3. Michael Keating
Michael Keating as Vila Restal was the only character to have appeared in all 52 Blakes 7 episodes. The most complex of all the Blakes 7 characters, Vila is full of contradictions, appearing to be slow on the uptake and yet intelligent and gifted whilst coming across as a self confessed coward who is both daring and courageous. Keating performed in Doctor Who shortly before landing the role of Vila. He plays Goudry in Robert Holmes 1977 tax system satire The Sunmakers. Although given plenty of screen time, Keatings character is somewhat two dimensional. Even so, he moves from being completely resistant to rebellion (Its crazy talk. Rebellion? No one would support you.) to taking a lead in the strike action and overthrow of the guards (Strike brother, join us or get out.). Like The Caves of Androzani, Robert Holmes The Sunmakers would not look out of place as a Blakes 7 story. Keating has lent his considerable talents to the good people of Big Finish with three appearances to date, most recently in 2013 as Culvert in The Evil One, story four of the third series of Fourth Doctor adventures. Thank goodness he has more than the occasional outing as the non descript Reverend in EastEnders to add to his post-Blakes 7 credits. His most substantial Who role is as Major Koth in the Eighth Doctor audio The Twilight Kingdom. But for sheer brilliance and Doctor Who wackiness, check out Matthew Sweets Year of the Pig, in which Keating plays a detective come scientist come sapient pig. Seriously... Sort of.
Paul Driscoll
Contributor
Paul Driscoll is a freelance writer and author across a range of subjects from Cult TV to religion and social policy. He is a passionate Doctor Who fan and January 2017 will see the publication of his first extended study of the series (based on Toby Whithouse's series six episode, The God Complex) in the critically acclaimed Black Archive range by Obverse Books. He is a regular writer for the fan site Doctor Who Worldwide and has contributed several essays to Watching Books' You and Who range. Recently he has branched out into fiction writing, with two short stories in the charity Doctor Who anthology Seasons of War (Chinbeard Books). Paul's work will also feature in the forthcoming Iris Wildthyme collection (A Clockwork Iris, Obverse Books) and Chinbeard Books' collection of drabbles, A Time Lord for Change.
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