It’s long been believed that if you want to get the true measure of a Doctor Who star—who, deep down, their incarnation of the Time Lord really is compared to what came before—you find it in their first encounter with a Dalek . Whether it’s in the writing or performance, the Doctor is formed in their response to the most ancient and iconic of evils the show has, no matter how many stories come before or after that fabled matchup. So it’s kind of wild then, that Ncuti Gatwa ‘s first proverbial crack at the Kaled whip is going to be in an extremely limited engagement.

This week the BBC announced A Dalek Awakens , a new escape room experience for fans in the UK developed with Escape Hunt. Tasking players with boarding a ship occupied by a sole Dalek, A Dalek Awakens will see people solve puzzles together to escape the murderous wrath of the Doctor’s greatest foe without being able to rely on the Time Lord’s presence..

. directly at least. As seen in the teaser video above, Gatwa will reprise his role as the Doctor for A Dalek Awakens , providing voice over to guide players along in their quest to escape certain doom—and of course provide context for what a Dalek is really capable of.

Which means that this is, in fact, the very first time anyone will actually get to hear what the 15th Doctor is like when faced with the threat of the Daleks...

rather than in the show itself. It’s a peculiar choice, but not all that of a surprising one. Although there’s been te.