Written by Peter J
Hammond
First broadcast 12th
March, 2008.
At the old picture house,
The Electro, which has undergone restoration work to bring it back to life - as
a museum piece, Ianto with Owen and Gwen watch a film on the projector, of days
gone by in Cardiff. Suddenly, the reel changes to a Travelling Show, and a Ring
Master beckons people to the show. His ghostly appearance is not the only
surprise on the film. Ianto spots Jack, dressed in uniform, gun to his head, a
sideshow.
Back at the Hub, Jack
hears music. Old organ music, found at side show attractions of a bygone era
caught on the air. As quick as it comes, the sound has gone. Along with the
images on the museum cinema screen. Two characters from the film disappear into
the night.
When Jack discovers that a
Travelling Show has arrived in Cardiff, through old film, he finds a novel way
of catching them.
Julian Bleach
‘Ghostmaker’
"Ladies
and gentlemen, girls and boys, have we got a show for you tonight! A once in a
lifetime show. Amaze your ears, astonish your eyes, then run along home and
tell your friends and neighbours. A once in a lifetime show, never to be
forgotten for the rest of your lives. So, why not step inside?"
The Ghostmaker stepped
from the reel with Pearl and terrorised Cardiff, stealing the last breath of
those they came into contact with, as their audience to forever watch their
travelling show performances. He was most curious as to why, when he came upon
Owen Harper, that there was nothing to steal.
Bleach has a deep voice,
that effectively has scared many children and 'big kids' over the years in his
performances as Davros, the Nightmare Man and as the Ghostmaker. Appearing in
all three Whoniverse programmes: Torchwood (2008), Doctor Who (2008 - 2015) and
SJA (2010). As well as appearing as Davros at the Doctor Who At the Proms in
the same year.
Julian Bleach is fourth
actor to play Davros since Michael Wisher, David Gooderson and Terry Molloy. He
was voted the Best Guest Actor by Doctor Who Magazine readers for his
performance in Stolen Earth and Journey's End two parter in 2008.
Since Torchwood he played
Claquesous in Les Misérables in 2012. Eddie and Doctor in Psychoville in 2010.
He played The Grand Master for 29 episodes of M.I. High (CBBC) drama series
from 2008 - 2013. In the Borgias played Niccolo Machiavelli for 11 episodes
from 2011 - 2013. Played a Ballet Instructor in Avengers: Age of Ultron in
2015. Was uncredited as the voice of Davros in the video game Lego Dimensions
in 2015. In 2016 played Geoffrey Salter in 7 episodes of Close to the Enemy.
Played Roquat in Emerald City for 4 episodes and is currently playing the role
of Dracula in Heirs of the Night currently in post-production (2019)
Camilla Power
‘Pearl (The Living Mermaid)’
"I
want to drink her tears."
Pearl followed the
Ghostmaker out of the reel and onto the streets of Cardiff in search of revenge
for those who put her travelling circus out of business. She wanted to taste
the tears of their victims.
Did you know that Camilla
Power is the distant cousin of Irish actor Tyrone Power?
Since Torchwood, Powers
has played roles in Doctors as Elsa Atherton in 2011, Injustice as Caroline
Newall in the same year, Whitechapel as DI Mina Norroy a year later, Father
Brown as Dominique Baxter in 2013, Lewis as Tara Faulkner in the same year.
Played Sandra in Black Mirror in 2016, and the last entry in the same year was
in a film short called Truck, playing a character called Alison.
Camilla is the distant
cousin of Irish actor Tyrone Power
Craig Gallivan
‘Jonathan’
"I've
been compiling old footage of Hope Street and the Electro for the opening
night. But the circus clips weren't on it."
Jonathan was the
projectionist, who watched through endless reels of bygone days for the museum
opening. When he discovered the reel containing the travelling show, he
attempted to remove it. After replaying the reel at the museum, was horrified
to discover that it was still there, and worse still, he couldn't switch off
the camera. Characters from the show stepped from the reel, and before the end
of the day, more characters stepped from the reel, watched by their permanent
audience - his Mum and Dad.
Craig is better known for
his role as Luke in the hit TV show Stella for 54 episodes, running from 2012 -
2017. Prior to Torchwood, he played Callum Watson in Footballer's Wives for 7
episodes in 2006.
Stephen Marzella
‘Dave Penn’
“What
good is a cinema without a film?”
Dave and his wife ran the Old Electro picture
house, now museum, and became victims to the Ghostmaker and his travelling
show, by being a permanent audience for them. He wanted everything right on the
night, so a lack of film in the film room was not on his schedule.
Since Torchwood, Stephen
Marzella, although credited with a 'v' in the episode, has been in Caerdydd as
a detective, Da Vinci's Demons as a Father of the cloth, been a solicitor in
Coronation Street, and a DI, a Pharmacist and Vito Carbone in Hollyoaks for 4
episodes, and played Ivan Bloom for 3 episodes of Doctors. There’s nothing
listed after 2018.
Hazel Wyn Williams
‘Faith Penn’
“He
said he'd be here on time.”
Hazel played Dave's wife
Faith at the Old Electro. She too became a permanent audience member for the
travelling show.
There's no mention of any
other roles after Torchwood in 2008. Prior to this role however, Hazel played
Parch Eleri in Pobol y Cwm, Gwenno in Border Country and a Magistrate in Y
Pris.
