I was about six years old when I watched my first episode of Doctor Who and immediately became obsessed.
Now, as a 21-year-old, I’m still a huge fan.
I watched the series throughout the runs of David Tennant, Matt Smith and Peter Capaldi, all the way to Jodie Whittaker.
I’ve enjoyed them all for their own take on the role and it’s always an exciting build-up to the next episode.
But the countdown to the arrival of the next Doctor just got even more exciting.
We heard recently that Ncuti Gatwa will be replacing Jodie Whittaker in the lead role. And here’s the best bit – it turns out he started his acting career in Dundee.
Ncuti was born in Rwanda, but settled in Scotland after his family fled during the Rwandan genocide in 1994.
He studied and graduated from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland before gaining a position in the Dundee Rep graduation scheme.
The Dundee Rep helped Ncuti land his first roles in theatre when he played in productions such as David Greig’s Victoria, The BFG and And Then There Were None.
It's been amazing seeing the response to Ncuti Gatwa being named the new Doctor Who! So proud! 🥰
Ncuti was part of our Graduate Scheme 2013-14 and follows in David Tennant’s footsteps as a Dundee Rep alumni portraying the Doctor 🏴🎭#dundeerep #drwho #newdrwho #scottishtheatre pic.twitter.com/gCKqyaE6RQ
— Dundee Rep (@DundeeRep) May 9, 2022
But it wasn’t just his stage career that took off here in the city.
The actor, who is best known for playing Eric in the Netflix series Sex Education, started his screen here too.
The role was in Bob Servant, when Ncuti appeared alongside our very own Dundee-born Brian Cox, as a customer at Bob’s burger van.
Dundee figures highly in the Doctor Who back story
It’s fantastic to think that Dundee was where it all started for Ncuti.
But what was even more heart-warming was seeing the team at the Dundee Rep reacting so proudly to the news.
The theatre is hugely respected in the arts world, but seeing one of its own graduates going on to be cast in one of the most sought after roles in television must feel pretty special.
What Ncuti’s casting shows is that if you work hard at something, who knows where it could take you.
And this is actually the third time an actor who has performed at Dundee Rep has gone on to step into the Doctor’s shoes.
It turns out William Hartnell, the first incarnation of the Time Lord, performed in two plays at the theatre, The Rookery Nook and Ghost Train, in the 1940s.
🤩 Ncuti's stage and screen debut both happened in Dundee. I think it is fantastic that he started off his proper acting career here and now he is about to take on one of the most sought out roles in television! https://t.co/3M3JVxAfMl
— Dundee Culture (@DundeeCulture) May 9, 2022
Then the Doctor who hooked me in, David Tennant, appeared in several productions in the 1990s, starting with a role in The Princess and the Goblin.
I can’t wait to see what our third Dundee Doctor brings to the role and am looking forward to seeing Ncuti in action fighting off baddies in the Tardis.
Russell T Davies, who is returning as showrunner, promises the show will be bigger, better and scarier.
I hope we’re in for a return to the good old days when the best place to watch it was hiding behind the sofa.
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