Modern Series Episode 199:
The Story & The Engine

Plot

The Doctor takes Belinda to Lagos, Nigeria in 2019. His favourite barbershop is located there, run by his old friend Omo Esosa. However, the sinister Barber has taken over Omo's Palace, trapping Omo and three of his customers inside. Now they must take turns telling stories, providing fuel for a mysterious engine of the Barber's invention. The Doctor, too, is ensnared in the Barber's web, becoming the final piece of a plan that stretches back aeons. But it may be the Barber's associate, Abi, who holds the key to saving Omo and the other men -- if only the Doctor can deduce his own ancient connection to her.

Original Transmission
Date 10th May 2025
Time 7.11pm
Duration 47'08"
Viewers (more) 2.7m (35th)
· BBC1/HD
   7 days 2.7m
Appreciation t/b/a


Cast
The Doctor
Ncuti Gatwa (bio)
Jo Martin (bio)
Belinda Chandra
Varada Sethu (bio)
Omo Esosa
Sule Rimi
(more)
The Barber
Ariyon Bakare
Rashid Abubakar
Stefan Adegbola
Tunde Adebayo
Jordan Adene
Obioma Okoli
Michael Balogun
Abena
Michelle Asante
Paramedic
Simon Bailey
Consultant
Adrian Pang
Patient
Tessa Bell-Briggs
Mrs Flood
Anita Dobson (bio)
Market Seller
Inua Ellams (bio)
Security Guard
Funmi James
Poppy
Sienna-Robyn Mavanga-Phipps


Crew
Written by
Inua Ellams (bio)
Directed by
Makalla McPherson (bio)
(more)

