Reece Shearsmith has been confirmed as playing Patrick Troughton in Mark Gatiss' Doctor Who biodrama 'An Adventure In Space And Time'.
The confirmation, comes from Radio Times, with Mark Gatiss explaining the casting:
“I first asked Reece about 12 years ago when I started thinking about this project. We were in the midst of League of Gentlemen and I just remember thinking, if anyone plays Patrick Troughton, it should be Reece. Like the second Doctor, he’s small, saturnine and a comic genius. The complete package. He thought it was a fantastic idea and I’ve kind of nurtured it all this time.
Reece has a funny relationship with Doctor Who – mostly to do with impressions of the Borad from Timelash! He and a friend were obsessed with Season 22 [Colin Baker’s Doctor, 1985]. One of my earliest memories of Reece is him going, ‘I am the Borad!’ He’ll do the whole of Timelash at the drop of a hat. Which is a strange qualification. He’s not steeped in Doctor Who like I am, but has been lightly dipped over the years. I know he’s delighted to be a part of An Adventure in Space and Time.”
Reece Shearsmith, speaking to DWO via Twitter, said:
"Very excited to be part of it."
At 43, Shearsmith is only three years younger than Patrick Troughton was when he took on the role as The Doctor. Shearsmith is known for his ability to portray a wide range of contrasting characters - as anyone who watched The League of Gentlemen or Psychoville can attest to.
The confirmed cast list for An Adventure In Space And Time is as follows:
David Bradley as William Hartnell (The first Doctor)
Brian Cox as Sydney Newman (BBC head of drama)
Jessica Raine as Verity Lambert (Doctor Who’s first producer)
Sacha Dhawan as Waris Hussein (Doctor Who’s first director)
Lesley Manville as Heather Hartnell (William’s wife)
Reece Shearsmith as Patrick Troughton (The second Doctor)
Jeff Rawle as Mervyn Pinfield (Doctor Who’s associate producer)
Andrew Woodall as Rex Tucker (BBC producer)
Ian Hallard as Richard Martin (Doctor Who director)
Jamie Glover as William Russell (companion Ian)
Jemma Powell as Jacqueline Hill (companion Barbara)
Claudia Grant as Carole Ann Ford (the Doctor’s granddaughter Susan)
Sarah Winter as Delia Derbyshire (musician at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop)
William Russell (the original Ian Chesterton) as Harry
Reece Pockney as Alan
+ An Adventure In Space And Time is due to be broadcast on BBC One later in the year.
+ Follow Reece Shearsmith on Twitter!
[Source: Radio Times]