Lowri Sian Jones
‘Nettie’
"I'm
at the bus stop, Mum. By Hope Street. No, Gemma's brother couldn't bring me
home. His car don't work. Well, what about Dad? Can't you wake him? Mum?"
Nettie was waiting on the
last bus home when the Ghostmaker and Pearl found her.
There are no further
mentions of her credits after Torchwood, and nothing before.
Eileen Essell
‘Christina’
“He
asked if I would like to join the travelling show. He took a kind of flask out
of his pocket. It was polished like silver. I asked him his name. Oh, I shall
never forget it. I never shall. He said he was the Ghostmaker. He wanted to
take my breath and put it in his flask. He said I could travel with his circus.
I would be in his audience forever. I turned and ran away as fast as I could.
People went missing from the village that night. My mother, my father.”
Christina was one of the
very few survivors of the Travelling Show, but for years she dreaded their
return. She reminded me very much of the old woman in The Spiderwick
Chronicles.
Eileen Essell was born on
8th October 1922 and became a stage actress after leaving University and spent
13 years in theatrical productions up and down the UK. She gave up her career
after she married to have a child, and later made a living as a teacher at the
Central School of Music and Drama in the City University. After her husband
died a friend encouraged her back into acting in a play he was producing and
out of chance, an agent was in the audience. Eileen became a Hollywood actress
when she became an octogenarian with roles in Finding Neverland in 2004, The
Producers and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in 2005.
Her television roles since
Torchwood have seen her play Aunt Blossom in The Secret Diary of a Call Girl,
an old woman in Clone, Dee Bradley and Annie in Doctors, Mrs Wilberforce and
Doreen Tyler in The Bill, Maria Golofsky in Law & Order: UK, Miss Gwen
Ganderton in Land Girls, and in 2012, an old lady in Remnants, a film short.
Eileen passed away on 15th
February, 2015 age 93.
Anwen Carlisle
‘Restaurant Owner’
“Sorry,
we're closed. Do you hear me? We're closed.”
The restaurant owner
opened the door to the Ghostmaker and Pearl. It was the last thing she ever
did.
Anwen's roles are short
credits only beginning in 1996 in Figure of Eight as Trixie for the Wales
Playhouse television series. Played Alice in Relative Values in 2000, but after
her role in Torchwood, appeared for one episode of The Indian Doctor in 2010 as
Cate.
Caroline Sheen
‘Nurse’
"We
don't know. The paramedics found her. It freaked them. She was lying in an open
doorway looking like this."
Is the Nurse who reported
to Torchwood about Anwen the restaurant owner collapsed outside her business.
A piece of trivia:
Caroline is the cousin of actor Michael Sheen. Since Torchwood Caroline has
played a Hassled Woman in Hotel Babylon, an Ensemble Factory Woman in Les
Misérables, an opera singer in Nativity Rocks! and in 2019 has played Carys for
four episodes of Pitching in.
Yasmin Wilde
‘Senior Nurse’
“Those
words, from out of the rain. I'm sure I've heard them before. Oh, I remember,
It was Christina. She was a patient. At Providence Park, it’s a psychiatric
hospital. She was a full-time patient, been there since she was a child. She
was a strange one. Whenever anything, any kind of entertainment show was laid
on, she became scared. She’d run away and hide. She said they were coming to
steal her last breath. Poor love.”
Senior nurse explained to
Torchwood about Christina.
Since Torchwood Yasmin has
played Mary Hussein in Holby City, two characters in Doctors, between 2009 -
2013, Min in Doc Martin, Hana Rachid in Silent Witness and Rani in Damned in
2016. In The Trial: A Murder in the Family documentary, played Joanna Walker in
2017, and Ruth in Back in the same year. Nothing after this time.
Lisa Winston
‘Mother’
It's the 1920/1930s and
Lisa is the mother who saw The Joshua Joy Travelling Show in the field at the
start of the episode, but when she turned her back after her daughter had taken
a ticket, both her daughter and the show had vanished.
There are no credits
before or after the Torchwood episode.
Gaia Davies
‘Daughter’
Played the little girl
taking a ticket from the Ghostmaker in the field where the circus was
performing. She vanished leaving her mother alone in the field, distraught
after losing her child.
There is no mention of any
credits before or after her Torchwood appearance.
Alastair Sill
‘Dad’
‘I
thought, I thought I saw something.’
Slammed on his brakes as
thought he would hit someone in the road, but on second glance, nothing was
there, until...
After Torchwood, played a
'man' in California Eden, a film short in 2013. Nothing more after this time.
Catherine Olding
‘Mum’
“Don’t
be stupid.”
Doesn't believe her
husband has hit anyone or anything until a face appears at the window and
scares her half to death.
Since Torchwood, played
Lisa in Bad Company in 2010, and Wife in Dead Dad, a film short in 2015.
Tom Langford
‘Young Boy’
Tom plays the young boy
who was given his last breath back, by Captain Jack Harkness, after Ianto
liberated the flask from the Ghostmaker.
After Torchwood, and in
the same year, Tom played Frederic Lake, in The Next Doctor. There are no
further roles after this time, and all his roles have been within the
Whoniverse. Cute kid!
