Writing

RADIO

Nigel Kneale’s The Road has long been the Holy Grail of lost TV plays and many have tried to mount remakes. For some reason, I was successful and my Radio 4 version was promoted to the Saturday Play slot after originally being conceived as a late night chiller. With a lovely two page spread in the Radio Times, it stars Mark Gatiss and Adrian Scarborough and was broadcast on October 27th on Radio 4.

“PICK OF THE DAY : Toby Hadoke’s eerie adaptation” – The Guardian

“PICK OF THE DAY : **** – Stay tuned to the end for the haunting climax” – The Daily Mail

“PICK OF THE WEEK – a spooky drama – a response to living in terrifying times” – Radio Times

“Toby Hadoke’s chilling adaptation. An excellent rendition of a deservedly hailed classic. Unmissable. 10/10” – Sci-Fi Bulletin

“Toby Hadoke’s skilful adaptation … makes for a thought-provoking Halloween chiller – ****½” – SFX Magazine

Adrian Scarborough and Mark Gatiss star in The Road on Radio 4. They’re not alone in the woods…

Radio 3 celebrated the centenary of Spike Milligan with a trilogy of plays (under the umbrella I Told You I was Ill and presented by John Hegley) inspired by his life and work – they were written by Lee Mattinson, Jessica Hynes and, um, me! Mine, Going, Going, Goon – about Spike Milligan at the gates of a Heaven he deosn’t believe in – was also chosen as Pick of the Week on Radio 4. It starred Mark Heap, Pippa Haywood, Jonathan Keeble, Stephen Wight and, um, me.

The Radio 4 play Grand Designs of the Third Kind starred Jonjo O’Neill, Danielle Henry, Arthur Bostrom and Krissi Bohn. It was about a wheelchair user whose house renovations turn out to be literally out of this world.

My previous play was called The Dad Who Fell To Earth. It got some lovely reviews, including as the Radio Choice of its days in The Independent on Sunday, The Independent and The Sunday Telegraph and Pick Of The Week in The Daily Mail. Oh, and look:

“PICK OF THE DAY – Toby Hadoke stars in his own quirky, tender drama” – Stephanie Billen, The Observer

“PICK OF THE WEEK – an intriguing play” – The Daily Telegraph

As well as the Sony nominated radio script for Moths Ate My Doctor Who Scarf (see the appropriate page) I wrote a play for From Fact To Fiction strand for Radio 4. Entitled The Public Purse it was a response to the bankers’ bonuses scandal and conceived on the Monday, written on the Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and recorded on the Friday before being broadcast on the Saturday. Talk about a roller coaster! It was something of an honour to be asked to contribute to this illustrious series.

PRINT

COMING SOON(ish)
THE QUATERMASS FILES: VOLUME ONE
A detailed examination of the Quatermass serials and films featuring dozens of previously unpublished interviews. Volume One concentrates on the BBC productions of the 1950s. It will be released by the very patient Miwk Publishing.

OUT NOW!

RUNNING THROUGH CORRIDORS – VOLUME TWO
Much delayed but – flatteringly – rather anticipated in some quarters, the second volume of this glass-half-full odyssey through the entire history of Doctor Who takes in everything broadcast in the 1970s. You can buy it here.

DEAD FUNNY – ENCORE
What happens when mirth turns to murder? When the screams are not from joy, but flesh-ripping pain? Dead Funny: Encore is the second helping of monstrous tales from the brightest lights in UK comedy.

Award winners Robin Ince and Johnny Mains team up for this second exploration of the relationship between comedy and horror, the dark follow up to 2014’s smash hit debut, Dead Funny.

Featuring stories by: James Acaster, Clare Ferguson Walker, Toby Hadoke, Natalie Haynes, Rufus Hound, Robin Ince, Elis James, Stewart Lee, Josie Long, Alice Lowe, Jason Manford, Alan Moore, Andrew O’Neill, Kiri Pritchard-McLean, John Robertson and Isy Suttie. Buy it here.

