and Ralf Little, and Jonathan Creek, with Steven Berkoff, as well as many guest appearances in several TV productions. See CV for more details.

Her recent stage work includes Amanda in Private Lives, Maria Halliwell in When We Are Married, Mari Hoff in Little Voice, and Beverley in Abigail's Party.

Mary is a member of the associates of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, and for ten years worked on the committee, raising money for the student hardship fund. In 2005, she helped organise and appeared in the Rada centenary gala, which included past Rada luminaries such as Joan Collins, David Warner, Gemma Jones and many more.

She mentors students at the academy, and helps with their progress both throughout their training, and afterwards, when they enter the profession. She has attended workshops and forums at drama schools in London, and has taught improvisation and audition speech techniques,as well as directing student productions.

She married Marcus in 1978, and they have one daughter and one grandchild. Mary lives in London with her husband and two cats.

July 2008

Mary is on board a new British film by Jake West, called Doghouse , playing a conservative MP called Meg Nut!


Mary has been filming a two part "Wire in the Blood" - 'Unnatural Vices', which is part of 8 one hour episodes airing on ITV1, Friday, 12th September 2008, with Robson Green & Simone Lahbib. She plays the part of Jeanette Wise 'Elektra', a S&M Mistress.

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2007

Mary started the year with a return to her time on DR WHO. She provided the voiceover commentary for the Key To Time series, which was released on DVD on September 24th 2007.

She visited an old DW location, to present a documentary for the above, which was a fascinating experience, and filmed two in- vision interviews about her time on the programme. Other main and guest artistes who recorded material for the DVD include Tom Baker, John Leeson and many, many more.

All in all, the masses of extra material are a fascinating insight into the making of the series, with new and hitherto unspoken revelations coming to light ......even Mary was surprised!

Mary filmed an episode of Doctors for the BBC, playing a film star! This was out on August 20th, at 2.05 pm on BBC1. She did a cameo appearance in Diamond Geezer on Monday, April 9th at 9pm on ITV. Mary was in A Class Apart on March 23rd, BBC 1, at 8.30 pm. Also this year, she is devoting some time to penning her autobiography..

She flew to LA in January for a Dr Who convention, with old Rada chums David Warwick (below) and Louise Jameson, and attended panels with present cast members and writers of the new series. Mary was thrilled to make the acquaintance of one of her screen heroes- Mark Gattis, and to meet Noel Clarke.

2005

Work this year included The panto, Dick Whittington, at Sutton -Mary had a great time prancing about the stage and being very wicked as Queen rat.

With Matthew Harper as Dick .

Next, she did a film with Malcolm Tierney, of Braveheart fame, called Come Dancing, playing the dubious owner of a lap dancing club!

She then filmed an episode of Rose and Maloney, playing another baddie, Danuta Richmond, opposite Sarah Lancashire.

The year so far also involved organising the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art's centenary gala. This event was staged on April 17th, and Mary appeared as the compere, introducing performers including Joan Collins, David Warner, Gemma Jones and many more. She also read out tributes to the founder,Henry Beerbohm Tree, and did sketches with fellow presenter Mike Simpkins.

A Sci fi event followed at Milton Keynes, where Mary was thrilled to meet the cast of Lord of the Rings, and two of her favourite actors, Paul McGann and Alan Cummings, as well as catching up with fellow Who thesps, always a pleasure .

2004

Mary started the year with rehearsals for Mixed Feelings, by Eric Chappell, a comedy also starring Paul Nicholas. The play went on a very successful national tour. Mary played the character of Jan, a woman who had to cope with her husband's sex change. The serious undertones of the part provided an enjoyable challenge. (More info on reviews page)

