The Masque of Mandragora

Hieronymous (Norman Jones)
worships Mandragora

Four episodes (Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four
First broadcast Sep 4 to 25 1976
Average audience for serial: 9.48m

REGULAR CAST

Tom Baker (The Doctor) Born Jan 20 1934 Click here for Tom Baker's entry on Robot

Elisabeth Sladen (Sarah Jane Smith) Feb 1 1946 to Apr 19 2011 (pancreatic cancer) Click here for Elisabeth Sladen's entry on The Time Warrior

GUEST CAST

James Appleby (Guard) Jan 1 1923 to Mar 9 2014
Doctor Who credits
Played: Guard in The Massacre of St Bartholomew's Eve (1966, uncredited), The Masque of Mandragora (1976)
Played: Policeman in The Faceless Ones (1967)
Career highlights
James debuted in An Enemy of the State (1965), then The Troubleshooters (1967/68), Hine (1971), My Name is Harry Worth (1974),  Fawlty Towers (1975), Our Mutual Friend (1976), Bless This House (1972/73/74/76), Shoestring (1979), Potter (1983), Bluebell (1986), and The Countess Alice (1993).

Gareth Armstrong (Giuliano) Born Jun 25 1948
Career highlights
Shakespearean actor, playwright and director Gareth debuted in Heil Caesar! (1973), then appeared in Z Cars (1974), Blake's 7 (1979), The Professionals (1980), Hammer House of Horror (1980), Terry and June (1983), Mitch (1984), A Gentleman's Club (1988), One Foot in the Grave (1990), Tracey Ullman: A Class Act (1992), Birds of a Feather (1993), EastEnders (1998) and The Merry Wives of Windsor (2011). He also provided the voice for Sandy in the 1978 English language adaptations of the Japanese series Monkey, and has contributed vocal performances to a number of video games, including 2016's Total War: Warhammer.
Facts
Gareth is also an acting teacher and examiner, particularly in the field of Shakespearean theatre, and was founder of the Made in Wales Theatre Company. In BBC Radio 4's The Archers he played the soap's first regular gay character, Sean Myerson.

Antony Carrick (Captain Rossini) Born Feb 16 1932
Career highlights
Antony made his first appearance in The Black Arrow in 1958, after which he took roles in Dan, Dan, the Charity Man (1965), Nelson: A Study in Miniature (1966), Mr Rose (1967), Colditz (1973), The Pallisers (1974), Killers (1976), Dickens of London (1976), Jabberwocky (1977), The Devil's Crown (1978), Grange Hill (1979), Hammer House of Horror (1980), The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy (1981), The Brack Report (1982), The Cleopatras (1983), The Monocled Mutineer (1986), The Living Daylights (1987), The Return of Shelley (1988), Spender (1993), Frontiers (1996), Crime Traveller (1997), Dark Realm (2001), What a Girl Wants (2003), Rosemary and Thyme (2003), Mrs Henderson Presents (2005), Casualty (2007), Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007) and Holby City (2010). He also had a regular role as Bill Pritchard in sitcoms Yes, Minister (1980-82) and Yes, Prime Minister (1987-88).

John Clamp (Guard)
Career highlights
John's only other credits were in Adam Adamant Lives! (1966), North & South (1975), Blake's 7 (1980) and Morons from Outer Space (1985).
Facts
Although I can't quite get concrete confirmation, there's a strong possibility that John Clamp is one and the same as Johnny Clamp - The Amiable Idiot, who worked as an instrumental comedian and variety compere in theatres in the late 1960s. Johnny Clamp would appear billed alongside acts such as Billy J Kramer and the Dakotas, Adam Faith and Marty Wilde. The John Clamp who played Bobby in Morons from Outer Space looks remarkably like the Johnny Clamp from this 1966 theatre programme.

Peggy Dixon (Dancer) May 25 1921 to Jul 30 2005 (cancer)
Career highlights
Peggy was a celebrated choreographer of early dance and poetry, and helped found the Nonsuch History and Dance educational charity in the 1960s. Her work also included choreography for Opera Restor'd. For some time she also taught at the Drama Studio London in Ealing. A tree was planted in Peggy's honour in May 2006 at Geraldine Mary Harmsworth Park near Morley College, London. You can download a book of condolences to Peggy here. Her other screen choreography work included Dragonslayer (1981).

