April 24, 2025
Cast members Rose Ayling-Ellis, Christopher Chung and Caoilfhionn Dunne and ‘The Well’ co-writer Sharma Angel-Walfall share their experiences of joining the Whoniverse.
In The Well, the next instalment of Season 2, the Doctor and Belinda face absolute terror on a devastated mining colony far in the future. With little else revealed about this episode so far, Doctor Who fans are abuzz with anticipation and theories.
We spoke to stars of The Well Rose Ayling-Ellis, Christopher Chung and Caoilfhionn Dunne, as well as episode co-writer Sharma Angel-Walfall, about what to expect in this “deep and mysterious” thriller…
Rose Ayling-Ellis (Aliss)
How did you come to be cast in Doctor Who?
Andy Pryor, the casting director, has been a big supporter of mine for years. He really believed in me and championed me for the role of Aliss. I owe this one to him.
How did you feel when you were told you got the part of Aliss?
Incredible. I’ve always wanted to be part of the show—and to land a complex, layered character like Aliss made it even more exciting.
Was it hard to keep the secret from your friends and family?
Not really—I told my parents right away, and I trust them completely. I held off telling friends because I wanted to surprise them…
How would you describe your character, Aliss?
She’s a determined mother, desperate to find her daughter. Emotional, scared, holding it together—but barely. She’s raw and real.
What was it like working with Ncuti Gatwa and Varada Sethu?
They were lovely—kind, supportive, and so much fun. We clicked straight away. When it’s time to work, they’re completely focused. I’d love to work with them again.
How did you find filming?
It was amazing. I’m used to fast-paced shoots, so spending nearly a month on one episode was a new experience. I loved how much care went into every detail.
Will you be watching from behind the sofa?
Not at all, I love scary shows! I’ll be right in front of the telly. I haven’t seen the final cut yet, so I’m just as excited as everyone else.
If you could travel in the TARDIS, where would you go?
Into space to look back at the Earth, the stars, the moon. That’s a once-in-a-lifetime view very few people get to see.
How would you describe the episode in one word or phrase?
Run…but you can’t hide.
Christopher Chung (Cassio)
How does it feel to be a part of Doctor Who?
Surreal! It's absolutely mind-blowing to be in something that's so iconic as Doctor Who. I've wanted to be a part of it for a long time, so to fulfil that dream has been everything I wanted and more.
What was your experience like on set?
My on-set experience was fantastic! Ncuti and Varada were such fantastic leaders on the production, so we had a whole lot of fun. We filmed in Bad Wolf Studios for a good majority of the episode. The sets are absolutely mind-blowing. The amount of detail that has gone into them, there is no reason why you wouldn’t think that you’re in that space.
How was it working with the other cast?
Working with Rose (Ayling-Ellis) was so much fun. She has such a cheeky humour. She was teaching me British Sign Language, as she did with all of us, little bits here and there. She’s so exceptionally sweet and giving and just up for a laugh, so it was a lot of fun to work with her. Ncuti and Varada made such a huge effort to make everyone feel comfortable and that we're here to make something really special. It was an absolute joy to work with them, and I'd love to work with them all again.
Were you a fan of the show before you joined?
I was too scared to watch it as a kid [laughs]. As I got older and realised how much of a cultural institution it was, I started to watch more of it. I'd say that one of my favourite monsters are the Weeping Angels.
What can viewers expect from the episode?
To be hiding behind their sofa, but peeking over because they want to know what’s happened…
Is there anything you can tell us about your character?
Cassio is a trooper who follows the rules and does things by the book, but when the Doctor challenges that, he finds it difficult. He was a very interesting character to play.
If you could travel anywhere in time and space, where would you go and why?
I would go to Ancient Egypt because of the fashion.
Can you sum up your episode in one word or phrase?
The Well is deep and mysterious…
Caoilfhionn Dunne (Shaya)
How does it feel to be a part of Doctor Who?
It’s amazing. It’s a dream come true. I’ve been a huge fan of the show for a very, very long time. It’s very exciting.
How did the role come about? Did you have to keep it a secret?
I got a phone call asking if I’d like to be a part of it, and I said “Yes, please”. I actually kept it a secret from everybody until the trailer came out. I thought there’s no point in telling anyone. It’s exciting watching the first trailer. I watch that trailer every year, and I go “who’s in it this year”, and I pick people out and go, “Oh brilliant, they’re in it”. I thought it would be nicer for people to see me in it and get that surprise, rather than me tell them.
What’s your favourite alien or monster from Doctor Who?
It has to be the Weeping Angels. They’re genuinely terrifying, and in a show where there is a threat level from everything, to have something that is genuinely that scary… they’re brilliant.
What was it like being on set and seeing the Doctor Who set?
