We are proud to be partnering with Jon Dear, Alexandra Palace, and the BFI to produce the 70th anniversary performance of Nigel Kneale’s seminal sci-fi drama: The Quatermass Experiment.
The Quatermass Experiment
by Nigel Kneale
Narrated by Jon Dear
Episode 1
“Contact Has Been Established”
Original air date 18 July 1953
JOHN PATERSON – Scott Arthur
TIPSY MAN – Tom Bell
BLAKER – Krissi Bohn
POLICEMAN, WIMBLEDON – Billy Boreham
PETER MARSH – Tom Burgess
BBC NEWSREADER/NEIGHBOUR 1 – Anisa Butt
LEN MATTHEWS – Alan Cox
NEIGHBOUR 2 – Charlie de Melo
PROFESSOR BERNARD QUATERMASS – Mark Gatiss
JAMES FULLALOVE – Toby Hadoke
BBC INTERVIEWER – Cherylee Houston
FIREMAN – Chris Jack
JUDITH CARROON – Alice Lowe
AUSTRALIAN VOICE – Kevin McNally
MISS WILDE – Linda Marlowe
JACKSON, NEWS EDITOR – Jason Morell
2nd REPORTER – Adam Riches
POLICE INSPECTOR, WIMBLEDON – Dan Starkey
VICTOR CARROON – James Swanton
1st REPORTER – Abra Thompson
MRS MATTHEWS – Carrie Thompson
Episode 2
“Persons Reported Missing”
Original air date 25 July 1953
JOHN PATERSON – Scott Arthur
DR LUDWIG REICHENHEM – Tom Bell
AIRPORT SECURITY/RADIO VOICE – Krissi Bohn
POLICEMAN, WIMBLEDON – Billy Boreham
PETER MARSH – Tom Burgess
HOSPITAL SISTER – Anisa Butt
CHARLES GREENE – Alan Cox
DR GORDON BRISCOE – Charlie de Melo
PROFESSOR BERNARD QUATERMASS – Mark Gatiss
JAMES FULLALOVE – Toby Hadoke
MRS GREENE – Cherylee Houston
DETECTIVE SERGEANT BEST – Chris Jack
JUDITH CARROON – Alice Lowe
DETECTIVE INSPECTOR LOMAX – Kevin McNally
JACKSON, NEWS EDITOR – Jason Morell
2nd REPORTER – Adam Riches
POLICE INSPECTOR, WIMBLEDON – Dan Starkey
VICTOR CARROON – James Swanton
1st REPORTER – Abra Thompson
POLICEWOMAN, SCOTLAND YARD/AIRPORT TANNOY – Carrie Thompson
Episode 3
“Very Special Knowledge”
Original air date 1 August 1953
JOHN PATERSON – Scott Arthur
DR LUDWIG RECHENHEIM – Tom Bell
WALTERS – Billy Boreham
INDIAN REPORTER – Anisa Butt
CHARLES GREENE – Alan Cox
DR GORDON BRISCOE – Charlie de Melo
PROFESSOR BERNARD QUATERMASS – Mark Gatiss
JAMES FULLALOVE – Toby Hadoke
DETECTIVE SERGEANT BEST – Chris Jack
JUDITH CARROON – Alice Lowe
DETECTIVE INSPECTOR LOMAX – Kevin McNally
MISS WILDE – Linda Marlowe
AMERICAN JOURNALIST – Dan Starkey
VICTOR CARROON – James Swanton
Episode 4
“Believed To Be Suffering”
Original air date 8 August 1953
JOHN PATERSON – Scott Arthur
RAMSEY – Tom Bell
PHOTOGRAPHER – Krissi Bohn
WALTERS – Billy Boreham
CHEMIST – Tom Burgess
USHERETTE – Anisa Butt
CINEMA MANAGER – Alan Cox
DR GORDON BRISCOE – Charlie de Melo
PROFESSOR BERNARD QUATERMASS – Mark Gatiss
JAMES FULLALOVE – Toby Hadoke
CINEMAGOER – Cherylee Houston
DETECTIVE SERGEANT BEST – Chris Jack
JUDITH CARROON – Alice Lowe
DETECTIVE INSPECTOR LOMAX – Kevin McNally
MISS WILDE – Linda Marlowe
JACKSON, NEWS EDITOR – Jason Morell
“SPACE LIEUTENANT”/DRIVER – Adam Riches
AMERICAN JOURNALIST – Dan Starkey
VICTOR CARROON – James Swanton
“SPACE GIRL” – Abra Thompson
A BOY – Carrie Thompson
Episode 5
“An Unidentified Species”
Original air date 15 August 1953
JOHN PATERSON – Scott Arthur
TV PRODUCER – Tom Bell
TV ASSISTANT – Krissi Bohn
TED – Billy Boreham
CHEMIST – Tom Burgess
USHERETTE – Anisa Butt
