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In 1975 The Fourth Doctor faced one of his most formidable foes, Sutekh, who attempted to escape his eternal imprisonment to bring death and destruction to the universe. As the character returned for the 2024 finale (The Legend of Ruby Sunday / Empire of Death) ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Archives looked at the history of this adversary, and the actor behind his terrifying voice.

Handwritten documents held in the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Archives give a clue as to the thoughts of the production team in casting the best actor to play Sutekh. This first document outlines the character and stresses that a 'good voice' is 'very important' for the part.

This second document lists some of the actors considered for the role of Sutekh. Although last on the list, the actor chosen to bring the part to life was Gabriel Woolf.

By 1975 Gabriel Woolf was well known for his voice work. He had been regularly heard in plays on radio since the 1950s as a member of the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Drama Repertory Company. On television he was probably more familiar as a presenter of programmes for schools.

The Sutekh of 1975 wasn't computer generated, but was played in person by Gabriel Woolf. The costumes for Sutekh would have made him unrecognisable to Doctor Who audiences, so it was the terrifying voice he used for the character which would prove more memorable.

Gabriel Woolf's voice as Sutekh was so memorable that in 2006 Russell T Davies asked him to provide the voice for the equally terrifying character of The Beast, as he explains here.

For The Beast, Gabriel Woolf was only required to provide the voice. The creature was created by computer graphics to match the fear inducing sound that he had created.

The return of Sutekh in The Legend of Ruby Sunday / Empire of Death (2024) means that a whole new generation of Doctor Who fans can be terrified by the incredible voice talent of Gabriel Woolf.