Sydney spends time at Doctor Who Festival

They came in all sizes from all ages: kids dressed as Cybermen, teens in scarves and fez caps, grandparents with sonic screwdrivers -but all of them were there for just one thing -The Doctor.

The Doctor Who Festival in Sydney yesterday drew thousands of fans from across the country to see Peter Capaldi and to hear from Showrunner Steven Moffat.

One fan gave both men Akubra hats, others got up close and personal with a Dalek -and one man even proposed to his girlfriend in the middle of a Q&A with Peter Capaldi.

The Hordern Pavillion and Royal Hall of Industries were home to several hands-on events with production designers, writers and directors as fans learned how Doctor Who move from page to screen.

Also in attendance were 7th Doctor Sylvester McCoy, Ingrid Oliver (‘Osgood’), writer Mark Gatiss, Dan Starkey (‘Strax’), Jon Davey (monsters) and Aussie director Daniel Nettheim.

Peter Capaldi was asked about whether as an actor he could pinpoint a particular moment where he felt like he “owned” the character. But he felt there was no single scene that rose above others.

“I hate that expression, ‘Nailed it!'” he said.

“I feel close to it sometimes. Because I’m a Doctor Who fan and I have the love of Doctor Who, I feel as though I ‘belong’ in it. But I never (presume) I am on top of it.”

Steven Moffat was asked about casting Capaldi in the role following Matt Smith and previously David Tennant.

“You are looking for the perfect Doctor for ‘now.’ And the answer to that question is always slightly different. We had 2 quite young doctors in a row. They were puppies who were charming and sweet,” he said.

“And we just wanted to create exactly the opposite!”

But some fans also felt ownership of the character and his universe. One wanted Christopher Ecclestone to reappear, another was dismissive of “Moffat moments” and objected to the use of sunglasses.

Moffat defended their inclusion.

“Every celebrity swanning into a party thinking they’re looking cool in their shades, is ‘cos-playing’ Doctor Who!” he insisted.

A very animated Sylvester McCoy threw host Adam Spencer a curve ball when he left the stage to wander amongst fans for Q&A questions. For around 40 minutes he held fans captive with memories and anecdotes, showing remarkable energy and showmanship.

McCoy said he was cast in the role after being sighted in a theatre production, but had to weigh up whether it would be a good career move to halt his stage career,” he said.

“I was at the time playing the Pied Piper. A musical play had been written for me at the National Theatre.

“The funny coincidence was I was wearing a multi-coloured coat, and you know what that means…. a bigger and fatter Doctor Who than I used to wear one of them.”

Another day of the Doctor Who Festival takes place today in Sydney.

Steven Moffat, Mark Gatiss and Sue Vertue will also attend a Sherlock event in Melbourne on Monday.