The TARDIS had landed at Madame Tussauds, and Blogtor Who has tracked down the Fifteenth Doctor for an adventure at London’s premiere tourist attraction
Last month, Blogtor Who was lucky enough to be able to visit the new Doctor Who exhibit at Madame Tussauds. Many readers may be wondering if it’s worth the trip to the huge Tussauds experience just for one small corner of it. So here are Blogtor’s thoughts both on the Fifteenth Doctor figure itself and the experience in general.
To start with the Doctor himself it’s astonishing just how gorgeous Gatwa’s wax figure actually is (apparently the phrase ‘waxwork’ is a terrible faut pas these days.) We won’t claim to have ever been so up close and personal with the man himself. But it seems a perfect recreation of the Fifteenth Doctor. And you can certainly get very up close indeed. The days of barriers or roped off areas are for the most part long gone at Tussauds. If you want to briefly run your hand along that iconic leather coat to get a sense of its weight, or take a photo detailing the exact thread pattern of his custom striped top, this is the place to go.
The display is only one small corner of the huge complex, but it’s a lovingly recreated slice of the Whoniverse
He’s accompanied by a TARDIS provided by the Bad Wolf team. While Police Boxes pop up at Comic Cons across the world, how ever good quality they are, being able lean against an actual real TARDIS is an incredible experience out of sight for most since the Doctor Who Experience closed its doors. The TARDIS features an innovative new twist on the illusion of a bigger on the inside interior too. The traditional illuminated back wall picture of the console room is enhanced by a sloping, roundel indented, section of ceiling. This uses forced perspective to better sell that sense of the central console as something more distant than it really is. It also means that your view subtly changes with the angle you’re viewing from. This again helps your photos, and particularly videos, feel like they’re in front of a real dimensionally transcendental time machine.
The whole display sits on a small corner of London embankment, in front of a low wall and railing looking out onto an illuminated backdrop of the London skyline. A skyline dominated, in a neat touch, by the new UNIT HQ. It’s a little less impressive than the figure or TARDIS themselves, simply because like any such backdrop it only really works from a limited angle. It’s certainly a major step up from the 1980s, when Tom Baker’s figure stood, slightly inexplicably, on someone’s backyard decking.
That sense of a major upgrade is even visible when comparing the Fifteenth Doctor to his immediate neighbours – the James Bonds. More than just a timeline of the popular movie series, they also hint at the evolution of Madame Tussauds itself. Each one, from Connery to Craig, seems more sophisticated and accurate than the one before. But none really compare to the skin pore accurate perfection of the new Gatwa.
Having dematerialized from UNIT HQ, you and your companions can travel on to the Marvel and Star Wars universes and beyond…
Admittedly, even the hardiest of die hard fans will struggle to spend more than 15 minutes loitering in the TARDIS’ doorway. So what else can you expect to get for the price of admission? Really there’s something for everyone in the ever evolving lineup. There’s the stereotypical Tuss auds fare of celebrities, from the even taller than you’d think Ru Paul to Kim Kardashian posing with her phone ready for a selfie. But there’s plenty that might be more specifically up the alley of a Doctor Who fan.
There are sections for the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Star Wars. The former features a collection of figures including Captain America, Iron Man, Captain Marvel and more. Though most impressively, perhaps, is a life size Hulk. A 4D show also enables you to live through a 3D film of the Avengers defending Tussauds from an attack by Loki. The Star Wars section is even more impressive with whole slices of the Galaxy Far Far Away to visit. There’s everywhere from Jabba’s throne room to the swamps of Dagobah. Interactivity is key too, with you able to slip into the pilot’s chair of the Millennium Falcon or into Greedo’s seat opposite Han Solo himself.
The venue is cosplay friendly, meaning Doctor Who fans can also stage encounters between the Time Lord and a host of historical figures
It’s that interactivity that makes Tussauds particularly fun if you visit in cosplay. Blogtor won’t make any promises about what they’ll make of you at the door if you show up as a Cyberman. But at the very least they don’t bat an eyelid at the eccentric street clothes of the average Doctor. Blogtor actually visited in full Fourth Doctor cosplay, and met some other cosplayers such as a Tenth Doctor during our visit.
It opens the door for some entertaining mashups. You can have the Doctor taking to the skies on a flying bicycle to bring ET home, for one. Doctor Who being Doctor Who, of course, means there’s more fun to be had having your Doctor meet very historical personages like Winston Churchill or Emmeline Pankhurst or Elizabeth I. You can even cross Abbey Road in the company of the iconic creators of I’ve Got a Dog. Then you can adjudicate a time bending rap battle between William Shakespeare and Stormzy that only the Doctor could organize.
Alternatively, you might find the dramatic lighting and cobbled streets or the Chamber of Horror a suitable backdrop. From Jack the Ripper, to the Kray Twins’ pub, to gasmask wearing serial killers, there are some superb opportunities for photos. There’s also a gentle ride attraction, where your London cab brings you through London history. Who fans in particular might keep an eye out for a distinctly Torchwood style steampunk Queen Victoria!
Madame Tussauds can be good value for a visit lasting a few hours, but forward planning and booking is essential
Entry to Madame Tussauds begins at £29 if you pre-order and are prepared to queue at the door. It immediately jumps up to £44 if your just show up on the day, though, so planning is essential. You can also purchase a fast track to skip the queue (£42 in advance, £57 on the day.) Since it was a special occasion, and only a few pounds more, Mrs. Blogtor treated us to the champagne reception too for £49, though that would have been £64 at the door.
In short, it’s certainly possibly to extract good value from your visit to Madame Tussauds. But prior planning is essential, and if you just turn up on a whim you’ll pay a hefty price for it.
It took Blogtor about three hours to get around the whole building. Even that includes skipping lightly through the last through exhibits. We wanted to absolutely, totally, sure we didn’t miss the next part of our day at the Doctor Who Prom. But you might have more time to spare for your day.
Do go early though: the 9am slot itself is actually recommended as their quietest time. When we were there it was comfortably busy, with lots of space to share turns at the exhibits. (And fans being particularly patient to make sure everyone got a good long opportunity with the new Doctor.)
Though it is undoubtedly one of the most touristy things you can possibly do in London, Madame Tussauds is well worth a visit for any Doctor Who fan looking to catch up with the Doctor’s latest materialization.