Toby Hadoke - Moths Ate My Dr Who Scarf

Lunchtime is that moment of oasis sandwiched between a morning of work and the afternoon. A time that so easily gets squeezed out with last minute calls and “urgent” meetings.

On a good day the weather will support the six minute walk into the city centre to grab a bite to eat. And while pleasant to escape the grindstone and grab some time with friendly colleagues, it’s not often that it could be described as outright fun.

(Though there was the time about nine years when we went up to the Dublin Road cinema and caught the lunchtime screening of The Little Mermaid, but I don’t often talk about that!)

So last Friday we wandered down towards Stan’s Cathedral and stopped off at The Black Box to catch Toby Hadoke and Moths Ate My Dr Who Scarf as part of the 2008 Out To Lunch festival.

Lunch plus comedy, all for a fiver.

For sixty minutes, Toby relived his life, growing up as a fan of Doctor Who. The ease with which he was ridiculed at school(s), the trouble attracting a girlfriend.

And more importantly, emphasising the real world value that an unhealthy interest in Doctor Who can have - enriching minds though development of an interest in ecology, other cultures, travel, a sense of humour and a bit of science.

Once you look beyond the costumes and the sets (that only wobbled briefly in two out of 700+ episodes), there’s much to admire. Same can’t be said for Coronation Street (which Toby appeared in as the vicar marrying Curly and Wotsername), nor for sci-fi pretenders like Star Trek or Star Wars.

PS: The Out To Lunch festival continues this week.

PPS: You can catch Phil O’Kane’s photography exhibition in the The Black Box cafe, and say hello to him if he’s in snapping the lunchtime acts.

PPPS: Tomorrow lunchtime's discussion between Glenn Patterson (author of the third party and Lapsed Protestant) and Malachi O'Doherty looks interesting, as does the free Third Man / Third Party Mashup reading/screening in the evening.