Executive Producers
Russell T Davies (bio)
Julie Gardner
Jane Tranter
Joel Collins
Phil Collinson
Producer
Vicki Delow
Stunt Coordinator
Derek Lea
Stunt Performer
Paul Joseph
Wire Supervisor
Max Schofield
Dialect Coach
Hazel Holder
Nigerian Advisor
Taiye Omokore
Medical Advisors
Matthew Casson
Saleyha Ahsan
1st Assistant Directors
Kole Onis
Dan Mumford
2nd Assistant Director
Charlie Campbell
Crowd 2nd Assistant Director
Rosey-Pepper Mortley
3rd Assistant Director
Jennifer Day
Floor Runners
Devante Fleming
Micah Joshua Brown
Base Runner
Jamal Price
Floor Runners / Stand Ins
Beyagy Demba
Priyanka Rajavelu
Cast Assistants
Daniella Wilson
Catherine Allan
Production Manager
Delmi Thomas
Junior Production Manager
Sandra Cosfeld
Production Coordinator
Liam Hobbs
Travel & Accommodation Coordinator
Sarah Jones
Travel & Accommodation Secretary
Adam Byard
Production Secretaries
Chris Harkus
Eryn Parsons
Production Office Runners
Rugie Begum
Thani J Subkhi
Production Assistant
Lisa Elena Williams
Producer's & Director's Assistant
Jamie McKee
Director's Assistant
Abdoul Razak Ceesay
Executive Assistant to Jane Tranter
Dee Brooker
Executive Assistant to Julie Gardner
Kaleigh O'Boyle
Executive Assistant to Russell T Davies & Phil Collinson
Joshua MG Thomas
Executive Assistant to Joel Collins
Sophie-May Twose
Location Manager
Alex Moore
Assistant Location Managers
Shuaib Said
Misha James
Unit Manager
Kyle Yates
Location Assistants
Victoria Louise Jolliffe
Josef Coombes
Location & Studio Unit Coordinator
Gina Burke
Studio Manager
Richard Balshaw
Assistant Studio Manager
Lloyd Di Mauro
Production Accountant
Peter Stainthorpe
Art Department Accountant
Dan Pey
AP Assistant Accountant
Andrew Clarke
Payroll Accountants
Aimee Bond
Laura Gardner
Cashier
Adrienne Walker
Accounts Trainee
Hywel Williams
ScreenSkills HETV Accounts Trainee
Mia Chung
A Camera and Steadicam Operator
James Chesterton ACO
B Camera Operator
Steve Rees
A Camera Focus Puller
Jonathan Vidgen
B Camera Focus Puller
Evangeline Davies
A Camera Clapper Loader
Sarah MacLeod
B Camera Clapper Loader
Andrea Jovanovska
Central Loader
Farah Rose
Camera Trainee
Chai Lee Tan
SAW Camera Trainee
Salma Salah
Digital Imaging Technician
Nick Everett
Data Manager
David Buckley
Video Operator
Christian Roberts
Video Assistant
Jamie Grant
Key Grip
Bobby Williams
B Camera Grip
Ken Hodgson
Best Boy Grip
Moses Stringer-Ogundeji
Grip Trainees
Rhys Jones
Dominic Farquhar
SAW Entry Level Grip Trainee
Carla Martins
Assistant Script Editor
Hilla Hamidi
Script Supervisor
Nicki Coles
Script Supervisor Trainee
Molly Baldwin
1st Assistant Sound
James Bowen
2nd Assistant Sound
Angharad Evans
SAW Sound Trainee
Praveen Balaganesh
Gaffer
Mark Hutchings
Rigging Gaffer
Chris Kiley
Best Boy
Gareth Sheldon
Lighting Rigger
Paul Davies
Lighting Desk Operator
Alan Tippetts
Rigging Desk Operator
Pete Davies
Electricians
Andrew Williams
Benji Hutchings
Jon Down
Christian Davies
Rigging Electricians
Christopher Hughes
Stuart Gale
Trainee Electrician
Denisa Peniuc
Series Supervising Art Director
Robyn Paiba
Block Supervising Art Director
Faye Boustead
Senior Art Director
Gareth Cousins
Art Directors
Hattie Gent
Jon Horsham
Location Art Director
Alex Stannus
Prop Art Director
Michael Van Kesteren
Assistant Art Directors
Eleri Lloyd
Alex Roberts
David Merryweather
Standby Art Director
Brad Perry
Set Decorator
Adrian Anscombe
Senior Production Buyer
Helen O'Leary
Block Set Decorator
Holly Thurman
Assistant Set Decorator
Billie-Blue Williams
Junior Assistant Set Decorator
Camilla Blair
Set Decorating Assistant
Lois Drage
Action Prop Buyer
Becky Moore
Assistant Buyer
Jac Cox
Petty Cash Buyers
Oyrania Vakoulis-Morris
Llinos Jones
Draughtspersons
Katja Allen-Kormylo
Imogen Dhesi
Junior Draughtspersons
Lakota Gunter
Diana Samuila
Sam Hanson
SAW Junior Draughts Trainee
Amy Maguire Lewis
Art Department Coordinator
Martin Davies-Redgrave
Art Department Assistant
Ilee Khezrzadeh
Production Designer's Assistant
Abbie Jenkins
Storyboard Artist
Michael Collins
Prop Master
Nick Thomas
Props Chargehands
Stuart Rankmore
Ifan Ramage
Standby Props
Phill Bull
Jonathan Barclay
Prop Hands
John Thomas
Atiff Tahir
Jason White
Matthew Shrimpton
Scott Jones
Ingo Hans
Jamie Southcott
Claire Stanton
Tom Ludlam
Practical Electrician
Phillip D Jones
Prop Storeman
Charlie Malik
Prop Stores Assistant
Stephen Bright
Junior Prophand
Jake Ireland
Prop Carpenter
Joseph Craig
Prop Painter
Maria Faurie
Standby Painter
Jessie Thomas
Graphic Designer
Stephen Fielding
Assistant Graphic Designer
Sophie Cowdrey
Junior Graphic Designer
Aled Llyr Griffiths
SAW Graphics Trainee
Danilo Van-Der Nguyen
Artist
Bunmi Agusto
HOD Prop Fabrication
Barry Jones
Modellers
