This BBC Arts docudrama explores the life and creative output of Coventry born Delia Derbyshire, electronic musician and sound pioneer. From 1962 until 1973, she worked at the BBC’s Radiophonic workshop, where she created the iconic Doctor Who theme tune in 1963, but which she remained uncredited for in her lifetime.

Delia Derbyshire introduced avant-garde electronic sounds to a whole generation through the medium of a children’s teatime television show. But that is only a small part of her story.

Delia’s life is told through two archives: the first, a collection of lost works, 267 reels of quarter-inch magnetic tape recordings of Delia’s work found in her attic after her death in 2001, the other, her school books, paintings and keepsakes, discovered in her childhood bedroom.

This film creatively weaves Delia’s own pieces of music with a soundtrack constructed from samples chosen by musician and performance artist Cosey Fanni Tutti from Delia’s attic tapes. It celebrates independence and imagination and looks at how, when that energy is successfully evoked by women, throughout history it is often dismissed, ridiculed or downplayed.

It is written and directed by Caroline Catz, probably best know as the actress who plays Doc Martins' wife in the ITV series, she also plays Delia in this film.
© Anti-Worlds Film and Television productions for BBC Arena 2021.