Robert Strange: study well, cosplayers…
Wrarths even get their own clapperboard. Fancy.
Were you familiar with Doctor Who? I’ve
always been a fan. I remember watching the Christopher Eccleston series when I was young. David Tennant and Catherine Tate were my childhood heroes. To be involved in their reunion was something special; to see them in real life on set, doing their back and forth the way that they do.
How did the role come your way? Because I carved a niche for myself as a creature performer, a lot of work comes to me directly based on what I’ve done in the past and what they’re looking for physically. I’m lucky enough to have worked a lot over the years with Millennium FX, who make Doctor Who’s creature suits. They got in touch and said, “We need a tall performer who’s willing to do something quite physical”. So I went to the workshop. There was a pair of giant stilts lying on the floor. They unofficially told me what it was for. I didn’t need any convincing whatsoever – I said, “Let’s do it!”
How well did you take to the stilts? Quite well. They’re almost like a giant pair of heels, just on a tiptoe with a counterbalance down the back. They’re quite agile. You can’t stand still in those specific type of stilts. They have a curved base on the foot which allows you to move forwards and you have to constantly shift your weight to stand on the spot. So we incorporated that into the movement of the Wrarth – they have this lumbering, insect-y quality.