Ariyon Bakare Talks Playing The Barber In Next Sat’s Doctor Who

How did you come to be cast in Doctor Who?

It came as a wonderful surprise as they approached me directly for the part. My agent called with the offer to return to the Whoniverse. I was worried that they had forgotten I had been part of the franchise before, but then they remembered I was in full prosthetic as Leandro. After my experience playing Leandro, I was delighted to step back into that world. It was an instant yes.

How did you feel when you were told you got the part of The Barber?

Thrilled! Barber was right up my alley. I was particularly excited because Inua Ellams wrote the script. His writing has such depth and cultural richness – his storytelling is poetically sublime in a way that’s uniquely his. I couldn’t wait to dive into this character.

Was it hard to keep the secret of your casting from your friends and family?

Absolutely. I was bursting to tell my friends but had to keep it to myself until the official announcement. I felt like Clark Kent, having the best superpower ever and not being able to share it with the world; it was fun. I’d make a great spy!

Were you a fan of the show before?

Yeah, I was a big fan as a kid. I would collect Doctor Who cards that you’d get in cereal boxes. I loved the Daleks, of course, but I was also a huge fan of the Cybermen.

What do you think makes Doctor Who so special?

Doctor Who is genius because it literally built change into its story with the whole regeneration concept. More than being quintessentially British, it always stays fresh with new faces, new companions, and new creative teams. I love how it can be whatever it wants – one week, you might get a historical episode, then suddenly it’s a creepy thriller, then boom – full-on sci-fi the next. But what makes it stand out is its hopefulness about people. At its heart, the show believes we can be better and that compassion and intellect matter more than violence. It’s this amazing mix of wild imagination, hope, and constant reinvention that keeps fans coming back for decades.

What was it like working with Ncuti Gatwa and Varada Sethu?

You have two incredible young actors of their generation. I can only imagine that stepping into the shoes of these iconic roles, a mainstay of British culture, is quite a daunting feat. Yet together, they manage to do it with an effortless “joie de vivre,” making it modern and accessible to a new generation of Whovians. I love them. Their chemistry on screen is a joy to watch. Varada’s smile can melt any viewer’s heart. Now, blend that with Ncuti’s wit and charm, you create instant screen magic.

What was it like working on the Doctor Who set?

I love the Doctor Who set; the production design is always on point. The attention to detail is incredible. When you enter the set, your first reaction is ‘woah’ and ‘wow.’ Your second reaction is, ‘Where’s the TARDIS?’ and ‘Can I get a picture next to it, on it, and inside it? ‘I had just returned from Nigeria, maybe two weeks before we started shooting. The attention to detail amazed me when I stepped onto the set. They recreated parts of Nigeria; the colours of the walls, the red earth, and the props were replicated with such precision that it showed how talented the production design team are and how much effort and care is put into creating an authentic setting for us actors

The TARDIS lands in Lagos, a place the show has never been before; how was this to film?

What I love about this episode is its cultural depth. Inua’s script is steeped in Nigerian culture; it tells a story about storytelling and the origins of stories – the power they hold to heal, educate, and inspire. The Nigerian cultural element is authentic; the barbershop serves as a hub of conversation where these stories are shared. Inua brilliantly employs old Nigerian folktales, those bedtime stories we all heard as children, and creates a timeless piece that is Nigerian in essence but universal in appeal.

For me, it demonstrates that all stories are significant; stories are not diminished by culture, race, or geography. Good storytelling is simply that – no one story is less relevant than another. In the end, it reminds us that whether across galaxies or cultures, our shared stories are what truly make us human.

What else can audiences expect to see from this episode?

Hair, lots of hair.

Where would you go if you could travel in the TARDIS to any time and place in the universe?

This is a particularly hard question to answer. James Baldwin once said, “Once you find yourself in another civilisation, you’re forced to examine your own.” With this knowledge, I travelled through so many eras via literature, art, and films. But there are many that I would have loved to inhabit physically. I’d love to have experienced everything from Ancient Greece to the Harlem Renaissance. Finally, I’ve landed on the “Années Folles” (The Crazy Years) in 1920s Paris, the Jazz Age. The civil rights era of the 1960s sits right alongside it.

What would it be if you had to describe the episode in one word or phrase?

A time-bending Cultural Ancestral collision.