RUNNING THROUGH CORRIDORS – VOLUME ONE
Mad Norwegian Press have announced a three volume trawl through the entire history of Doctor Who, written with popular Doctor Who script and audio writer Robert Shearman. Running Through Corridors was written throughout Doctor Who‘s gap year, 2009, and features the two friends seeking to rediscover what they love about a batty kids’ science fiction show, starting with the first two episodes on New Years Day and culminating in David Tennant’s swansong exactly one year later. Volume One concentrates on the 1960s and is available now.

“It’s a journey to rediscover why they love Doctor Who from two renowned wits that only adds to the feeling of a genuine conversation between friends. The real triumph of the format, though, is the way it continually throws up topics and observations not previously covered by the forest of literature on this show – 4 STARS” – Paul Kirkley, SFX Magazi

“Just got Running Through Corridors. Bloody superb! Everybody, get it. Not only a great read, but with those stick figures in the corners it’s a retro flip-book as well. You spoil us.” – Doctor Who writer Andrew Smith, Twitter

“It really is one of the very best things I’ve ever read about “Doctor Who”. If not possibly the best! I’m delighting in seeing two people I respect enormously discovering and enjoying the series in a new way. They’re re-evaluating opinions and understanding material in a different context … but above all else they’re really getting a helluva lot out of the experience of doing it.” – All round Doctor Who oracle Andrew Pixley, Gallifrey Base

“Whether Rob and Toby like something or not, their opinions, observations (and arguments) are usually fresh and new. We’re lucky to have such enthusiastic and intelligent commentators with whom to take this journey. Quite simply, this is one of the best books about 1960s Doctor Who you’re ever likely to read. This is what the word “essential” was coined for. I look forward to Volume 2.”– Elton Townend-Jones, kasterborous.com

“STUNNING! Not only a perfect, wonderful book, but its a must for any TARDIS Console table. It is a breathtaking romp through TV’s finest hours – a wonderous tome even for the non fans, as it will show you exactly what you’re missing ..and how to spot a Monoid at 300 yards.” – John Hadlow – film reviewer BBC radio

COMEDY

Sketches for both The Unbroadcastable Radio Show at The Comedy Store, and Bastard Funny at The Green Room. Links for Angus Deayton for BBC 1’s 6 part series The Comedy Sketchbook, and also the script for BBC 2’s The Comedy Christmas. The script for the radio adaptation of Moths Ate My Doctor Who Scarf was nominated for a Sony Award.

NON-FICTION

Doctor Who Magazine Part Works – an epic, definitive, 70-odd volume guide to the whole series. All of the season introductions/overviews are done by me. Usually just after the deadline has passed.

Reviews and articles for DVD Monthly, Doctor Who Magazine, SFX, and obituaries for The Guardian, The Herald (Scotland) and The Independent. These include pieces on the actors Paul Darrow, Stephen Thorne, Edward Kelsey, Shane Rimmer, Jacqueline Pearce, Zienia Merton, Frederick Jaeger, Michael “Mr Bronson” Sheard, Anthony “The Master” Ainley, Bob Mason, Del Henney, Michael Billington, Nicholas Courtney , Elisabeth Sladen, Roy Skelton, Michael Gough, Ray Lonnen, Anthony Valentine, Deborah Watling, Gareth Thomas, Terence Bayler, John Carson, Douglas Wilmer and Bernard Kay. I have done similar entries for special effects pioneers Jack Kine and Bernard Wilkie, poet and stand-up Hovis Presley, comedian Ian Cognito, writer and producer Brain Clemens, designers Ray Cusick and Clifford Hatts, directors Don Leaver and Philip Saville, producer Bill Sellars, writers Robert Banks Stewart and Anthony Read, and Doctor Who producers Derrick Sherwin and Barry Letts.

Then there’s a bit of blogging for SFX, reviews and columns for Doctor Who Magazine, factual articles to the BBC Comedy website, and much of the literature for the Experience Design Doctor Who exhibitions.

THEATRE

Adaptations of both 1984 and Accidental Death Of An Anarchist for the stage. Both were very successful, and there’s a bit about Anarchist in the acting section. Most of my lines and characters in the stage play Sherlock Holmes In Trouble were improvised by me in rehearsal (again, see acting section for details).