[ More on the first script read-through - in June 2007]
The read-through is a little creaky at first - mainly because, judging from the faces in the room, everyone is preoccupied by thinking, "Kylie! It's Kylie! Kylie god hotpants Minogue Kylie!" But by shot 78, where she has a key scene with the Doctor, Tennant smiles a real, tender smile at her, everything judders into place and there's a sudden spritz of Christmas magic in the air.
The read-through ends at precisely 2pm, and people gather around the buffet to eat cake, which is of a noticeably better quality than at meetings where Kylie Minogue has not been present.
Eschewing lunch, Julie Gardner, Russell T. Davies, Phil Collinson, and director James Strong all gather for a post-reading meeting. The feeling is that things are going well, but Gardner is concerned that a key scene is underpowered. David Tennant has also voiced a concern - how the Tardis, supposedly impregnable, has suddenly crashed into the Titanic. "Oh, don't worry, I'm on the case," Davies says, airily. "It'll just take one or two lines." Suddenly, Kylie materializes at the table.
"Hello, all you clever and high-powered people," she says. "I don't want to interrupt your pow-wow, but just to say thank you, and goodbye." She points at James Strong, the director. "And you need to crack the whip on me. When you know me better." And with a twinkly, minxy finger-wave, she leaves.
"Ooooooh," Strong says. "Kylie," Davies sighs.
Link to [ part one ] of the Voyage of the Damned behind-the-scenes posts, or click the #whoBtsVotd tag, or the full episode list [ here ]
origamiaround
gracieabrams