Richmond Theatre London

MIXED FEELINGS

Mixed Feelings is an intriguing new play by Eric Chappell. The two halves head in very different directions and the audience is kept guessing throughout. Despite the fact that it handles the sensitive subject of a man’s re-entry into society after a sex change operation, there are no clichés and no awkward moments. The entire play revolves around Vernon, superbly played by Paul Nicholas. The first half sees him at home, just after his return to his wife Jan, played by Mary Tamm, and daughter Zoe, in British suburbia. He has been AWOL in Casablanca for six months and each person with whom he has contact has a different theory about his disappearance. His wife is convinced he had an affair, his best friend thinks that he was having a mid-life crisis and his boss believes that he suffered a nervous breakdown. The situations in which the truth is revealed to each person are witty and hilarious. Vernon spends the second half dressed in drag, which enables him to raise easy laughs but also some great one-liners. The set by Michael Holt is very good - the entire play takes place in the front room of Vernon and Jans suburban semi, which gives it the feeling of a television sitcom. Hailing from the sitcom Just Good Friends Paul Nicholas is perfectly at home in this environment. His wife is a great counterbalance and she is played by Mary Tamm as a straight talking, no-nonsense women, who appears to take the revelations in her stride. Her poise and authority are key to ensuring that the play does not turn into a farce. The entire cast is in fact excellent, making the most of the imaginative and well-paced script and well directed by Jeremy Meadows. John Benfield plays Vernons best friend Eddie with energy, whilst Alan Granvilles interpretation of Fletcher, Vernon’s prejudiced, racist, sexist boss, is sublime. Mixed Feelings is thought provoking and a joy to watch. It begs the question, what would you do if a key person in your life changed not just their appearance, but everything about themselves, including hobbies, partner, and their sex?

She also appeared at Dr Who conventions and signings, and recorded an audio CD for Big Finish reprising her character of a very changed Romana!

A highlight of this busy year was appearing with Paul Nicholas in the wonderful Simon Gray play,Stage Struck, at Windsor. The cast also included old chum Ray Lonnen. Mary also worked with with Paul the previous year in Mixed Feelings, a new Eric Chappell comedy. More of that later.......

After this, Mary travelled up to Birmingham to record a wonderful part in BBC's Doctors, playing a glamorous ex model, hailed as the Jean Shrimpton of the Midlands! A meaty role portraying an older woman with a secret young lover. Naughty naughty!

The year also included work for Big Finish, recording an audio CD for the Gallifrey series. Mary reprised her role as Romana, which was an interesting experience, and highly enjoyable. Visit http://bigfinish.com/ for more info.

MARY TAMM -Credits

TELEVISION CREDITS - Series leads include:

PARADISE HEIGHTS / Yvonne Edwards/ A Pearce / D Innes Edwards
BBC
HEADLESS / Portia Loomis/ T McHale / M Hutchison Channel 4

BROOKSIDE / Penny Crosbie /Various (15 months) Channel 4

THE ASSASSINATION RUN / Jill Frazer /Ken Hannam }

THE TREACHERY GAME / Jill Frazer/ Ken Hannam }

THE HELLO GOODBYE MAN / Jennifer/ Alan J.W. Bell }
[BBC]
GIRLS OF SLENDER MEANS / Selina/ Moira Armstrong }

THE DONATI CONSPIRACY / Sally Ross /Vere Lorimar }

DOCTOR WHO / Romana /Various (1 year)

A RAGING CALM / Julie Warner / June Howson / Gerry Mill Granada


TELEVISION CREDITS - Guest appearances include:

WIRE IN THE BLOOD/ Elektra /Peter Hoar /Coastal Productions

DOCTORS / Jemma Forrester / Neil Adams / BBC

DIAMOND GEEZER II / Maureen Charlton /Paul Harrison Yorkshire / ITV

A CLASS APART / Mrs. Fills /Nick Hurran Paloma / BBC TV

ROSE AND MALONEY / Danuta Richmond/ Metin Huseyin Company Pictures

HOLBY CITY / Fliss Wright/ Neil Adams )

DOCTORS / Sylvia Crawford /Jason Millward )

TWISTED TALES - FLAT FOUR / Mrs. Templeman /Andy Goddard )

JONATHAN CREEK – 2 hour special / Vivien Brody /Sandy Johnson )

THE PRACTICE / Lynn Baker /Adrian Bean }

CRIME TRAVELLER / Mary Chandler/ Rick Stroud }

CASUALTY / Virginia Petrie /Sue Butterworth }
BBC
BERGERAC / Louise West /Laurence Moody }

NOT THE NINE O'CLOCK NEWS / Sketches /John Lloyd }

JANE EYRE / Blanche Ingram /Julian Aymes }

THE SCARLET WOMAN / Laura /Bill Anderson }

CORONATION STREET / Diana Black /Eugene Ferguson Granada

THE BILL / Moira Sutherland/ Ged Maguire Thames

LOVED BY YOU / Diane Caldwell / Richard Boden )

UP RISING / Maddie Matt Lipsey ) Carlton

LONDON BRIDGE / Jan Bishop /Roberto Bangura )

