Behind the scenes of The Lazarus Experiment (Part One)
Excerpts from Benjamin Cookβs article in DWM 383
David Tennant arrives. Β Heβs wearing a tux, and black Converse trainers. The director, Richard Clark, wants him to dash across to the control area, and sonic the main panel. Β βSo,β repeats David,Β βI say the line, something explodes, then I jump over thereβ¦β
βWeβll rehearse a few times before we do the explosion,β clarifies Richard. βYouβre going to have to jump as quickly as possible.β
βYou any good at parkour, then?β asks Julian Howarth, the sound recordist.
βOh yes,β smiles David. Β βI base all of my work on that.β
βBang! Bang! Bang!β calls out Dan Mumford, the First Assistant director, because the pyrotechnics get saved for the final take.
βSomethingβs wrong!β screams David. Β βItβs overloading!β
βThis is the panel thatβs exploding,β explains Richard, afterwards,Β βso this is the one to be on, David. Β Another rehearsal, please.β
DWM asks David whether he knows what all of these buttons do. Β βOf course,β he insists. Β βI recognise some of them: they were on Sanctuary Base Six!β
[after Mark Gatiss arrives on set, and they discuss the extra (whom they have nicknamed βHelgaβ) whose acting is rather unconvincing] Β A take. Β At last. Sparks spurt over Helga. Β βHelga doesnβt feel pain,β murmurs Mark.
But David does. Β He catches his hand on the control panel. Β βOuch!β he yells, only a bit ruder.
As he nurses his finger, DWM distracts David from the painful throbbing sensation by asking him inane questions. Β For instance, what age he would revert to if he had his own Genetic Manipulation Device? Β βThere are things that Iβd like to do better in my teenage years,β he admits,Β βbut thatβd mean living through them all again. Β Itβs tempting, isnβt it? Β But I suspect that way utter, utter madness probably lies. Β No, Iβm quite happy being where I am right now. Β I donβt feel a yearning for a lost youth. Β Maybe thatβll come?β
βPerhaps,β suggests DWM,Β βyou arenβt old enough to yearn for your youth?β
David chuckles. Β βWell, I donβt knowβ¦! Iβm past the first flush.β He considers this.Β βIβm past the second flush, probably.β
Other parts of this post: [one] [two] [three] [four]
All of my previous behind-the-scenes photoset posts can be found here.Β