Jack Edwards (Dancer) May 28 1937 to Mar 1 2015
Jack, a member of the Nonsuch History and Dance charity, was trained by mentor Peggy Dixon (see above). Former tailor Jack later lectured on the subject of medieval dance and costume, and co-founded Opera Restor'd, which revived pre-18th century operas.

Brian Ellis (Brother) Born Jul 21 1937
Doctor Who credits
Played: Prisoner in The Sontaran Experiment (1975)
Played: Brother in The Masque of Mandragora (1976)
Career highlights
Brian's debut came in Z Cars (1969), then The Challengers (1972) and Marked Personal (1974).

Stuart Fell (Entertainer) Born 1942 Click here for Stuart Fell's entry on The Curse of Peladon

Alistair Fullarton (Dancer) Dec 16 1950 to Dec 25 1988
Career highlights
Alistair was a professional puppeteer, and a pioneer of the art form in the 1960s and 70s, also working on children's series Button Moon (1980) and for Jim Henson on Labyrinth (1986) and The Storyteller (1988). He also operated the David Steel puppet for the series Spitting Image.

Pat Gorman (Soldier) May 10 1933 to Oct 9 2018 Click here for Pat Gorman's entry on The Invasion

Robert James (High priest) Mar 28 1924 to Jul 31 2004 (Alzheimer's disease)
Doctor Who credits
Played: Lesterson in The Power of the Daleks (1966)
Played: High priest in The Masque of Mandragora (1976)
Career highlights
Trained lawyer Robert's extensive career began in Robert's Wife (1955), then Around the World in 80 Days (1956), All Aboard (1959), Two Way Stretch (1960), Silent Evidence (1962), five episodes of The Avengers (1961-68), Smuggler's Bay (1964), For Whom the Bell Tolls (1965), The Love Bug (1968), Sinister Street (1969), The Six Wives of Henry VIII (1970), The Borderers (1970), Mary, Queen of Scots (1971), Captain Kronos - Vampire Hunter (1974), Sutherland's Law (1973-74, as Hamish McNab), Steptoe and Son (1974), Nicholas Nickleby (1977), The Mackinnons (1977), Blake's 7 (1978), Doom Castle (1980), Nanny (1982), The Jewel in the Crown (1984), The Return of the Antelope (1986), Century Falls (1993), Cold Comfort Farm (1995), The Crow Road (1996), Looking After JoJo (1998) and Existo (1999). He also had a regular role as James Gibson in Dr Finlay's Casebook (1962-69).
Facts
Robert's wife was fellow actor Mona Bruce.

Norman Jones (Hieronymous) Jun 16 1932 to Apr 23 2013 (heart attack)
Doctor Who credits
Played: Khrisong in The Abominable Snowmen (1967)
Played: Major Baker in Doctor Who and the Silurians (1970)
Played: Hieronymous in The Masque of Mandragora (1976)
Career highlights
Norman's earliest role was in an episode of Out of This World (1962), followed by Crossroads (1964), You Only Live Twice (1967), Oh! What a Lovely War (1969), The Abominable Dr Phibes (1971), All Our Saturdays (1973), South Riding (1974), The XYY Man (1977), Thomas and Sarah (1979), A Tale of Two Cities (1980), The Borgias (1981), Jemima Shore Investigates (1983), Angels (1983), Boon (1986), Inspector Morse (1987) and The Assassinator (1992). He regularly played Adam Charlton in Andy Robson (1982-83).