HEARTBEAT / Marilyn/ Ken Horn Yorkshire

THE NEW ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD The Abbess/ Terry Marcel Warner Brothers TV

THE NEW PROFESSIONALS / Maggie Llewelyn /David Wickes Sky / Wickes TV

PERFECT SOUNDRELS / Mary Cooper /John Gorrie TVS

WORLDS BEYOND / Susan Wentworth /Adrian Cooper Channel 4

QUEST FOR LOVE / The Women/ Philip Saville Channel 4

POIROT / Louise Farley /Ed Bennett LWT

ANIMAL ARK / Antonia Kent /Dirk Campbell Zenith

THE INHERITORS / Tessa/ Ian McNaughton HTV

ONLY WHEN I LAUGH / Leonora /Vernon Lawrence Yorkshire

CORONATION STREET / Pauline / Roland Joffe Granada



FILM CREDITS INCLUDE:

THE ODESSA FILE / Sigi / Ronald Neame Columbia

COME DANCING / The Madam/ Mark Conn Dark Horse Pictures

AMAZONS AND GLADIATORS / Queen Zenobia/ Zachary Weintraub )

RAMPAGE / Julie / Manik Sandrasagra ) Paramount

WITNESS MADNESS / Ginny / Freddie Francis )

SORTED / Ann Foster /Alex Jovy Jovy Junior Films

MELODY IS HER SECOND NAME / Alex/ Jack Rochon U4ME Films

THE DARKENING / Maria Gabriel /Steven Hilliker Electronic Arts

PRESSING ENGAGEMENT / Mai Wells / Jon Weinbren
Yorkshire Films

THREE KINDS OF HEAT / Caroline Pyn /Leslie Stevens ABC

THE LIKELY LADS / Chris / Michael Tuckner EMI

THE DOUBT / Anne / Photis Constantindes EMI



THEATRE CREDITS INCLUDE:

PRIVATE LIVES / Amanda /David Warwick Far-Eastern tour

STAGE STRUCK / Anne /Mark Piper )

I'LL BE BACK BEFORE MIDNIGHT / Laura /Mark Piper ) Theatre Royal, Windsor

PRESENT LAUGHTER / Joanna /Tom Conti )

AGIBAILS PARTY / Beverley /Ian Dickens Chichester Festival Theatre

THE MAINTENANCE MAN / Diana /June Howson The Mill, Sonning

WHY IS HERE THERE? / Miss Julie, Hedda Gabler/ Hilary Westlake Lumiere & Son/Riverside Studios

SWIMMING POOLS AT WAR / Cat /Bob Gillespie Offstage Downstairs

CARDS ON THE TABLE / Rhoda Dawes/ Peter Dews Vaudeville, London

BITTER TEARS OF PETRA VON KANT / Karin /Robert Walker New End, Hampstead

MOTHER EARTH / Various /Tony Palmer Roundhouse, London

THE LOVER / Sarah / Peter Dews Birmingham Rep

ACTION REPLAY / Helen/ Peter Farago Birmingham Rep

OEDIPUS / chorus Peter Dews Birmingham Rep


National tours:

MIXED FEELINGS / Jan /Jeremy Meadow National tour

DEAD FUNNY / Eleanor /Bruce James National tour

WHEN WE ARE MARRIED / Maria Helliwell /Ian Dickens National tour

POPCORN / Farrah Delamitri /Bruce James National tour

THE RISE AND FALL OF LITTLE VOICE / Mari Hoff/ Bruce James National tour

TABLE MANNERS and LIVING TOGETHER / Ruth /Ian Dickens National tour

GOOD MORNING, BILL / Dr. Sally Smith /Peter Clapham National tour

Where Are They Now? - No.7 Lalla Ward

Lalla Ward (born Sarah Ward, 28th June 1951), also known as The Honourable Sarah Ward, an English actress, author, and illustrator. As an actress, she is best known for playing the part of Romana (Number 2) in the BBC's series Doctor Who. She is married to evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins, who has just done a cameo appearance in the 30th Series (aka Series 4) in the episode The Stolen Earth.

She is the daughter of Edward Ward, 7th Viscount Bangor, and his fourth wife Marjorie Alice Banks. Her father was the BBC's war correspondent in Finland at the beginning of World War II, while her mother was a writer and BBC producer specialising in dramatised documentaries.

She has a brother Edward, two years her junior; and a half-brother, William, who is the 8th Vicount Bangor, three years her senior.