Paul Mazonas
Penny Howarth
Stephanie Howell
Grant Humberstone
Prop Sculptor
Valma Hiblen
Junior Fabricator
Hester Haslett-Venus
Prop Electrician
Robert Hearne
Rigging
Shadow Rigging
Standby Rigger
Nigel Owen
Construction Manager
Rhys Griffiths
Construction Coordinator
Ffion Roberts
HOD Construction Chargehand
Martyn Russell
Construction Chargehands
Ashley Bullock
Gareth Jones
Carpenters
Christopher Hawksworth
David Martynski
Dean Page
Harriet Jones
Huw Morgan
Jason Thomas
Jonathan Tylke
Mark Borde
Mikey Davies
Patrick Watts
Richard Griffiths
Sam Burridge
Samuel Riddiford
Scott Owen
Bryann Flynn
Paul Langley
Gary Kinsey
Craig Stanton
Arrian Fernée
David Warner
Ben McDonald
Dafydd Llewellyn Jones
Rhys Andrews
Improver Carpenters
Cain Griffiths
Leon Pike
Michael Russell
HOD Scenic Artist
Jody Raynes
Supervising Scenic Chargehand
Neill Morris
Scenic Chargehands
Sam Johnson
John Whalley
Scenic Artists
Inga Jastrumskaite
Mike Carter
Shane Patterson
Meg George
Cori Wright
Ieuan Jones
Clive Clarke
Scenic Improvers
Luke Smith
Angharad Gwynant
Decorators
Drew Abraham
Justin Abraham
Michael Humphries
Kieron Hagon
Mark Reece
Garry Nyhan
Sculptors
Brent Johnson
Joe Pearce
Standby Carpenter
Lee Hosken
Special Effects
Real SFX
Lagos Unit
Wishbones Africa
Assistant Costume Designer
Raïssa Hans
Costume Supervisor
Maria Nicholson
Costume Design Assistants
Charlotte Godfrey
Leila Headon
Costume Coordinators
Anthony Williams
Rebecca Rom
Costume Truck Supervisor
Louise Kelly
Principal Costume Standbys
Kitty Carin-Boyd
Michelle Victoria McGrath
Crowd Costume Supervisor
Nicola Clay Vidales
Crowd Costume Standby
Nicola Rodd
Junior Costume Assistant
Lizzie Doody
Head Costume Cutter
Heather Waterton
Costume Cutter
Mein Roberts
Costume Makers
Issy Lawrence
Jessica Hardy
Hannah Carey
Principal Costume Trainee
Harley Marie Jenkins
Crowd Costume Trainee
Hettie Kitson
Assistant Hair & Make-up Designer
Christelle Gbeudjeli
Crowd Hair & Make-up Supervisor
Laura Pollock
Personal Make-up Artist to Ncuti Gatwa
Linda M Brown
Key Hair & Make-up Artist
Kamanza Amihyia
Hair & Make-up Specialists
Chantelle McDonald
Tifanny Pierre
Jeseca Robinson
Deborah Lola
Afro Barber Specialist
Ephraim Onyegbule
Hair & Make-up Artist
Clarice Gill
Junior Hair & Make-up Artist
Hannah Knight
Hair & Make-up Trainee
Lois Ilse Mae
Facilities
AP Transport
c/o Bob Gurney and Richard Gurney
Casting Associate
Becky Rossmaur
Casting Assistant
Kristian Wall
1st Assistant Editors
Emily Lawrence
Joseph Keirle
2nd Assistant Editor
Yas Downes
VFX Editor
Harri McAinsh
VFX Assistant Editor
Catrin Rees
VFX Temp Editor
Chris Thomas
Assistant Online Editor
Monika Bednarczyk
Post Production Supervisor
Louise Sutton
Post Production Coordinator
Marley McCallum
Post Production Trainee
Samuel Meller
Audio Post
Bang Post Production
Crowd ADR
Wild ADR
Series VFX Supervisor
Dave Houghton
VFX On Set Supervisor
Nicky Walsh
VFX Production Manager
Julia Clara Goitia Mañon
VFX Coordinators
Chrysti-Anne Wright
Stephanie Kate Jones
Tristan Griffiths
Beth Warner
Data Wrangler
Hattie Williams
Junior Data Wrangler
Sarah-Hoor Aboubakar
Creature Design, Concept Art, Previs & VFX Art Direction
Painting Practice
Visual Effects
One of Us
Additional VFX
BBC Wales Graphics
Post Production Facility
Gorilla
Music Performed by
BBC National Orchestra of Wales
Music Conducted by
Alastair King
Assistant to Composer
Sam Dinley
Orchestra Mixed by
Jake Jackson
Score Preparation by
Dave Foster
Original Theme Music by
Ron Grainer
Featured Percussion
Richard Olátúndé Baker
Music Supervisor
Ollie White
Assistant Music Supervisor
Estera Dabrowska
Music Editor
Marnie Davidge
Title Sequence
Painting Practice &
Realtime Visualisation
Co-Producer
Sharon King
Script Editor
David Cheung
Colourist
Gareth Spensley
Online Editor
Christine Kelly
VFX Producer
Anne Akande
Post Production Producer
Ceres Doyle
Supervising Location Manager
Iwan Roberts
Sound Recordist
Alex Thompson
Re-Recording Mixer
Paul McFadden
Casting Director
Andy Pryor CDG / CSA
Music by
Murray Gold
Editor
Carly Brown
Director Of Photography
Ashley Barron ACS
Production Designer
Phil Sims
Costume Designer
Pam Downe
Hair & Make-Up Designer
Julie Kendrick
Financial Controller
Gay Anderson
Line Producer
Angela Phillips

For Bad Wolf
Production Finance Manager
Sean Kenneally
Finance Director
Mary Furlong
Senior Business Affairs and Legal Executive
Ifty Khan
Head of Legal and Business Affairs
Beth Wyllie
Junior Production Executive
Charlotte Cox
Production Executive
Steffan Morris
Director of Production
Emily Russell

Brand Director for BBC Studios
Vanessa Hamilton
Production Executive for BBC Studios
John Hamer
Executive Producer for the BBC
Nick Lambon

Updated 23rd May 2025