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Interviews -DWAS interviews Colin Baker and Nicholas Courtney
NC: And what are the conditions for growing Wheat?" (We stared at Nick) CB: "What are you talking about?" Colin demanded NC "Something my old geography master used to ask. Why I should remember that now, I really don't know." (A silence.) CB: "So what are the conditions for growing wheat?" Colin asked. NC"I can't remember I wasn't good at geography." And on to the serious business ... What's it like for the Sixth Doctor and Brigadier to finally work together? Both: Yes ... (a long drawn out word of contentment) NC: About time So brief in Dimensions Of Time. That bit at the helicopter, the meeting of eyes. CB: And because we get on so well, have know each other for so long, it's easy to forget that we've never actually worked together. So to do it was kind of strange. NC:Infact we first met in Miami. CB: 1983. NC:You'd just got the part and it was very funny cos you were doing a panel and you said something, which was funny, and then Ant (Ainley) said something funnier -and there was a bigger laugh. And then I said something and I got an even bigger laugh and that was just from you! CB:Golly, the things people remember. NC:The most appalling trivia. CB: But it's lovely ... NC:Yes it is. CB:It's lovely working with that beautiful voice. Nick is gifted with wonderful, mellow, rumbling tones. NC: It's called a "bedroom" voice. CB: Not that's what I meant. NC:No.(definitely) Of course not. So, what's the difference between audio and television? CB:Well he's got black hair and I've got curly blond hair and I'm three stone slimmer. NC: I'm a good deal slimmer! CB:The set's don't wobble. I don't wobble. NC: And we don't have to learn the lines. CB: (Colin half a beat later and with evident happiness) We don't have to learn the lines! NC: No indeed. CB: Seriously, it's more of a partnership with the audience. When you're doing something on film or television you've done all the hard work. The audience just has to sit there passively and watch it. When you're doing something like this ... When I'm doing a scene with the Brig, there's a third party in the scene who has just as big a part as we do - the listener. The listener peoples it with set, costume, what we look like, what we're doing. Hopefully we can nudge them in the right direction, but I think the sheer genius is the sound person for putting in all the effects and the acoustics to help the listener. We actor's are only as good and as good looking and as frightened as the listener wants us to be. NC: It's like someone said about radio "I like listening to the scenery" which is a wonderful comment from a listener. But although it's lovely not having to learn your lines you do have to do your homework. You have to make sure there's more colour in what you're saying, because people can't see your reactions. It's very good to switch from medium to medium - it keeps you on your toes. Has the Brigadier changed? NC: Well, I'm glad you asked me that and I thought that you might in light of the previous question. What's particularly nice doing this script it that Nick Pegg has written an extremely erudite and grown up script, which is very good. And the scenes between the Doctor and the Brigadier are- I think I can say in one script - some of the best lines I've had. There's some wonderful bouts of repartee. Grown up is a very good word, I think the Brigadier is more subtle. The lines are slightly more subtle than they used to be. In the past I've wanted to change some of his lines because they weren't quite right. In this instant I've not wanted to alter a thing. I'm just happy to be saying them. CB: And what is nice is that when I meet the Brigadier for the first time he recognises me very quickly which baffles number 6. I said to Gary that maybe we should put a couple of lines in there something along the lines of "I'm much better looking than the fifth aren't I?" but Gary reminded me that that was what we were trying to get away from. It's so seamless "Oh it's you. Yes it is. " and then we get on with it. And I'm sorry that I even thought of it. NC: And I wished you hadn't thought of it, because I thought it worked so well without it. Has it been easy to come back and take up the mantle of what after all are two of the most well known characters of British television? NC: Ah, but don't forget I've taken up the mantle so many times in the last thirty years that I'm getting used to doing it. It's very much second nature. And because the writing is so good it's written for me and that makes taking up the mantle even easier. CB: Yes, that's the key. It's difficult if someone has written soemthing who hasn't understood the nature of the beast and I have to join with you on complimenting Nick Pegg on this script, because it is clearly the work of someone who has done a lot of research. All the stuff that's in the script about Cornwall and Fogou's is researched in detail. We were shown photo's of what these Fogou are, and everything is based in folklore and it is a scholarly work - a thumping good, linear plot, with a sub plot running beside it and twisting in. So in many ways it is the perfect story. You were saying about the Homework you need to do for an audio. Is there a lot? NC: I must confess not a lot. Just read the script a few times. I mark it up so I know what I'm doing. I go through my scenes, and in advance I work out where the emphasis should be. It doesn't take that long to do but if you want to work at some speed you've got to do it. And it is rehearse and record so to spend time highlighting the phrasing pays off when you get to the studio. But it doesn't really take that long. Above all you've got to learn not to learn lines. CB: I don't mark up a script. But I do read it several times. NC: And I have to put a dash by my lines otherwise I'd miss them! Having talked to everyone, there's a definite sense that it's a company atmosphere. Do you agree? CB: Oh definitely. You missed James Bollam and Susan Jameson who were lovely NC: great. CB: And Helen who played a lady with an early demise NC: A very early demise CB: But yes, so far I've worked with everybody, or know everybody. I've worked with Toby before. NC: Now, I haven't. CB: And he's so clever. Exhaustingly clever. The amount of voices he can do.The wit, the speed of it all, you feel a need to compete - which is stupid. He was in Week Ending - wrote half of it. NC: Yes indeed. CB: And it does feel like it did when we were making the programme. I don't know what it was like with other Doctors but for me it was imperative everyone felt at home. NC:Indeed. Very important. It has to be. So, what have you two been up to recently and what are your future plans? NC: Well, I've just finished the panto - in Buxton. And I'm doing this and I'm recording the audio of my book soon. So I'm busy.
