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Reduced Shakespeare Company
Ensemble: Simon Cole, Gary Fannin, Matt Rippy
Simon Cole, having jumped into the shark-infested waters of the Atlantic from his native Idaho (it was a really long jump), washed up on the UK shores with a song in his heart and a potato in his pocket. The winner of the most perspiring comic at the Evian awards (the little known alternative to the Perriers) and in an attempt to earn his spurs as an adopted theatrical Englishman, Simon has played Shakespearian rogues on stage, Elizabethan gentleman on film and has directed several pantomimes (without understanding what any of it was about). He is endeavouring to overcome his fear of clotted cream, seaside rock and Yorkshire puddings.
Gary Fannin was a fine, fine actor once. But he can’t talk about that these days, so don’t ask him. No, seriously, don’t. Rumour has it that the last time someone brought it up the police were called in. Ok, it was probably a traffic warden, but even so the CCTV footage leaves one with nothing but total respect for his kick-ass, ass-kicking abilities. (Allegedly). Oh, he did once pet Tom Cruise’s dog (which, believe it or not, is not a euphemism). You CAN ask him about that. Other no-go topics include but are not limited to: The original (and unknown) movie called The Inbetweeners; 5 years of dressing room 7 at the Criterion Theatre in the West End; Hearts (the card game) which took up the better part of those 5 years; Quackenbush’s coffee in Austin; That sunset in Seattle with Kurt and Courtney; and 2 ducks, 2 rabbits and 4 doves in the back of a van in Philadelphia. Gary would like to thank the pharmaceutical industry for many, many happy years now. (Don’t ask).
Matt Rippy ran away with the Reduced in ‘96 and has performed with them in the West End and on (or near) Broadway as well as various tours around the globe. Rippy acts as the Reduced webdude and from time to time he acts as director. Sometimes he even acts like a real actor in movies: he acted like a suave guy in Beyond the Sea, a bad guy in Day of the Dead, a good guy in the new Jack Ryan and a blink-and-u-miss-him in The Dark Knight. He also acted on TV as the real Captain Jack Harkness in Torchwood and acted on top of Billie Piper in Secret Diary of a Call Girl. Rippy knows one day he must grow up and act like a proper adult, but until then he’ll just keep acting the fool with the Reduced Shakespeare Company.