REVIEW: The Doctor Who Experience, London Olympia (From Basingstoke Gazette)

REVIEW: The Doctor Who Experience, London Olympia

2:34pm Tuesday 4th October 2011 in General By Simon Moss

WHEN you come face to face with a wailing Dalek, threatening to terminate your very existence, your enduring thought should not be: “I wish I had brought a small child”.

But that was the impression I had in the early stages of the Doctor Who Experience, having chosen instead my 60-year-old father as a companion on this trip through time and space.

It is probably testament to Russell T Davies and the rest of the clan, who so successfully brought the Doctor back onto our screens in 2005, that it has captivated such a young – and merchandise-hungry - audience. Unfortunately, those “classic” Doctor Who fans, like my old man, appeared to be in short supply, at least on the scorching hot October Saturday we made the trip to the London Olympia.

The “experience” is split into two halves. The first is a half-hour extravaganza where a pre-recorded video depicts Matt Smith, as the Doctor, trapped in a specially designed prison – which fans will recognise from the previous series – and in need of help.

But rather than seeking out current companion Amy Pond, it is up to us to help save the day. It’s all very Disney World which is no bad thing.

Visitors are taken from the TARDIS, where youngsters are given instruction on how to fly the Doctor’s ‘old girl’, to an alien world occupied by the Daleks. Various ghouls from the programme’s rogues gallery make an appearance while TV screens keep us up to date with the Doctor’s attempts to escape as he guides us from one room to another. In fairness, the look on the children’s faces when the first Dalek came out of the wall, or pressing buttons at the helm of the TARDIS, was a joy. They clearly revelled in being at the heart of the battle, responding to the Doctor’s commands in dark, eerie sets. But the odd puff of smoke and rumbling floorboard did leave the older generation wondering what they could have achieved had there been a bit more “oomph”.

That said, a climactic scene, for which visitors were given 3D glasses, during which various aliens, including the Cyber Men and genuinely terrifying Weeping Angels, were sucked through a wormhole, was some of the best use of 3D technology I have ever come across, to the extent where a Cyber Man’s lingering hand did appear to grip at the shoulder of the man stood in front.

The second half was a more traditional exhibition of outfits from all previous incarnations of the Doctor, as well as lifesize versions of the more outlandish aliens from series old and new. A nice touch was the ‘walk like an alien’ display where youngsters were instructed on how to emulate some of the Doctor’s greatest foes, watching their efforts in a large mirror. With arms flailing and faces snarling, it made for an amusing sight.

Then on to the gift shop, which was clearly doing a roaring trade. I declined shelling out £19.99 on my own sonic screwdriver. Those days are behind me – sadly.

But £20 for an adult ticket – with the experience lasting little more than an hour – would leave a black hole in the pocket of any family. Personally, it left me wondering what they could have done had they dreamt bigger, reached for the stars and really gone for it. While it is only a temporary exhibition, which closes in November, I’m just not sure it was optimum value for money.