Later tonight, Matt Smith, Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill will be taking to the stage at the Royal Albert Hall for the first of this weekend’s Doctor Who Proms!
Thousands of fans will join the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and the London Philharmonic Choir as they peform music from the Doctor’s travels as well as classical pieces. There’s also guaranteed to be surprises in store, including appearances from some of the Doctor’s deadliest foes – but it wouldn’t be a celebration of the series without them!
6:30pm: An hour to go until the concert begins! You can check out its running order here – are there any songs you’re looking forward to in particular?
6:48pm: Karen Gillan spoke to BBC Radio 3 earlier ahead of tonight’s show. She said: “It’s my first year playing Amy so my very first prom, but I heard the last one was a really special occasion. I’m hosting the event with appearances from the Doctor, Rory and some secret surprises.” We can’t wait!
6:55pm: You might want to avoid the rest of our updates if you’ll be watching the concert tomorrow…
7:00pm: Matt Smith has described the thought of presenting the concerts as ”utterly nerve-wracking”. We’d like to wish all involved the very best of luck! Don’t forget that iPlayer is broadcasting it live not just in the UK, but all over the world – sounds of the universe will soon be floating across all continents!
7:15pm: 15 minutes to go! Does everybody have their popcorn ready?
7:31pm: The moment has arrived! The audience applaude as the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, conducted by Ben Foster, the London Philharmonic Choir and Yamit Mamo open the show with The Mad Man With A Box…
7:35pm: More cheers as Karen Gillan takes to the stage! “Hello, everyone! Wow – there’s a lot of you!” She beams: “I’m Karen Gillan, and I play Amy Pond in Doctor Who” - for anybody who didn’t know! ”Tonight,” she explains, ”we’re going to relive Amy’s adventures through the power of music…”
7:41pm: An Untimely Arrival brings with it sweet memories of fish fingers and custard…
7:42pm: Karen asks if any of the crowd have tried the Doctor’s homemade dish. And you thought you were the only one!
7:46pm: Time for a short break from Doctor Who now as the orchestra entertains the crowd with John Adams’ Short Ride in a Fast Machine. Amy’s had her fair share of them!
7:55pm: I Am The Doctor is a hit with the crowd! Arguably Series 5’s definitive theme, and, in our opinion, one of Murray Gold’s finest to date! Geronimo! During the performance, the Cybermen, the Judoon and the Silurians pop on stage for a quick hello. It was only a matter of time!
7:56pm: Karen’s back! After a quick reminder urging audience members not to blink, she introduces the next two pieces, William Walton’s Portsmouth Point followed by Gustav Holst’s Mars from The Planet…
8:12pm: Karen is interrupted by the Daleks, who order the orchestra to play Battle in the Skies from Victory of the Daleks. Those metal creatures are so demanding!
8:20pm: Part one draws to its close, but stay tuned on BBC Radio 3 as in the interval, Matthew Sweet will be investigating the weird and wonderful sound world of Doctor Who in the 20-minute documentary, Dance of the Daleks. What are your thoughts of the show so far?
8:44pm: Back to the Prom now, and the second half kicks off with O Fortuna – one of Karen Gillan’s personal favourites!
8:47pm: “Welcome back to the second half of this Doctor Who Prom,” Karen tells the buzzing crowd, before a message from the Doctor appears on the screen. The crowd chant “Hello Doctor!” as the Time Lord apologizes for not being there in person. The TARDIS has taken him to the Royal Albert Hall but in the wrong year – typical!
8:51pm: The Doctor’s arrived in the right year and is welcomed to the stage with an uproar of applause! He picks one lucky volunteer, Ellis, to help him save the world.
8:55pm: The Doctor bids the crowd farewell. “I’ll leave you in the capable hands of Karen Gillan, Arthur Darvill and Matt Smith, whoever that is – what a dull name!”
8:57pm: Arthur Darvill (Rory Williams) introduces Amy’s theme!
9:01pm: A beautiful peformance from the orchestra, the choir and Yamit Mamo, and one favoured by Karen Gillan (we wonder why!). Up next – a melody of themes from the series entitled Liz, Lizards, Vampires and Vincent, with a Weeping Angel rising onto the stage for good measure!
9:10pm: Karen and Arthur introduce the final classic musical performance of the night - The Ride of the Valkyries by acclaimed German composer Richard Wagner, which was also featured in the first Doctor Who Prom back in 2008.
9:19pm: Time for a blast from the past now as the orchestra peform This is Gallifrey, followed by the Tenth Doctor’s heartbreaking regeneration music, Vale decem. Tissues at the ready, folks!
9:23pm: The audience applause as Vale decem plays over a montage of the Doctor’s past regenerations. It only feels like yesterday we were saying our last goodbye to the Tenth Doctor…
9:25pm: “I don’t want to go…”
9:28pm: Matt Smith returns to the stage (this time as himself!) to introduce Pandorica Suite, music from the The Pandorica Opens/The Big Bang finale…
9:40pm: The end is near, and Matt, Karen and Arthur thank the audience for their enthusiasm. Before they go though, there’s just time for two more pieces, the first of which, Song of Freedom, has become one of Doctor Who’s most iconic anthems.
9:45pm: What better way to end the show than with Doctor Who’s signature music? The atmosphere is electric as the newest arrangement of the iconic theme plays.
9:47pm: Matt, Karen and Arthur recieve a standing ovation as the Prom draws to a close. Congratulations to all involved for what’s been a marvellous show, and best of luck as they’ll be doing it all over again tomorrow afternoon!
Thanks for following our live updates tonight and we hope you enjoyed the show. Let us know what you thought of it in a comment below.
