Homerton College held a Doctor Who themed formal on Tuesday (21/11) to celebrate the show’s 60th anniversary, which was attended by actors and writers of the show, as well as a Dalek.

The formal was organised by Dr Robin Bunce, a fellow at Homerton, whose father was a camera operator on Doctor Who from 1966 to 1989. Bunce told Varsity that the idea for the formal came from the Homerton Union of Students (HUS), specifically its President who is a fan of the show.

The Dalek in attendance was manned by student Daniel Crosbie, who was previously supervised by Bunce. Crosbie told Varsity that he had a team of three people to get in and out of the Dalek costume.

In being picked to go in the Dalek outfit, Crosbie said: “I must have stood out to him as the most nerdy student he’s taught (a feat at this uni) such that it would be something up my street [...] and he was right, I’ve watched the show all my life.”

250 students attended the formal alongside special guests. These guests included the actors who played the companions to the 5th, 6th and 7th Doctors: Sophie Aldred and Nicola Bryant. As well as writers of the show, Una McCormack and Jamie Hailstone, with McCormack credited for helping organise the event.

The formal included several Doctor Who themed elements, as guests entered the hall through a life-sized TARDIS, built by Theo Hacking, an engineering DoS. Homerton’s Charter Choir performed the BBC theme tune before the dinner, with the grace being spoken by the Dalek in attendance, voiced by Dr Bunce. About becoming a Dalek, the academic said: “I think for a while the Dalek became my doppleganger!”

The formal menu was also Doctor Who themed, with ‘Figs O’ The Quanuncing Grig’, ‘Lamb a la Krillitane’ and ‘Morphoton Chocolate Delight’ being served to attendees.

Bunce has also conducted research into Doctor Who, on subjects such as why the Daleks are so scary, as well as The Twelfth Doctor and the Politics of Conflict.

Speaking at the formal, Bunce said: “Doctor Who gives us the tools to imagine better worlds, and like the very best TV shows help us understand what it means to be human.”