Jon Laurimore (Count Federico) Born 1936
Career highlights
Debuted in Julius Caesar (1959), followed by roles in Echo Four Two (1961), The Indian Tales of Rudyard Kipling (1964), Orlando (1966), The Prisoner (1967), Gazette (1968), Spindoe (1968), Die Screaming Marianne (1971), Spy Trap (1972), Warship (1973), Space: 1999 (1975), My Old Man (1974-75), I, Claudius (1976), Emmerdale Farm (1976), Stigma (1977), Crossroads (1977-78, as Tony Moran), Smuggler (1981), Reilly: Ace of Spies (1983), Minder (1985), Jack the Ripper (1988), Frankenstein (1992), Dalziel and Pascoe (1996), Deceit (2000), Casualty (1987/2001/2004) and Wallander (2008).
Facts
Jon's first wife was actress Zoe Hicks, while his second is writer Jill Laurimore, who wrote the 1976 children's series The Georgian House, as well as novels such as Going to Pot (1999) and Cherry Ice (2004).

Jay Neill (Pikeman) May 21 1932 to Jun 14 2006
Doctor Who credits
Played: Guard in The Enemy of the World (1967-68, uncredited)
Played: Policeman in Doctor Who and the Silurians (1970, uncredited)
Played: Pikeman in The Masque of Mandragora (1976)
Played: Silvey in The Invisible Enemy (1977)
Played: Klimt in Underworld (1978)
Career highlights
Jay's career began in Softly Softly (1968), then The First Lady (1969), Trial (1971), Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em (1973), Not on Your Nellie (1975), Fawlty Towers (1975), The Emigrants (1976), Edward and Mrs Simpson (1978), The Dick Emery Show (1979), Yes, Minister (1981), Terry and June (1982), Sorry! (1985) and Kit Curran (1986).
Facts
Between 1958-63 Jay was a member of the Dior Dancers variety act, which specialised in apache/ adagio aerobatic dance and reached great success, including in Las Vegas and at the 1960 Royal Variety Performance (he's the leaner one on the right!).

Tim Pigott-Smith (Marco) May 13 1946 to Apr 7 2017 (heart attack)
Doctor Who credits
Played: Captain Harker in The Claws of Axos (1971)
Played: Marco in The Masque of Mandragora (1976)
Career highlights
Doctor Who was Tim's first TV job (he was paid £60). Further credits include Boswell's Life of Johnson (1971), The Regiment (1972), North and South (1975), The Lost Boys (1978), Hannah (1980), Clash of the Titans (1981), I Remember Nelson (1982), Struggle (1983-84), The Jewel in the Crown (1984, as Ronald Merrick), The Challenge (1986), The Remains of the Day (1993), Dr Terrible's House of Horrible (2001), Kavanagh QC (2001), Spooks (2002), Gangs of New York (2002), Johnny English (2003), Alexander (2004), V for Vendetta (2005), Normal for Norfolk (2006), Holby Blue (2007), Quantum of Solace (2008), Alice in Wonderland (2010), The Suspicions of Mr Whicher (2011/13), The Hour (2011), Downton Abbey (2012), The Bletchley Circle (2014), 37 Days (2014), Houdini (2014), Jupiter Ascending (2015), Lewis (2015), Decline and Fall (2017), King Charles III (2017) and Victoria and Abdul (2017). He regularly played John Stafford in The Chief (1990-93) and Frank Vickers in The Vice (2001-03).
Awards
1985: BAFTA TV Award for Best Actor (The Jewel in the Crown)
2017: Officer of the order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to drama
Facts
Tim graduated from the University of Bristol and frequently lectured at its drama department. Tim's voice was often heard on programme voiceovers and audiobooks. His wife was actress Pamela Miles, while his son Tom is a concert solo violinist. Spookily, Tim died on the very same day as Christopher Morahan, who directed him in The Jewel in the Crown, for which they each won a BAFTA.

Michael Reid (Dancer)
Michael also performed in Back to School in 1986 as part of the Twist and Shout Band.