Through her father she is descended from George Plantagenet, 1st Duke of Clarence, brother of Edward IV, via John Mordaunt, 1st Earl of Peterborough, John, 1st Viscount Mordaunt, and Bernard Ward, 1st Viscount Bangor.

Ward's stage name, "Lalla", comes from her attempts as a toddler to pronounce her own name. She left school at the age of 14 because she "loathed every single minute of it", and took her O-Levels on her own. After spending a few years painting, Ward auditioned at London drama schools "as a sort of dare" to herself:

"It was a 'see if you can do it' sort of thing, because it was the thing I hated most — just like somebody who's scared of heights might go rock climbing, or, I don't know, go potholing if they're claustrophobic."

Ward studied at the Central School of Speech & Drama from 1968 to 1971.

She began her acting career in the Hammer horror film Vampire Circus (1972), and played the teenage daughter of The Dutchess of Duke Street in the popular BBC drama series of the 1970s. She appeared in films such as Matushka, England Made Me (1972), Rosebud (1974), and The Prince & The Pauper (1977) and on television featured in Van Der Valk (1973), The Protectors (1973), Quiller (1975), Who Pays The Ferryman? (1977), The Professionals (1978) (Iloved this show!) and Hazell (1979). She acted in a film called Got It Made in 1974 which was later recut with sex scenes featuring other actresses and reissued as Sweet Virgin. Club International magazine ran nude pictures from the film, claiming they were of her and Ward successfully sued the magazine. In 1980, she played Ophelia to Derek (Prf. Yana) Jacobi's Hamlet in the BBC television production.

She is best remembered as the second actress to play Time Lady Romana (Romanadvoratrelundar). After a guest appearance as Princess Astra in the Doctor Who story"The Armegeddon Factor" in 1979, Ward was chosen to replace Mary Tamm, who had decided against continuing in the role.

She appeared in ten televised Doctor Who serials credited as Romana - "Destiny of thev Daleks", "City of Death", "The Creature from the Pit, "Nightmare of Eden", "The Hornes of Nimon", "The Leisure Hive", "Meglos", and also the E-Space trilogy - "Full Circle", "State of Decay" and "Warriors Gaste". She also appeared uncredited in "Logopolis" and "Resurrection of the Daleks" during flashback sequences.

One story that Ward worked on, "Shada" was not completed due to a strike, and the material was only televised as part of the anniversary episode"The Five Doctors" in 1983.

Ward was dating her co-star Tom Baker whilst working on Doctor Who, and they lived together in a flat in Chelsea. After her exit from the programme in 1981, the couple married that December, but the marriage lasted only sixteen months. Ward and Baker later claimed their separation was due to work commitments, different lifestyles and conflicts of interest. Regarding her marriage to Tom Baker, Ward is quoted as saying:

"It's something I still feel sad about. I loved — and, in many ways, still love — Tom very much. The trouble is, our careers came to be just as important as each other, and we grew apart. I was angry at suggestions that it didn't work because I was too young, or that Tom was unreasonable to me. We just irritated each other occasionally — we weren't close enough, I suppose. It was a decision we discussed and felt was for the best."

After Doctor Who, she appeared in Schoolgirl Chums (1982) and The Jeweller's Shop and The Rehearsal on stage.

Ward decided to end her acting career after marrying Dawkins. However, she has since reprised the character of Romana in the 1993 charity special Dimensions in Time, the 2003 webcast version of "Shada", and in several Doctor Who and Gallifrey audio plays produced by Big Finish Productions. In addition, she has appeared at a number of Doctor Who conventions and related special events.

She has also recorded audio books, including Steven Pinker's The Language Instinct and Dawkins' The Ancestor's Tale and The God Delusion, in which she co-narrates with her husband.

Where Are They Now? - No.6 Mark Strickson

Mark Strickson (born 1961 in Stratford Upon-Avon) is a British Actor best known for his roles as the character of Vislor Turlough companion to the fifth Doctor and as the young Ebenezer Scrooge in the 1984 version of A Christmas Carol. He attended King Edward VI Grammar School in his hometown of Stratford Upon Avon, and was also a Chorister at Holy Trinity Church (Shakespeare's Church), where his Father John Strickson was Organist and Choirmaster. He studied drama at RADA in London. After he left Doctor Who, he emigrated to Australia where he studied zoology at university. He now lives in Dunedin, New Zealand.

