Friday 31 December 2010

David Tennant Treat 4 Today for Friday 31st December 2010

As it was a year ago today that David Tennant was interviewed on Breakfast television (and several other programmes that day), the David Tennant Treat 4 Today is a video of his interview.

Best wishes for a Happy New Year and check back tomorrow for the first of 365 David Tennant Treats 4 Today in 2011!








Thursday 30 December 2010

David Tennant Treat 4 Today for Thursday 30th December 2010

The David Tennant Treat 4 Today is the Boing Boing video with David Tennant and Russell T Davies from early August 2009.



Wednesday 29 December 2010

David Tennant Treat 4 Today for Wednesday 29th December 2010

The David Tennant Treat 4 Today is the comic sketch which was screened on the John Barrowman programme Tonight's The Night on BBC1.

The show had run a competition to design a Doctor Who monster and the winner had the chance to perform on the TARDIS set. To his delight David Tennant played in the skit too but not as the Tenth Doctor. Russell T Davies said later that he couldn't bear the final words he wrote for the Tenth Doctor to be against a man wearing a blue sock on his face!

Click the graphic below to watch the video and keep watching after the sketch to see the moment that David approaches the winner!







Tuesday 28 December 2010

David Tennant Treat 4 Today for Tuesday 28th December 2010


The David Tennant Treat 4 Today is part of an interview / article about David Tennant which was published on Sunday 23rd July 2000 in the newspaper Scotland On Sunday when David was at the RSC in Stratford-Upon-Avon.

"One of theatre's big discoveries, Tennant arrived at Stratford in January to start rehearsing his lead role in The Rivals. At the same time he rehearsed another starring part, that of the twin Antipholus in The Comedy of Errors. Both have opened to rave reviews and Tennant has won much praise for his performances. As Boyd, former artistic director of Glasgow's Tron theatre, describes, "He has a tremendous ability to communicate with an audience - he's like an open book. He has such an open face and an open spirit."

In The Rivals, one critic wrote that he "is blessed with the most eloquent left eyebrow since Roger Moore's". Another said of him in The Comedy of Errors: "Tennant's ingenuity and understated comedy are the production's making. His face speaks volumes and is as changeable as a weather-vane." And a third: "The best performance comes from David Tennant... rapidly establishing himself as one of the most endearing comic actors in the business."

Not that you dare quote any of these to "the skinny Scot frae Paisley".
There is no time for reading reviews, he says, as we race down the stairs behind the scenes at the theatre and rush across to the Union Club, the RSC's version of the Groucho Club-on-Avon for company members, to dive into steak and kidney pie and coffee cake. He will read all his notices at the end of the season, when he will have played 97 performances as Jack Absolute, slid down the banisters as Antipholus 72 times and fallen in doomed love with Juliet 45 times. There have been two matinees every week, as well as six evening shows since The Rivals started previewing in March. "I don't want to know the total number," he says, as I prepare to quote the statistics. "I haven't dared count them. It's too terrifying, although once Romeo and Juliet opens I'll just be doing eight shows a week and getting days off, because I won't be rehearsing."

Tennant reckons he gets his first Monday off in August. "But to make up for it, we then do three matinees. I get a very short break in September, I think. It's quite full on, but it's that or you don't do the parts.


"He is perfect casting for Romeo, because of the intensity he brings to his work," Michael Boyd says. While Tennant's great friend and former landlady, the comic performer and author of Does My Bum Look Big in This?, Arabella Weir, says: "He's astonishingly focused for his age and amazingly straightforward and honest. He's trustworthy and he's honourable."
Tennant lodged with her for five years when he "very trepidatiously" moved to London. Weir, whom he met on Takin' Over the Asylum, led him astray, he jokes. "She would shock me with the things she would say, but she finds it harder to shock me now. She probably corrupted me, but I probably needed corrupting a little bit. It sounds like we were lovers or something. We weren't. It was more she led me into the murky world of London. I think I was quite green when I left Scotland - I was blessed with a very good upbringing, because my parents are very moral, Christian people, but without all the brimstone and thunder nonsense."

There is still something uncynical and unspoilt about him, though. He confesses that being with the RSC can be scary. "Not only because you are in the home of 'world class classical theatre' (as all the brochures tell you), but these big Shakespearean roles come with a lot of historical baggage attached. People tell you how romantic Ian McKellen was as Romeo, or how masculine Sean Bean was, or how marvellous Laurence Olivier was. You feel the weight of all those ghosts, those performances that have taken on a mystical resonance. And because it's Shakespeare, you feel it's hard to make it believable, because it is so beautiful.
"With this play, everyone has so many ideas about it, that you almost want to play against the beauty. We did the balcony scene the other day and I was doing: 'But, soft! What light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun!' And I was going: 'How can I say that?' It is beyond parody, but all you can do is be personal with it and make it your own, if that doesn't sound too pretentious. I know that's how Alex [who plays Juliet] feels about famous lines like, 'Parting is such sweet sorrow'."

