A CREATIVE team from Winsford is embarking on the latest instalment of a Dr Who spin-off podcast that has generated a worldwide following and plans for an A-list feature film.
BBC producer Dan Freeman and Cheshire Actors Studio pioneer Richard Ellis have moved into a creative studio at Blakemere Craft Centre near Northwich to provide a hub for the show.
The duo are collaborating on Dan’s hit podcast, The Minister of Chance, which follows the adventures of the time lord first introduced to audiences during the Dr Who reign of Sylvester McCoy.
Sylvester, currently filming for his role as Radagast the Brown in The Hobbit, joins a stellar cast of big names for the podcast, including former Doctor and Withnail and I star, Paul McGann, as well as Logan’s Run actress Jenny Agutter.
Initially played by Stephen Fry, the character’s rebirth in podcast form came following a conversation Dan had with Sylvester at the Edinburgh Festival in 1999, whom he was introduced to by former co-star Sophie Aldred.
Dan explained: “Dr Who wasn’t on air at the time. I was at the Edinburgh Festival and she took me to see Sylvester in a play. I realised what an interesting performer he was. I asked him about Dr Who and we did a production on radio which then went online. It was the world’s first webcast.”
The subsequent podcast is uniquely funded by its own worldwide network of fans – from Canada through Britain and the USA to Australia.
Depending on the amount donated, listeners are able to make suggestions for script progression and even have characters named after themselves.
Dan said: “We put it on as a free podcast for people to donate money to. They donated so much that that’s what’s keeping it going now. We’re just about to record episode four and then we’ll start a funding campaign for episode five.”
Plans are ongoing to turn The Minister of Chance into a high-budget feature film.
Dan explained that, like Peter Jackson, he intended to use local talent and locations for the film.
He said: “We’re going to base it here and use local scenery. We’d like to make Cheshire the centre for film production.
Get involved with The Minister of Chance at ministerofchance.com For more on the Actor’s Studio, visit cheshireactorsstudio.com
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