Strickson is now a documentary producer and director, especially of wildlife documentary programmes. He has produced programmes for, amongst others, the Discovery Channel, the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Animal Planet. He was the person who brought Steve Irwin to public attention with such shows as The Ten Deadliest Snakes in the World.

Strickson has reprised the role of Turlough in the Big Finish Productions Doctor Who audio dramas. He also took part in the "Celebration" documentary for the "Five Doctors" DVD in 2008.

Where Are They Now? - No.5 Janet Fielding

Janet Fielding (born Janet Mahoney, 1957, Brisbane, Queensland) is an Australian actress who is best known for her role in BBC's Doctor Who as Tegan Jovanka. She was a companion of both the Fourth and Fifth Doctor's.

Tegan Jovanka was an airline stewardess for Air Australia. Loud, brash and stubborn, she was nonetheless gifted with a clever mind and an appreciable dose of common sense. Tegan was not a woman to dance around a problem -- she cut right to the heart of the matter, and had little time to spare for those who would not do likewise. Despite her brassy exterior, however, even Tegan was not immune to the horrible things she witnessed during her time in the TARDIS; at first addictive, the weight of these experiences gradually grew to be more than even she could bear.

Australian Tegan Jovanka was on her way to start a new job as an air hostess when she entered the TARDIS, thinking it was a genuine Police Box. Shortly afterwards, her aunt was murdered by the Master.

After witnessing the Doctor regenerate into his fifth incarnation, she joined Nyssa and Adric in their travels with the Doctor. Tegan's adventures with the Doctor were especially traumatic: she was present when Adric died, and was mentally assaulted by the Mara on Deva Loka.

Finally sickened by all the death she'd witnessed, Tegan left the Doctor and Turlough, after helping to thwart an attempt by the Daleks to invade time itsel

Janet Fielding played Tegan from Logopolis in February 1981 to Resurrection Of The Daleks in February 1984. She returned as a regenerative image for Peter Davison's swan song The Caves Of Androzani in March 1984.




In 1982, Fielding married Daily Mirror foreign editor Nick Davies, who later became notable for allegations of being an arms dealer and Mossad agent. They divorced in 1991.

In the 1990s, Fielding worked as a theatrical agent, at one point representing Paul McGann when he took the role of the Eigth Doctor.

Despite distancing herself from Doctor Who for many years and being vocal in her criticisms of the programme, she returned to the role of Tegan for a Big Finish Productions audio play titled The Gathering released in 2006, once again alongsid Peter Davison as the Fifth Doctor. Fielding has also provided audio commentaries for several DVD releases of Tegan's Doctor Who stories.

Fielding now works as the head of finance for a major charity organisation

Where Are They Now? - No.4 Sarah Sutton

Sarah Sutton (born 12 December 1961 in Basingstoke, Hampshire, England) is a British actress. She started her acting career at the tender age of 7 whilst attending the Elm Hurst Ballet School, when she was picked to play the part of Roo in a Pheonix Theatre production of Winnie the Pooh, which she played for 3 Christmases on the trot.

By the age of 11 she had starred in numerous television roles, including Menace:Boys And Girl s Come Out To Play (1973), Late Call (1974), Oil Strike North (1975). She also played the part of Alice in BBC' s Alice:Through The Looking Glass (1975). Her biggest success before landing the role of Nyssa in Doctor Who alongside Tom Baker's Doctor was 1978's children's drama The Moon Stallion, where she landed the lead role.

Sutton is best known for her role as Nyssa in the BBC science fiction television series "Doctor Who". Nyssa was a companion of Tom Baker and Peter Davison's Doctors from 1981 to 1983. Due to her outstanding acting contribution to the show, her contract was twice renewed on request of then producer John Nathan-Turner and current Doctor Peter Davison! she remained on the show for 2 years (1981 - 1983).


Her final full serial of "Doctor Who" was "Terminus" (1983, written by Stephen Gallagher and directed by Mary Ridge), in which she notoriously removed her skirt! Nyssa left her jacket on board the TARDIS when sterpped out on to Terminus. She takes off her skirt due to having a hot flash after contracting Lazars Disease. Before By the time Nyssa is recovered, she tells the Doctor that she is staying on board Terminus to aid in helping the lepers and turn Terminus from a leper colony into a true hospital.