Rehearsals carry on into the evening, although Tennant has to dash off to a warm-up, then strut his stuff in The Rivals. The last "Bravo!" is still echoing in his ears as he flies out of the stage door, clutching his shopping. "The milk and the orange juice will be curdled. They have been in my dressing-room all day," he says gloomily. There is not even time for a post-show pint in the actors' local, the Dirty Duck. He has, he notes, only been there twice since January. "I'll make up for it once Romeo's up and running," he promises.

After the show, which finishes at 10.30pm, he drives the mile-and-a-bit to his flat, watches TV for half an hour to unwind, and then goes to bed with the Arden edition of "the greatest love story ever told". Then, the next morning, he's up at 8am, eats a bowl of Honey Nut Shredded Wheat - "my only concession to healthy living" - and drives back to the theatre, where he showers, goes shopping at Marks & Spencer for lunch, then starts rehearsals again at 10am. "I'm marrying Juliet this morning," he says. "Knowing Michael, it'll be something unusual and different. Swinging from the chandeliers? Probably."

The intensity of the rollercoaster he is on is overwhelming. Stratford is a gruelling, sometimes stifling, hothouse. Rehearsal followed by show, followed by rehearsal, in one long punishing schedule. After one-and-a-half hours in the rehearsal room, there is just time for a snack before voice warm-ups for the matinee of The Rivals. There, Tennant's rapier-thin young blade gets involved in sword fights and various cunning derring-do disguises, then he is off again for lunch. And back on again, for The Comedy of Errors. A short show, but a physical one, as Tennant slides down those banisters, executes pratfalls and turns in a brilliantly funny double act with Ian Hughes, who plays his manservant, Dromio. He also does the neatly witty trick of lighting two post-coital cigarettes after seducing his long lost twin's wife and then buries his head in Nina Conti's cleavage.

Later Tennant is in his dressing-room, stripped to the waist, slapping Simple moisturiser onto his face, swigging pints of mineral water, and packing up his make-up box, an old-fashioned leather bowling case. As we leave, we trip up over a bloody but unbowed Hotspur, about to go on stage and die in Henry IV, Part 1. Falstaff is plumped in the corner and wishes us a courteous good night, while various make-up girls daub elderly knights. "It's like this every night at this time," says Tennant. "You can't move for men in armour and there's blood everywhere."

There is still no time for one quick drink in the Union Club. "I've got to get those lines fixed," he says, as he climbs into his car. He pushes a taped version of Romeo and Juliet - in which he plays Mercutio and Joseph Fiennes is Romeo - into the recorder. "It'll help me with learning my lines and, hopefully, Joe might have come up with something new that I can nick for my performance." And he drives off into the Warwickshire night.


Romeo and Juliet runs until October 7, in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre at Stratford-upon-Avon. The Comedy of Errors runs until October 6 and The Rivals is in the Swan Theatre until October 7.
"



Monday 27 December 2010

David Tennant Treat 4 Today for Monday 27th December 2010


David Tennant's name was mentioned in relation to a spoof radio programme on Radio Two at 8pm on Christmas Eve.

The press release said:

"Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol has been widely adapted and dramatised but never quite like this before.


An all-star cast gathers to bring the timeless allegory to life in Marley Was Dead, a piece of spoof radio. It is Christmas Eve and listeners are about to hear a starry cast performance of A Christmas Carol from St Martin in the Fields, introduced by Jonathan Dimbleby. At least, they think they are...


Jonathan Dimbleby, speaking from the balcony, introduces the production and the stellar cast: Sir Ian McKellen as Scrooge; Sir Patrick Stewart as the Narrator; David Tennant as Bob Cratchit and so forth. Sir Simon Rattle conducts. But a few seconds into the play itself - just after listeners hear the famous opening lines "Marley was dead", things take an unexpected turn for the worse. What follows next is screwball comedy in the finest tradition."


Although the press release said that David Tennant would be playing Bob Cratchit it continued that Javier Marzan was also playing the character so it was obviously a spoof but despite that several people tweeted it to us and one website even declared that David was involved in the programme!


Click here to listen to the first 3 minutes of the programme which is the David Tennant Treat 4 Today (and includes the David Tennant mention).


The full hour long programme can be downloaded from this link for the next 4 days.





Sunday 26 December 2010

David Tennant Treat 4 Today for Sunday 26th December 2010

As it was a year ago tonight that BBC premiered the RSC version of Hamlet, the David Tennant Treat 4 Today is the 'To Be Or Not To Be' soliloquy.



