Why such fuss about a female Doctor? | Letters

Of course we must applaud the arrival of Jodie Whittaker in the role of the Doctor in Doctor Who (Time for change, G2, 18 July). After all, think of all those young men who took the best female parts in Shakespeare’s day. There’s a lot of redressing to do. Really though, the revolution is not all that great. The Doctor is a shape-changer, so it’s not such a big step to become a sex-changer too. We need something more. Female actors have taken male roles in living memory – think Fiona Shaw as Richard II, though Richard was neither hero nor heroine (perish the word). A performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream I have just witnessed in the new Chester theatre points the way: Lysander is played by a black female actor in a lesbian love match with Hermia (or Helen?). Bravo! I now look forward to a female Bottom (lesbian or otherwise). But what is needed is a female actor in a male heroic role, say Judi Dench as Henry V? And even better, to keep things even, Benedict Cumberbatch as Joan of Arc? After all, it’s all about the suspension of disbelief, isn’t it? Or is it? I think I’ll now go and have a lie down.
Peter Watson
Chester

• My 18-year-old son and 13-year-old daughter are both massive Doctor Who fans. I asked them (separately) what they thought of Jodie Whittaker as the 13th Doctor. Their replies were identical: “Don’t know. Haven’t seen her act in anything. Is she any good?” Nothing else seemed to matter to them. I felt rather proud of them. I have seen her act (in Venus and in Broadchurch) and I think they will be pleasantly surprised.
Peter Holdridge
Leicester

• Surely we must fear that the reason for the BBC recruiting a female Doctor is so that they can pay her a smaller salary?
Bryn Hughes
Wrexham

• What is all the fuss about? I have had a female doctor for years.
Rosanna Achilleos-Sarll
London

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