PARK KEEPER – Alan Cox
DR GORDON BRISCOE – Charlie de Melo
PROFESSOR BERNARD QUATERMASS – Mark Gatiss
JAMES FULLALOVE – Toby Hadoke
TECHNICAL MANAGER – Cherylee Houston
DETECTIVE SERGEANT BEST – Chris Jack
JUDITH CARROON – Alice Lowe
DETECTIVE INSPECTOR LOMAX – Kevin McNally
INSPECTOR – Linda Marlowe
SIR VERNON DODDS – Jason Morell
TV COMMENTATOR – Adam Riches
A DRUNK – Dan Starkey
VICTOR CARROON – James Swanton
JANET – Abra Thompson
A BOY/MARY MALCOLM – Carrie Thompson
Episode 6
“State Of Emergency”
Original air date 22 August 1953
JOHN PATERSON – Scott Arthur
TV PRODUCER – Tom Bell
TV ASSISTANT – Krissi Bohn
CAMERAMAN/CROWD 2 – Billy Boreham
BOWLER-HATTED MAN – Tom Burgess
CROWD 1 – Anisa Butt
MAJOR O’NEILL – Alan Cox
DR GORDON BRISCOE – Charlie de Melo
PROFESSOR BERNARD QUATERMASS – Mark Gatiss
JAMES FULLALOVE – Toby Hadoke
TECHNICAL MANAGER – Cherylee Houston
DETECTIVE SERGEANT BEST – Chris Jack
JUDITH CARROON – Alice Lowe
DETECTIVE INSPECTOR LOMAX – Kevin McNally
PERMANENT OFFICIAL – Linda Marlowe
SIR VERNON DODDS – Jason Morell
TV COMMENTATOR – Adam Riches
SERGEANT – Dan Starkey
VICTOR CARROON – James Swanton
POLICEWOMAN – Abra Thompson
MARY MALCOLM/CROWD 3 – Carrie Thompson
Very Special Knowledge…
The Quatermass Experiment performed at the Alexandra Palace Theatre, 9 September 2023
Produced by Jon Dear in association with Hermetic Arts
Supported by the British Film Institute
Lighting and sound design by Chris Lincé
Social media by Carrie Thompson
Video design by Stagefright Films
The Quatermass Files extract courtesy of Ten Acre Films
Graphic design and brochure design by Chris Lincé
Stars from the world of soap opera, horror, science fiction and comedy join the illustrious roster of talent bringing long-lost classic The Quatermass Experiment back to life at Alexandra Palace.
The previously announced Mark Gatiss (The League of Gentlemen, Doctor Who), who stars as legendary science fiction character Professor Bernard Quatermass, will be joined by a number of well-known faces when The Quatermass Experiment is performed as a live reading on stage in the very building it was first transmitted from 70 years ago. The staging will utilise the serial’s original camera scripts.
At this special event taking place on September 9th actor Alice Lowe (Garth Merenghi’s Darkplace, Sightseers) will star as Quatermass’s chief assistant Judith Carroon whilst accomplished horror actor James Swanton (DashCam, Frankenstein’s Creature) will play her husband, stricken astronaut Victor Carroon. Scott Arthur (the lead in recent TV hit Steeltown Murders) takes the part of troubled scientist John Paterson. The key role of debonair journalist James Fullalove will be played by comedian and actor Toby Hadoke (Moths Ate My Doctor Who Scarf, Fergus Dunford in Coronation Street) whilst the charming Miss Wilde, whose house is crashed into by the Quatermass rocket, will be played by veteran actor Linda Marlowe (Jekyll, Sylvie Carter in Eastenders). Linda has a special tie with the The Quatermass Experiment – her father, Peter Bathurst, played mission commander Charles Greene in the original TV production.