Following her role as Nyssa, Sarah returned to the theatre touring in the play Policy For Murder (1986). Takin a short break afterwards to start a family with her GP husband, having a daughter Hannah. Since Hannah's birth, Sarah has appeared in Unnatural Pursuits and Doctor Who: Dimensions In Time. Sarah hopes to resume her acting career when her daughter is older.

More recently, Sutton has reprised her role of Nyssa alonside Peter Dasvison in Big Finish's audio productions of Doctor Who.

Sarah Sutton works as a public Library attendant in London

Where Are They Now? - No.3 Bonnie Langford

Bonita Melody Lysette "Bonnie" Langford (Born 22nd July 1964) is an English actress and entertainer. She came to prominence as a child star in the early 1970's.

Langford attended The Arts Educational School and the Italia Conti Academy stage school. Her first stage appearance was at four months and her first public appearance was at 15 months when she danced in specially made ballet shoes. She first came to public attention when, aged 6, she won the talent show Opportunity Knocks. This led to early fame in the television series Just William, the 1976 film Bugsy Malone and the 1977 film Wombling Free. At this time, she was associated with fellow child star Lena Zavaroni.

Between 1986 and 1987 Langford played the role of Mel, companion to both the Sixth and Seventh Doctors in the BBC1 series Doctor Who.

She returned to the role in 1993 for Dimensions in Time, a special charity Doctor Who/EastEnders crossover episode as part of BBC's Children in Need. She continues to reprise the role in audio adventures produced by Big Finish Productions (eleven to date, including the episodes "The One Doctor and "The Firs Of Vulcan").

In 2006, Langford was a celebrity contestant in the first series of ITV's Dancing on Ice, partnering professional figure skater Matt Evers. Their routines were characterised by the dramatic lifts and tricks they performed and were amongst the most ambitious in the competitions. Viewers saw Langford bang her head as she was spun on the ice during rehearsals, illustrating the danger of some of the moves they were attempting. Their appearances were also notable for the differing reception they received from the panel of judges (which consistently voted them highly, awarding them the highest total scores and the only two maximum scores from individual judges) and the voting public (who twice placed them in the bottom two pairs, forcing a "skate off" to remain in the competition). They finished in third place overall.

Langford and Evers appeared again on the programme in the one-off Champion of Champions show which followed series two. They were scored second overall by the judging panel but again the public vote was less favourable and they were amongst the four teams eliminated in the first round of the competition. Langford then toured with Torvill & Dean's Dancing On Ice Live in 2007, a series of 42 shows in which she was the winner 27 times.

Langford took part in the 2008 tour which started in April 2008. Teamed with new skating partner Pavel Aubrecht she again impressed the judges & fans with two new superb routines however the competition was extremely high with many of the celebrities winning the shows & in the end Bonnie won 4 of the show.

Dancing On Ice has sparked a regeneration in her career. She returned to the West End theatre in April 2006 (for the first time since 1998) playing the murderess Roxie Hart in the long-running West End musical Chicago and again in Dec 2007-Feb 2008 in the same role, also in 2006-7 she appeared in the Birmingham and Plymouth tours of Guys & Dolls playing Miss Adelaide Adams, a dance hall hostess. Starting in 2006 she has also been touring with Sandi Toksvig in a two-woman theatrical show called Short and Curly

She has also made a number of guest appearances on television, including Agatha Christie's 'Miss Marple' on ITV (playing Betty Johnson alongside Brian Conley in the episode By the pricking of my thumbs, February 2006), The Catherine Tate Show (late 2006), Supermarket Sweep with Dale Winton (February 2007) and the children's programme Hider in the House (March 2007).

In July 2007 she was a judge on the ITV series Baby Ballroom: The Championship. Starting on 16 February 2008, Bonnie was 1 of 5 celebrities making up team Ant for there new team game Ant versus Dec in Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway.She survived right up until the final edition, reaching the semi final stage & just missing out on the final which was eventually won by team Dec.

http://www.bonnielangford.co.uk/

Where Are They Now? - No.2 Matthew Waterhouse

Matthew Waterhouse (born in 1961 in Heresford, England) is a British actor best known for his role as Adric in the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who. After leaving the series, he began a stage career.

Adric was a companion of Tom Baker and Peter Davison's Doctors from 1980 to 1982. Waterhouse was the youngest male actor to play a companion. He is also the first 'Doctor Who Fan' to join the cast of the show! In 2006, Waterhouse self-published his debut novel, Fates, Flowers:A Comedy Of New York.

