One to Watch: Christopher and his Kind

When David Tennant finally called it quits on his tenure as the Doctor, all eyes were on his next role. Sadly it transpired to be the the incredibly damp 'Single Father' on BBC.

It was a very safe choice of follow-up, which didn't particularly test any of his acting ability, or help him reach a wider viewership than he had whilst on Doctor Who.

It did however, manage to break any question of potential type-casting.

The current Doctor Matt Smith (who has been unfairly branded an 'unknown' until this point), who also seems eager to avoid potential type-casting, has done a Daniel Radcliffe and chosen a bold and challenging role to break up his performance on Doctor Who.

"Just thinking in a different way physically to The Doctor was also a very interesting challenge for me...I hope that you look at this and quickly forget that you're watching The Doctor" says Smith who stars as novelist Christopher Isherwood in a one off drama penned by acclaimed playwright Kevin Elyot.

"It was the script that attracted me to the role...Christopher Isherwood is such an interesting man." says Smith "The story is such a fascinating one. I loved the idea of playing someone so extreme to me"

A far cry from Who, the story follows Isherwood as he escapes repressive English society to pre-war Berlin, in an attempt to ingratiate himself in the city's thriving gay subculture and avoid the prejudice placed on him by society back in his home country.

"At the heart of the piece is Christopher's acceptance of his own identity and self-discovery...about a man exploring his sexuality and the arena in which he can do that freely."

The choice of story could be seen as a bold one for Smith, who has a family audience of fans to take into account. But for me it's great that a young actor like Smith has the freedom and desire to take on roles that challenge not only him, but the wide audience that will tune in based on his success as the Doctor.

Cristopher and his Kind is simulcast on BBC Two and BBC HD, Saturday 19 March 9.30-11.00pm

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