Saturday 25 December 2010

David Tennant Treat 4 Today for Saturday 25th December 2010

The David Tennant Treat 4 Today is David Tennant (as The Doctor) wishing us all a Merry Christmas.

And Merry Christmas to all our 26,000 followers on Twitter too!




Friday 24 December 2010

David Tennant Treat 4 Today for Friday 24th December 2010

The David Tennant Treat 4 Today is a short newspaper mention of David Tennant which appeared in the Daily Mail on Wednesday 8th December 2010 in a column by Sandra Parsons.

It's not entirely complimentary about David Tennant but it is the Daily Mail! (David Tennant does have a lot of male fans too.)

Click the picture for a larger (readable!) version.




Thursday 23 December 2010

David Tennant Treat 4 Today for Thursday 23rd December 2010

The David Tennant Treat 4 Today has been chosen by somebody who wishes to remain anonymous.

The video is a clip from Secret Smile and the person who has chosen it says that it is their favourite production that they have seen David Tennant appearing in.

This clip is from the climax of the drama and David plays psychotic Brendon Block.




Wednesday 22 December 2010

David Tennant Treat 4 Today for

The David Tennant Treat 4 Today is the original photo of David Tennant for the poster for Hamlet.

The RSC have a policy of making a generic poster for each production which is usually prepared before rehearsals start so the company does not always know which costume the actor will wear. That's why David is wearing this coat which he didn't actually wear on stage.

David's picture was in the style of Caspar David Friedrich's painting The Wanderer Above The Mists but the original version released (reproduced below) clearly showed David standing on a step! This was airbrushed out of later versions of the poster.

However most fans preferred the poster from the same shoot which was placed outside the upstairs ladies loo at The Courtyard Theatre!



Tuesday 21 December 2010

David Tennant Treat 4 Today for Tuesday 21st November 2010

The David Tennant Treat 4 Today is a video about getting David Tennant's autograph told by a really sweet boy in his own unique style!





Many thanks to @DavySitter for forwarding the link to the video.


Monday 20 December 2010

David Tennant Treat 4 Today for Monday 20th December 2010

Some of these David Tennant Treats 4 Today are decided weeks in advnce but others are on the day.

After looking out of the window tonight this video came to mind for the David Tennant Treat 4 Today. It's a BBC iDent from last Christmas.



Sunday 19 December 2010

David Tennant Treat 4 Today for Sunday 19th December 2010

The David Tennant Treat 4 Today is part of David Tennant's Video Diary, this time from the Weakest Link Doctor Who Special.



Saturday 18 December 2010

David Tennant Treat 4 Today for Saturday 18th December 2010

The David Tennant Treat 4 Today is a video which has the title "David Tennant Singing and Eating Ice Cream."

The video is from Blackpool and almost half a million people have already viewed it!




If you would like to suggest a photo / video / review as the David Tennant Treat 4 Today please email DavidTennantOnTwitter@gmail.com


Friday 17 December 2010

David Tennant Treat 4 Today for Friday 17th December 2010

The David Tennant Treat 4 Today was chosen by Chris Morris.

Chris explains it as "It's just such a cheeky photo!"

It was taken in June 2009.




If you would like to suggest a photo / video / review as the David Tennant Treat 4 Today please email DavidTennantOnTwitter@gmail.com



Thursday 16 December 2010

David Tennant Treat 4 Today for Thursday 16th December 2010

The David Tennant Treat 4 Today is a clip from Doctor Who At 40 where they are talking about a Big Finish production with Arabella Weir playing The Doctor so there is a lot of discussion about a female version of The Doctor.

David Tennant can be seen very briefly in the line-up for a photo-shoot a couple of times.

But is it David Tennant who Arabella is talking about when she mentions her friend's view of Doctor Who?!!!




Wednesday 15 December 2010

David Tennant Treat 4 Today for Wednesday 15th December 2010


The David Tennant Treat 4 Today is a review of Hamlet from Charles Spencer in The Telegraph.

David has said on numerous occasions that he doesn't read reviews but let's hope that he did read some of these after the run as he received some excellent reviews.

This review was of the mini-Press Night that the RSC held in the final week of the production when David Tennant returned to the role after his back operation.

Click here to read the review.



Tuesday 14 December 2010

David Tennant Treat 4 Today for Tuesday 14th December 2010


The David Tennant Treat 4 Today is an MP3 of the BBC programme called Stealing Shakespeare which David Tennant narrated.

It was broadcast on Thursday 28th July 2010 and although it is a TV programme, it is obvious from David's narration what is happening.

Click here to listen to the MP3 and for more info.






Monday 13 December 2010

David Tennant Treat 4 Today for Monday 13th December 2010

The David Tennant Treat 4 Today has been suggested by Helen Cox. Helen describes this video as it "shows David's great range and passion. He is such a fine actor."

