Review: BBC PROMS: PROM 47 – DOCTOR WHO PROM, Royal Albert Hall

“Never seen a TARDIS before?” For many in attendance at the Royal Albert Hall, this probably is quite likely! The Proms haven’t had any adventures in time and space since Doctor Who’s 50th anniversary celebrations back in 2013, so its return was well overdue - especially as there have been several incarnations of the Doctor in that time. With the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and the London Philharmonic Choir on hand, a spectacular showcase of the programme’s music was guaranteed.

The extravaganza was hosted by Catherine Tate, fresh from her return as Donna Noble; she was the ideal candidate for this role, partly because she’s a familiar face for all generations of fans of “New Who”, but also for the sheer entertainment value that she brings. Even simply having to repeat some of her lines to make them clear for the TV broadcast (date TBC) managed to provide some amusement - to the audience and Tate herself - as she wondered aloud what Radio 3 listeners would make of proceedings.

Unlike previous Doctor Who Proms, which have featured pieces of classical music alongside excerpts of the series soundtracks, this event focused solely on the work of Murray Gold (as well as contributions from Ron Grainer, Delia Derbyshire and Segun Akinola) that was specifically composed for the programme. Although these more family-oriented Proms are often used to help introduce younger patrons to classical music, after such a long absence it felt more practical to devote the entire running time to celebrating the programme’s work.

Understandably, it was heavily weighted in favour of the most recent series, with Fifteen’s theme and “The Life of Sunday” being two particular highlights, but each Doctor and companion from the last twenty years was given a moment; a nice touch for longer-term fans, as well as something to spark the interest of newcomers. My personal standout was easily “I Am the Doctor”, as it’s from a soundtrack that I know inside out - it’s a thrilling theme on the recording, but hearing it performed live was an absolute joy. The Companions Suite came close, as a collection of some of Murray Gold’s most memorable work.

Every piece was accompanied by relevant montages on the big screen, and of course there were the inevitable monster invasions at certain points! You either catch sight of them out of the corner of your eye, or hear the excited ripple of noise as other audience members caught sight of them - even standing in the pit was no guarantee of safety, as Judoon and Mondasian Cybermen made their presence felt.

There were nowhere near as many youngsters in the audience as I had anticipated, given that this was an afternoon performance in the middle of the school holidays; this is possibly a result of such a long wait since the last Doctor Who Prom as much as anything, but it was a shame to miss out on seeing the monsters through their eyes - an adult’s reaction to a Dalek isn’t quite the same as that of a child’s (although conductor Alastair King did an excellent job).

With all of these visual treats, it was difficult to remember to occasionally watch the orchestra at work. Exceptions had to be made for dynamic, percussion-heavy moments, as well as Anna Lapwood making use of the famous organ - and to great acclaim from the audience. Soloist Aida Garifullina also gave some wonderful performances across the show, including the haunting “Vale Decem” and later the quietly uplifting “Abigail’s Song”, a piece sung in A Christmas Carol by Katherine Jenkins.

One final treat came in the form of Anita Dobson reprising her performance as the enigmatic Mrs Flood, a surprise appearance that brought elation from the audience - even more so when we learnt that the last concert Mrs Flood attended was Queen at Wembley in 1986, as a cheeky nod to Dobson’s husband Brian May. It’s a shame that neither Ncuti Gatwa (Fifteen) or Millie Gibson (Ruby Sunday) were able to be there in person as well, but really it was just a treat to have the music back in this brilliant auditorium once more.

All in all, this was a glorious celebration of all things Who that could easily have carried on for another couple of hours. Despite viewing figures not being quite what they once were, there is still an incredible amount of love for this programme and all it entails - demonstrated by the ongoing enthusiasm of the fans who packed out the Royal Albert Hall across its two performances. With any luck, the Doctor will return to South Kensington on a more regular basis after this.

The BBC Proms run at the Royal Albert Hall until 14 September

Photo credit: Polly Thomas

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