William Hartnell (Dr Who), Peter Purves (Steven Taylor), Jackie Lane (Dodo Chaplet)
Guest Cast
Michael Gough (The Toymaker), Campbell Singer (Joey/King of Hearts/Sgt Rugg), Carmen Silvera (Clara/Queen of Hearts/Mrs Wiggs), Peter Stephens (Cyri/Kitchen Boy/Knave of Hearts), Reg Lever (Dancers)
CREW
Written by
Brian Hayles/Donald Tosh
Directed by
Bill Sellars
Produced by
Innes Lloyd
SYPNOSIS
The TARDIS materialises in the Fantasy domain of the Celestial Toymaker, a jovial Mandarin who invites The Doctor to play some of his games.
All too soon a darker side emerges and the Doctor, Steven and Dodo are soon fighting for their lives.
NOTES
This story had working titles The Trilogic Game and the Toymaker
It was at one point considered writing out William Hartnell as The Doctor in this story, but the idea was vetoed.
The Celestial Toymaker was to return in The Nightmare Fair, and Michael Gough was approached to reprise his role, but this was never made due to BBC-1 Controller Michael Grade having unexpectedly decided to postpone the series for eighteen months. This was part of the unmade Season 23 in 1986. However the story has been released by Big Finish Radio Times credited ‘Michael Gough as the Toymaker’ for all four episodes and ‘Dancers: Beryl Braham, Ann Harrison, Delia Lindon’ for the Dancing Floor, with the other supporting cast members credited without specific roles under the heading ‘with’ in the programme listings for all four episodes.
In The Hall of Dolls, whilst deciding which of the seven chairs &ndash, six of which are deadly, while one remains safe &ndash, to choose, the King of Hearts recites a politically incorrect version of the children’s counting rhyme “Eeny, meeny, miny, moe” (used to select a person to be ‘it’ for games and similar purposes), which includes the racial slur “nigger” in the second line. On BBC Audio’s CD release of the story, this offending section has been obscured by placing part of Peter Purves’s narration over the top.
Footage has been on Hartnell Years via the BBC Page