It is what the BBC call his "Coward Soliloquy" (although I've always known it as the "Now I am alone soliloquy" as that is how the speech starts) and it's also one of my favourites from the play as Hamlet goes through so many emotions during it.






If you would like to suggest a David Tennant Treat 4 Today please email DavidTennantOnTwitter@gmail.com



Sunday 12 December 2010

David Tennant Treat 4 Today for Sunday 12th December 2010


The David Tennant Treat 4 Today was sent today by Ben Jammin Chow.

I think this is becoming the David Tennant Tattoo 4 Today as Ben has sent another tatt!

Ben explains it as "I am such a David Tennant fan that I have designed a tattoo for myself featuring my favorite Doctor of all time!!"

David has fans who are a lot braver than I am!






Saturday 11 December 2010

Friday 10 December 2010

David Tennant Treat 4 Today for Friday 10th December 2010

The David Tennant Treat 4 Today is a photo of a very young looking David Tennant!

It was being sold on eBay while ago. I didn't buy it but I did snaffle it for use as a David Tennant Treat 4 Today!




As usual, click on the photo for a larger version.




Thursday 9 December 2010

David Tennant Treat 4 Today for Thursday 9th December 2010


The David Tennant Treat 4 Today is the video of David Tennant arriving at the Absolute Radio studios for his co-hosting slot on Thursday 28th October 2010.

Click here to watch the video but also read all the comments on the page as they all say how nice David Tennant is to stop and take time to sign autographs and pose for photos with his fans.

And this was at about 5.30am too!




Wednesday 8 December 2010

David Tennant Treat 4 Today for Wednesday 8th December 2010

The David Tennant Treat 4 Today has been suggested by Monika Berberich and is a video of a sketch which David took in on The Friday Night Project.

Monika says this video "makes me laugh everytime!"


Click here to watch the video.

If you would like to suggest a David Tennant Treat 4 Today please email DavidTennantOnTwitter@gmail.com

Tuesday 7 December 2010

David Tennant Treat 4 Today for Tuesday 7th December 2010


The David Tennant Treat 4 Today is the whole hour long programme called Playing The Dane which was originally broadcast on Radio 4 on Saturday 23rd October.

It was narrated by Michael Sheen and David Tennant is interviewed throughout the programme.

Click here to listen to it (David's parts are specified) and for more info.







Monday 6 December 2010

David Tennant Treat 4 Today for Monday 6th December 2010


The David Tennant Treat 4 Today is a TV interview from last year that David did with Graham Norton.

This clip shows him talking about leaving Doctor Who (before The End Of Time was broadcast).



Sunday 5 December 2010

David Tennant Treat 4 Today for Sunday 5th December 2010

The David Tennant Treat 4 Today is a photo which Sunshine (I think) posted on GallifreyBase.com a couple of months ago.

It's a photo of David Tennant as The Doctor during filming of The Girl In The Fireplace. It's a behind-the-scenes-photo but the best thing about it is the gleeful and childlike expression on David's face!

This is one man who enjoys his work!




As always, click on the photo for a larger version and if you would like to suggest a David Tennant Treat 4 Today please email DavidTennantOnTwitter@gmail.com



Saturday 4 December 2010

David Tennant Treat 4 Today for Saturday 4th December 2010

The David Tennant Treat 4 Today has been suggested by Nicole Ibarra and is an amazing tattoo that someone has had of David Tennant as The Doctor. Nicole describes it as "going above and beyond the call of duty!"


Click here to look at the photo.

If you would like to suggest a David Tennant Treat 4 Today please email DavidTennantOnTwitter@gmail.com

Friday 3 December 2010

David Tennant Treat 4 Today for Friday 3rd December 2010

As the satellite channel Dave are showing the XL version of David Tennant's appearance on QI from last Christmas tonight, the David Tennant Treat 4 Today is a clip from the programme.




Thursday 2 December 2010

David Tennant Treat 4 Today for Thursday 2nd December 2010

The David Tennant Treat 4 Today is a behind the scenes look at the time David Tennant spent filming The Sarah Jane Adventures after he finished working on Doctor Who.

It was posted onto the BBC website and mainly shows David being interviewed by the other actors. However cast a look behind the people who are talking and you get an idea of how many crew are on set each day!



Wednesday 1 December 2010

David Tennant Treat 4 Today for Wednesday 1st December 2010


The David Tennant Treat 4 Today is guaranteed to put a smile on your face as you go to sleep!

It's a MP3 from David Tennant's visit to Absolute Radio on Thursday 7th October to promote Single Father.

This clip is really light-hearted and shows what a great rapport David and Christian O'Connell share. They discuss The Emmy's, David's Peter Vincent costume for Fright Night, Rex Is Not Your Lawyer, Decoy Bride and St Trinian's 2.

Click here to listen to the clip which lasts about six minutes.