Peter Tuddenham (Mandragora Helix Titan voice) Nov 27 1918 to Jul 9 2007
Doctor Who credits
Played: Computer voice in The Ark in Space (1975)
Played: Mandragora Helix Titan voice in The Masque of Mandragora (1976)
Played: Brain voice in Time and the Rani (1987)
Career highlights
Peter's earliest role was in An English Summer (1949), followed by roles in Our Marie (1953), The Granville Melodramas (1955), followed by roles in Musical Playhouse (1959), The Valiant Varneys (1965), Weavers Green (1966), Nearest and Dearest (1968), The Nine Tailors (1974), Quiller (1975), The Expert (1976), Backs to the Land (1977-78), The Onedin Line (1980), Nanny (1981-82), Maelstrom (1985), Only Fools and Horses (1986), Campion (1989), The Camomile Lawn (1992), Waiting for God (1993), One Foot in the Grave (1995) and The Bill (1995). Peter's most famous role was voicing ship computers Zen and Slave, as well as the mobile computer Orac, in 49 episodes of sci-fi series Blake's 7 (1978-81) - and he reprised the role of Orac in 2004 for the Blake's 7 spoof Blake's 7 Junction.
Facts
Prolific voice actor Peter was an authority on the East Anglian dialect, and coached performers in the Suffolk accent for Glyndebourne operas.

Peter Walshe (Pikeman) Born May 10 1948
Doctor Who credits
Played: Erak in The Sontaran Experiment (1975)
Played: Pikeman in The Masque of Mandragora (1976)
Career highlights
Peter's other work includes New Scotland Yard (1974), The Naked Civil Servant (1975), Z Cars (1978) and Winterspelt (1979).

Kathy Wolff (Dancer) Born Jul 14 1938
This is Kathy's only screen credit.

CREW

Louis Marks (writer) Mar 23 1928 to Sep 17 2010
Doctor Who credits
Wrote: Planet of Giants (1964), Day of the Daleks (1972), Planet of Evil (1975), The Masque of Mandragora (1976)
Career highlights
Louis's writing career began with Skyport (1959-60), followed by duties on The Four Just Men (1960), The Adventures of Robin Hood (1958-60), Ghost Squad (1963), Danger Man (1964), No Hiding Place (1966), Doomwatch (1971-72), Bedtime Stories (1974) and Silas Marner (1985). He was also a prolific script editor - working on The Four Just Men (1959), No Hiding Place (1965-66), No Exit (1972), The Stone Tape (1972), Orde Wingate (1976), Brensham People (1976) and Premiere (1977) - and producer on programmes such as Centre Play (1974-77), The Lost Boys (1978), Baal (1982), Time and the Conways (1985), Thunder Rock (1985), Precious Bane (1989), The Trial (1993), Middlemarch (1994), Plotlands (1997) and Daniel Deronda (2002).
Facts
In 1955 Louis founded the magazine Books and Bookmen, aimed at authors, illustrators and avid readers, which was published until 1980. Oxford University graduate Louis started out as a history teacher at a boarding school before moving into TV production, and after retiring in 2002 ran a B&B with his wife Sonia.

Rodney Bennett (director) Mar 24 1935 to Jan 3 2017
Doctor Who credits
Directed: The Ark in Space (1975), The Sontaran Experiment (1975), The Masque of Mandragora (1976)
Career highlights
Rodney started out as a child psychologist, then a BBC radio producer, before moving into TV with the advent of BBC2. Some examples of the series he directed are nine Thirty Minute Theatres (1969-73), 13 episodes of Z Cars (1969-74), Trial (1971), The Regiment (1972), Mistress of Hardwick (1972), Madame Bovary (1975), North and South (1975), Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm (1978), The Lost Boys (1978), Sense and Sensibility (1981), Stalky & Co (1982), Dombey and Son (1983), Rumpole of the Bailey (1987), The Darling Buds of May (1991-93), The House of Eliott (1991), Soldier Soldier (1993-94) and Doctor Finlay (1996).
Facts
Rodney wrote three books for children called Eagle Boy (1986), Abbots Way (1994) and Angel Voice (1997).
In 2015 Toby Hadoke released his Who's Round interview with Rodney here.

Philip Hinchcliffe (producer) Born Oct 1 1944 Click here for Philip Hinchcliffe's entry on The Ark in Space

Robert Holmes (script editor) Apr 2 1926 to May 24 1986 (chronic liver ailment) Click here to see Robert Holmes's entry on The Krotons