Waterhouse returned to the sphere of Doctor Who and took part in the audio commentaries for the DVD releases of Earthshock and The Visitation released in 2003 and 2004 respectively. He also provided commentary for The Keeper of Traken, released in 2007 as part of the New Beginnings box set. Though released separately, all commentaries were recorded in the same week, as noted by Waterhouse in his commentary for The Keeper of Traken.



In 1996 he made the science fiction pilot drama Ghostlands for MJTV Productions, and played the character Tom, alongside actors Sylvester McCoy and Jacqueline Pearce.



Waterhouse's name was used by comedians Matt Lucas and David Walliams for a character in their sketch show Little Britain. Waterhouse in the programme is an unsuccessful inventor of bizarre and ridiculous new versions of things such as board games and breakfast cereals. Little Britain has also featured two other characters named after Doctor Who companion actors, Michael Craze and Mark Strickson, while the actual programme is, of course, narrated by none other than Tom Baker.

Waterhouse has lived in Connecticut, in the United States, since July 1998 with his partner who he met a Doctor Who convention.

Where Are They Now? - No.1 Louise Jameson

Louise Jameson (born 20th April 1951 in Wanstead, London) is best remembered for her role as Leela, warrior of the Sevateem. First seen in Doctor Who story - "Face Of Evil" alongside fourth Doctor Tom Baker. Louise played Leela for only 9 months but it is the part she is fondly remembered for. An interview with Louise Jameson can be found at: my-tardis.co.uk.

Leela first appears in the 1977 serial, The Face of Evil, where she was a warrior of the savage Sevateem tribe, who were the descendants of the crew of an Earth Ship that crash landed on an unnamed planet in the far future. The name of her tribe, "Sevateem", was a corruption of "survey team". Although the Doctor at this point was content to travel alone, Leela runs past the Doctor and into the TARDIS as the Doctor shouts at her to get out. As he enters the TARDIS, you can hear him yell at Leela, "DON'T TOUCH THAT BUTTON!", and the TARDIS de-materialises. They travel together until "The Invasion Of Time" . Once the invasion by the Sontarans is ended by the Doctor (President Elect of Gallifrey), Leela decides to remain on Gallifrey after falling for Commander Andred, K-9 stays to watch over his mistress.

Although Leela is a primitive, she was also highly intelligent, grasping advanced concepts easily and translating them into terms she could cope with. Despite the Doctor's attempts at "civilizing" her, however, Leela is strong-willed enough to continue in her savage ways. She usually dresses in animal skins, armed with a knife or a set of poisonous Janis thorns which she does not hesitate to use on people who threatened her, much to the Doctor's disapproval.

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Louise has had a long television career in shows such as Tenko (as Blanche Simmons) EastEnders, (Rosa Di Marco) The Omega Factor (as Dr. Anne Reynolds) amongst others. She can be seen in BBC Scotland soap River City (as Viv Roberts). Louise joined the cast back in April of this year.

Viv Roberts

Actor

Louise Jameson

Currently

Viv has a thirst for life that Shirley can't quite get used to. The pair are now working together and living together, and Viv's doing her best to bring some fun into her new friend's life.

Biography

Viv Roberts is a child of the swinging sixties and she's perpetually hanging on to that vibe! She was raised in small town England, and started training to be a hairdresser at the age of 17. She's never been what her family would call 'respectable', and has two children by two different men.

She carved a career for herself in London, as hairdresser to the stars, and has enjoyed an eventful life. She's great fun, full of warmth, and is incredibly sharp. She does have a quieter side but she rarely lets it be seen.

Since moving to Glasgow, she joined Shirley as a partner in Moda Vida, and is determined to bring a lot of light into her new friend's life.

River City was first broadcast on 24th September 2002. It is produced and broadcast by BBC Scotland and set in the fictional Glasgow suburb of Shieldinch. Two episodes are shown every week, with an omnibus edition shown on Sundays. Despite its relative infancy, River City has grown to become one of Scotland's most-watched programmes, often attracting around 600,000 viewers in Scotland alone. Now well established into modern Scottish society, River City recently celebrated its fifth birthday, with special episodes to mark the occasion. Other special yearly events have episodes reflecting their occurrence, including St. Andrew's Day, Hogmanay and Christmas.

Although mostly set in and around Greater Glasgow, River City also includes characters from other parts of Scotland and further afield, such as Aberdeen, the Western Isles, Ireland, Italy, Poland and the USA.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/tv/rivercity/