Liam Rudden: Neve’s cold blooded side makes appearance

THERE was a moment at the BBC Doctor Who Prom the other week when the Albert Hall spontaneously erupted into applause – actually there were two.

Madame Vastra of Doctor Who. Picture courtesy of BBC

The first was the sight of fifth Doctor Peter Davison striding on stage to make a guest appearance, the second, for a 73-year-old lady, Carole Ann Ford.

Carole is a legend in Doctor Who circles, one of just two surviving members of the original Tardis crew, she played the Doctor’s grand-daughter Susan in the very first episode.

Their appearances at the Prom marked the celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the long-running sci-fi series but many of the current day stars put in an appearance too, 
including a shaven-headed Matt Smith and bubbly Jenna Louise Coleman.

For me however, the highlight of the show was former Edinburgh Youth Theatre actress Neve McIntosh. Texting before the gig, we’d agreed to catch up for a drink after the event, which we were both attending.

What Neve neglected to say was that she was working, presenting much of the show layered in latex as her alter-ego, the Silurian Madam Vastra.

Backstage afterwards, as the moulded prosthetics were slowly removed, Neve reappeared to reveal it takes a full three hours in the make-up chair to transform her into her reptilian counterpart and another 45 minutes to turn her back to normal.

Neve’s appearing at the Fringe too this year – see if you recognise her.

The Prom will be broadcast on BBC One later in the year – I’m guessing around 23 November, the day Doctor Who was first broadcast in 1963 – watch out for Neve and you’ll see it was worth every minute of it.