It’s amazing what they’ve done over in Cardiff, it really is. There are so many worlds under one roof. The props and the design guys are absolutely incredible at what they do, creating whole words, it’s wonderful. It really is. Once that’s done, that’s your job halved, because the world is there.
I didn’t go on the TARDIS, though. I saw the inside but didn’t want to go on it. It’s a weird thing of being on it, it’s almost like you have to earn your place to go on the TARDIS. As a fan, that’s a line, I still want to have something.
How was filming the episode, and what was it like working with the other cast?
It was an amazing cast of people. Rose (Ayling-Ellis) is incredible, and Chris (Chung) has become my annoying little brother at this stage [laughs] and Bethany (Antonia), Bethany is a star. The whole gang were amazing. But Ncuti and Varada, they have so many people coming in and out week after week, like a revolving door of actors, and they have so much patience, so much grace, and they’re so kind and welcoming to everyone that comes in. It makes what is otherwise a very daunting experience that much easier.
We’ve heard this episode is going to be scary, how was it to film?
When you’re inside of it, it doesn’t feel as scary, because it’s so by the numbers. But on the page, when we were reading it, you knew it was something special. It read as a very, very intense, thrilling episode.
What can you tell us about your character?
Shaya is very professional, almost to her detriment, but a good person under all of that. As always, the Doctor brings out the best of the people he encounters.
What else can viewers expect from the episode?
Thrills and spills. It’s got a bit of everything. It’s scary, it’s exciting, it’s funny, as always, that’s the great thing about this show. There’s always light with the shade.
If you could travel anywhere in time and space, where would you go?
I think I would go to London in the 1960s, for whatever that vibe was that people were on. They were having the time of their lives, and anything kind of went. You could be who you wanted to be, if only for a brief amount of time, and do what you wanted to do. The swinging Sixties!
What is it you love about Doctor Who?
I love it because there’s something very open about it. Even as a grown up, having somebody who is almost a very simple hero, in that they’re just trying to put things right. They’re just looking for the good. Not that the Doctor doesn’t have a dark side to him, he does, and when that comes out it can be very interesting. But, the idea of somebody looking at the human race and finding us fascinating and nice enough to travel through the Universe with repeatedly, because there is something good in us. And the Doctor being there brings out the best in whoever he is with. It sounds like a childish idea, but it’s not, it’s just good. Sometimes it's nice to have something that’s that simple, that’s that good of an idea, and almost pure.
Can you sum up your episode in one word or phrase?
A thrilling horror.
Sharma Angel-Walfall (Writer)
Welcome to the Whoniverse! How did your involvement in Doctor Who come about?
My agent rang me and said Russell [T Davies] has read your work and scripts, he wants to meet up and have a general chat. The chat was incredible, I really enjoyed it. He told me there and then that he wanted me to be involved with writing an episode of Doctor Who. It was great, I wasn’t expecting it.
What can you tell us about writing an episode of Doctor Who, is it very different to other projects you’ve worked on?
It’s different in the way that I was working closely with Russell. Our story meetings were very much just me and him, there was constant back and forth. It was like a little writers’ bubble between me and Russell. The show is a big machine, so I went in there feeling very nervous. But I very, very quickly realised that everyone was lovely. I work on different shows, so it’s always about adapting, but I would say it was a lot more fun than I was expecting. It was freeing.
With Russell, he’s so generous in allowing the writers to come up with so many ideas, so we’re always constantly banging ideas back and forth. That was very refreshing. And for me, it was going into a world I haven’t done before. I got to stretch my legs as a writer. But it was all so brilliant.
What can fans expect from The Well?
They can expect to be wowed. There’s an element of fear in there, it’s got that kind of scary, on the edge of your seat kind of vibe. It’s got a lot of heart and warmth and beautiful characters.
Can you tell us about writing the relationship between the Doctor and Belinda?
It was so much fun to write the dynamics between the Doctor and Belinda, they have a unique relationship. It’s always going to be hard when you have to live up to the amazing writing before that has created some great partnerships. I also hadn’t seen Belinda on the television yet, so it was a little bit tricky at first. But I was in constant contact with Russell, and Russell would pick up on things. You just have to keep persisting and find what works.
This episode has been described as a real ‘hide behind the sofa’ episode. Tell us about the writing process for something like this?
I agree with that, it’s very scary. When you’re writing, you’re trying to work out the mechanisms as to how to make it scary. You’re not sure whether you’ve hit all the marks until you’ve watched it back. But it’s very scary, I completely agree with that.
If you could travel in the TARDIS to any time and place in the universe, where would you go?
I love history, so I’d want to go back in time. If I had the chance to go in the TARDIS and travel anywhere, it would be back in time. I love the different eras, I’d love to see what it was like in the Sixties and Seventies.
If you had to describe the episode in one word or phrase, what would it be?
Epic.
The Well debuts on Saturday 26th April on BBC iPlayer in the UK and Disney+ where available. Find out more about Season 2 here.
