The iconic British sci-fi show, Doctor Who returns once more with thrilling adventures featuring Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor and Ruby Sunday. In its typical fashion, the show takes the audience on a ride, this time around it also hits a pitstop in 1960s London for a musical showdown against the terrifying Maestro, portrayed by the multi-talented Jinkx Monsoon.
Showrunner Russell T. Davies had Jinkx Monsoon in mind from the start, shaping the character to fit her perfectly rather than her fitting into the character. The description of the character is summed up as “One part the Joker, one part Jinkx Monsoon.”
Russell T. Davies Draws Inspiration from Jinkx Monsoon for New Doctor Who Villain!
Speaking with the BBC, drag queen Jinkx Monsoon discussed how she landed the Doctor Who role, revealing that it was tailor-made for her. Showrunner Russell T. Davies, a long-time friend, attended one of her spectacular shows, brimming with humor, vibrant colors, fashion, and heartfelt conversations, which he found simply delightful.
It was during this event that Davies conceived the idea of casting her as the Maestro. Monsoon mused about the mystery of Davies’ creative process and elaborated on how it all came together. Jinkx Monsoon revealed,
“I have been friends with Russell T Davies (showrunner/executive producer) for a long time. He has been to so much of my stuff, and always been so supportive. He came to see my show in Manchester, which is a farce set in the future. It’s me and my music partner Major Scales in our 80’s reflecting on our careers. It’s a really ridiculous show.”
She further added,
“I’m playing an older, stylised, somewhat grand, somewhat mean version of myself. Russell told me after he saw that show, he was walking home that night and he realised he wanted me to play the role that I ended up playing in Doctor Who. At that moment, he started writing the role a little bit more with me in mind. When I got the script, the character’s description said, “One part the Joker, one part Jinkx Monsoon.”
Jinkx Monsoon was everything the character required and more, seamlessly blending creepiness, terror, and sheer amazement all at once, just as people anticipated from their first glimpse of her. Since then, praises for the actor haven’t stopped pouring in.
What Convinced Russell T. Davies to Base Maestro on Jinkx Monsoon?
Delving further into why Davies selected her for the role, she elaborated on her memorable Manchester stage character, whose exaggerated and hyper emotions served as a blueprint for the Doctor Who boss to envision her as the character. She said,
“I like to play with the Jinkx Monsoon character I’ve created, and in my show he saw I was really leaning into this farcical future version of Jinkx. She has an ability to switch emotions on a dime. She can be completely enamoured with herself one moment, and then in a boiling rage the next.”
She further added,
“One of the scariest things about a villain is when you don’t know what they’re going to do next, when you have no way of reading them, when they’re smiling at you but they’re about to attack. I think that’s what Russell saw in my show.”
Maestro is undeniably an intriguing and terrifying villain, to say the least. Understanding her character was crucial before slipping into her skin, and given that the character was partially inspired by the drag queen, slipping into Maestro’s skin was a seamless transition for her.
Speaking about her character in the show, she revealed,
“Maestro is exceptionally powerful. When human rules don’t apply to you you get to do whatever you want.–The thing I love about a villain is that they can’t think they’re doing something wrong, or if they do think they’re doing something wrong, it’s justified because it’s for something greater that they’ve planned. What I love about Maestro is that while objectively evil, they are an artist, they have a mission statement. And that was really lovely to play.”
The overall reviews of the show have been overwhelmingly positive, with Jinkx Monsoon undoubtedly emerging as the standout star.
Doctor Who is now streaming Disney+.
