Indelible Impressions

[Matthewe]

Dear Tom,

First of all, thank you for making Saturday Teatimes as a child such a wonderfully exhilarating experience! Watching you from an early age made me realize the extraordinarily powerful effect an actor's performance can have on an audience, and planted in me an enduring interest and enthusiasm for theatre and drama. I dare say an actor's performance may ideally achieve three things: to convince the audience; to have the audience eager to see you again in the next scene, and for the performance to make a lasting, indelible impression in the audience's imagination. Add to that an utterly unique and original quality that defies comparison, and I believe that sums up exactly why your performance as Doctor Who had such a magical and lasting impact on me and millions of other viewers around the world!

I regret that I never got to see any of your stage performances. I would particularly liked to have seen you in Educating Rita, An Inspector Calls and She Stoops To Conquer (I can imagine you being hilarious as Mr Hardcastle!). I also think you would make a marvellous Falstaff!

My question (finally!) is this: of all the theatre roles you have had over the years, which one(s) do you remember with the greatest fondness, and why?

Many Thanks,

Matt

[Tom Baker]

Dear Matt,

I don't think I enjoyed many roles in the theatre. "Educating Rita" was one because it's a lovely play and Kate Fitzgerald was just sublime as Rita. All I had to do was look on in amazement and pleasure as an old drunk (me) proved the catalyst of her transformation. "She Stoops" was also fun. But none of these compares with the pleasure of Doctor Who.

From Tom