The cast will also feature a very talented ensemble of familiar faces taking on a number of roles throughout the six episodes, including BAFTA winning Coronation Street star (she has played the regular role of Izzy Armstrong in the soap for over a decade) Cherylee Houston MBE, and Doctor Who regular Dan Starkey (who played the recurring Sontaran character Strax). They are joined by Krissi Bohn (Biff and Chip, Coronation Street), character comic Tom Burgess (Peter Fleming’s Woefully Inaccurate History of the BBC), Edinburgh Comedy Award winning actor and comedian Adam Riches (Detectorists, 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown), Abra Thompson (Showtrail, This Country), and actor and writer Carrie Thompson (Red Rose, Powertool Cheerleaders Vs The Boyband of the Screeching Dead).
Toby Hadoke was interviewed by Kirsty Wark about the 70th Anniversary of Quatermass on the July 18th edition of Newsnight
Gatiss, Hadoke, Arthur, and Marlowe convened with the production’s instigator and producer Jon Dear and co-producer Chris Lincé of Hermetic Arts, on the anniversary of the broadcast of the serial’s first episode in order to pay homage to that pioneering work from 70 years ago. They were joined by Nigel Kneale’s daughter Tacy Kneale, who brought with her the original monster prop from The Quatermass Experiment, made out of gardening gloves, latex and vegetation by her father and his then-girlfriend (and future wife) Judith Kerr (The Tiger Who Came to Tea).
“I’m deeply honoured – the 8 year old version of myself would not quite believe it but I am thrilled to play Bernard Quatermass. I don’t know how I’m going to play him yet – because he’s always different! It’s a thrill for me to be here on the 70th anniversary. I used to live down the road and I used to come here all the time. For me Alexandra Palace is haunted by Quatermass – what those pioneers did was so special. As I think Nigel Kneale would appreciate – you can feel the history in the stones”
MARK GATISS (Professor Quatermass)
“This is a unique chance for audiences to experience one of the great lost pieces of television. Nigel Kneale created a story and a character that have influenced generations of film makers and writers. It redefined television and I’m so delighted to help bring this seminal work back to life with one of Britain’s best actors playing Professor Bernard Quatermass.”
JON DEAR (producer)
“How touching to be within these hallowed walls seventy years to the day since cast and crew gathered to make television history. In true Nigel Kneale style, I am sure their energy is embedded in the bricks and will crackle through the building when we perform here in September.”
TOBY HADOKE (James Fullalove & writer of forthcoming factual book The Quatermass Files)
“I saw it at the time – I must have been about 12. It’s thrilling to be part of resurrecting a classic that famously gripped the nation. It really was marvellous and very exciting – and it must have been one of my father’s first television jobs.”
LINDA MARLOWE (Miss Wilde)
The Quatermass Experiment was originally broadcast by the BBC – live from Alexandra Palace – between 18th July and 22nd August 1953 and famously shocked the nation. The story concerns the first ever rocket into space which returns, overdue, with only one crew member still on board – and he seems hugely changed by some unspeakable encounter up there, beyond the air. Soon, the rocket’s designer, Professor Bernard Quatermass, must face the possibility that his pioneering mission may well have wrought destruction upon mankind.
Tapping into contemporary concerns and revolutionising the kind of drama that was possible on television, The Quatermass Experiment was written by Nigel Kneale and produced by Rudolph Cartier, and starred Reginald Tate as Quatermass with Isabel Dean, Duncan Lamont and Paul Whitsun-Jones. There were two BBC sequels – Quatermass II (1955) and Quatermass and the Pit (1958/59) – and all three were made into films by Hammer, with a fourth Quatermass TV serial appearing on ITV in 1979.
Only the first two episodes of The Quatermass Experiment were recorded for posterity – the rest of the serial was performed once in front of a transfixed audience and then lost forever.
The live performance of The Quatermass Experiment is produced by Jon Dear in association with Chris Lincé and Carrie Thompson of Hermetic Arts with support from the BFI.
It will star Mark Gatiss as Quatermass, Alice Lowe as Judith Carroon, Scott Arthur as John Paterson, Toby Hadoke as James Fullalove, James Swanton as Victor Carroon, and Linda Marlowe as Miss Wilde, with Krissi Bohn, Tom Burgess, Cherylee Houston MBE, Adam Riches, Dan Starkey, Abra Thompson, and Carrie Thompson.
All cast feature subject other commitments.
It will take place on September 9th 2023 at Alexandra Palace Theatre
Further info: alexandrapalace.com/whats-on/the-quatermass-experiment
Ticket link: alexandrapalace.com/whats-on/the-quatermass-experiment/#tickets
