At a Q&A session at MegaCon in Orlando, Florida, Paul McGann read Peter Capaldi’s speech from ‘The Zygon Inversion.’
“Sit down and talk!” Or stand… either way…
Fans of Doctor Who love when times collide. More often than not, these collisions are mere references made in passing, like in ‘Hell Bent‘ when the Twelfth Doctor remembered that the Eleventh had been at the diner with Amy and Rory. Sometimes, though, we are given actual concrete events. When Doctors appear on screen together, or when old companions, other friends, or enemies appear, we can hardly contain our geek joy.
There are also non-canonical ways that the past meets the present. For example, it is common for Doctor Who actors who have never appeared together on the show to do so at conventions. Another thing that has become a bit of a popular occurrence at conventions is for an actor of one incarnation of the Doctor to recite a speech originally given by a different incarnation. At DragonCon 2011, Seventh Doctor Sylvester McCoy read Eleventh Doctor Matt Smith’s Stonehenge speech from ‘The Pandorica Opens.’ At Fan Expo 2013, Sixth Doctor Colin Baker read Smith’s speech from ‘The Rings of Akhaten.’ And recently at MegaCon Fan Days 2015, Eighth Doctor Paul McGann read Twelfth Doctor Peter Capaldi’s speech from ‘The Zygon Inversion.’ Take a look here:
McGann’s recitation is markedly different from that of Capaldi’s. Of course, there is usually not as much energy in a cold read as there is in a final performance. There is, however, a deeper significance in this case, considering how much more gentle the Eighth Doctor was than is the Twelfth.
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I really like that actors are doing these readings at conventions because it is reflective of the balance between the continuity of the Doctor technically being the same man and the fact that every incarnation is unique. The regeneration trait of Time Lords is a great metaphor for how we change throughout our lives, yet there is a common thread that connects the lifespan of each respective individual.
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What do you think of Paul McGann’s reading of Peter Capaldi’s speech? What do you think of Doctors doing each other’s speeches? If you like the concept, which is your favorite? Let us know in the comments.