One of the greatest TV shows of our time recently celebrated its 30th anniversary, and what better way to commemorate than with a live Fringe extravaganza at Underbelly’s McEwan Hall – for the full month!
Following a total sell-out run in Edinburgh two years ago, including extra shows, as well as sell-out runs at the London Palladium and The Royal Albert Hall, Clive Anderson once again takes the reins of Whose Line Is It Anyway as many of the original cast members reunite in this now legendary live version of the iconic improvisational TV smash hit.
Devised by Dan Patterson and Mark Leveson, Whose Line took over the UK’s prime-time TV slot on Friday nights and went on to repeat its success stateside with America versions on ABC and the CW network.
The stellar line-up from the world of improv this year includes Greg Proops, Mike McShane, Stephen Frost, Richard Vranch, Tony Slattery, Rachel Parris and Marcus Brigstocke, with other special guests to be announced.
No two shows will ever be the same! No points awarded will ever make any sense!
The participants are:
Clive Anderson – Award-winning and versatile presenter and comedy-writer, Clive won the British Comedy Award in 1991 and began his success during his 15-year law career with stand-up comedy and script writing before rising to fame as the host of Whose Line Is It Anyway? on radio and then television. He went on to front ten series of his own show, Clive Anderson Talks Back (Channel 4) and four series of Clive Anderson All Talk (BBC 1). His numerous TV appearances include Have I Got News For You, QI, Mock the Week and The Bubble. He currently hosts Loose Ends and Unreliable Evidence on Radio 4 and The Guessing Game on BBC Radio Scotland and he has hosted various live events from BAFTA to the Olivier Awards.
Greg Proops – Greg is a stand-up comic from San Francisco and is best known for his unpredictable appearances on both the UK and US versions of Whose Line Is It Anyway? (Channel 4 & CW). His popular podcast The Greg Proops Film Club covers old and new movies and is available on iTunes and he has interviewed various celebrities on his Smartest Man in the World Podcast. He can currently be seen on the new season of @midnight (Comedy Central) and has lent his voice to the likes of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace and The Nightmare Before Christmas.
Mike McShane – Four-time 2017 Emmy nominated (inc. Best Actor) American actor, singer and improvisational comedian, Mike was an original regular contestant on Whose Line Is It Anyway? on Channel 4. Other TV credits include Seinfeld, Malcolm in the Middle and Doctor Who. He played Friar Tuck in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves alongside Kevin Costner, provided the voices for Tuck and Roll in Disney’s A Bug’s Life, and has starred in various Fringe productions over the years, including the highly acclaimed Talk Radio in 2006.
Stephen Frost – Best known for his work with The Comedy Store Players, Stephen’s TV credits include Lazarus and Dingwall (BBC), The Young Ones (BBC), Vanity Fair, Whose Line Is It Anyway? (Channel 4), Blackadder (BBC) and Poirot – The Labours of Hercules (ITV). He appeared in Twelve Angry Men with Bill Bailey on tour in Australia and New Zealand, and Bremner Bird and Fortune for Vera.
Tony Slattery – Tony Slattery has had a prolific career as an actor, comedian, presenter and singer, but is probably best known for his comic improvisation work on Whose Line is it Anyway? Having won a Scholarship to study Medieval and Modern Languages at Cambridge University, he met the aspiring Stephen Fry who invited him to join the renowned Cambridge Footlights. In 1984, they won the very first Perrier Award at the Edinburgh Festival for The Cellar Tapes, which also featured Hugh Laurie, Emma Thompson, Penny Dwyer and Paul Shearer. Tony’s theatre work includes Me & My Girl, Radio Times, Privates on Parade and Neville’s Island, which earned him an Olivier Award Nomination for his blistering performance as Gordon. His extensive television career includes programmes such as Kingdom, Casualty, Coronation Street, Bad Girls, Life Begins, Red Dwarf, Cold Blood and Robin Hood. Film credits include Peter’s Friends, How to Get Ahead in Advertising, Up ‘n’ Under, The Crying Game and The Wedding Tackle. Tony has also worked extensively in the corporate world, in commercials and voiceovers.
Phill Jupitus – Phill has toured his poetry with such luminaries as Madness, The Who and Paul Weller. He has hosted his own shows on BBC London Radio and BBC 6Music. In 1996, he became team captain on BBC2’s Never Mind The Buzzcocks, and hel has also starred in the sitcom television Dark Ages, provided a voice for the animated ITV series Watership Down before writing and performing in the critically acclaimed Waiting for Alice (Edinburgh Festival 2007). He currently appears as a regular guest on QI (BBC2/4), while on BBC Radio 4 Phill is a regular member of the award-winning News Quiz in addition to numerous presenting work on such shows as Phill Jupitus’ Comic Strips and The Man Who Bought Hendrix’s Stage. In the autumn of 2009 Phill graced the West End stage in the hit musical Hairspray playing Edna Turnblad receiving critical acclaim for his performance.
Ruth Bratt – Ruth Bratt is writer/performer/improviser. As an improviser, she is a regular guest with The Comedy Store Players, is one quarter of The Glenda J Collective with Josie Lawrence, Pippa Evans and Cariad Lloyd, 1/2 of A Very Serious Play with Lee Simpson, is often in Actors Nightmare, and (of course!) Whose Line Is It Anyway Live. She is a founder member of Showstopper! The Improvised Musical, touring worldwide, and performing regularly at the Edinburgh Festival and in the West End, following their Olivier-award winning run in 2015. She’s a regular player in the London 50 hour Improvathons, and has done two with Die-Nasty in Canada, where it all started! She plays Roche in BAFTA-winning show People Just Do Nothing (BBC), and wrote and performed Trodd En Bratt Say Well Done You with Lucy Trodd (BBC R4). Other credits include Man Down (Channel 4), Derek (Channel 4), Mongrels (BBC3), Mrs Hudson’s Radio Show (BBC R4), Ankle Tag (BBC R4), and Sarah Millican’s Support Group (BBC R4).
Rachel Parris – Award-winning musical comedian, actor and improviser and currently seen on BBC2’s The Mash Report, Rachel has won critical acclaim for her solo shows and has been awarded Best Musical Comedy Show (Whats On London), Best Jokes of the Fringe (Telegraph) and nominated for Best Show 2016 (Funny Women). An experienced improviser, Rachel is a founding member of the award-winning improv comedy smash hit Austentatious and has also improvised with The Beau Zeaux, The Bishop, Monkey Toast and the Comedy Store Players. She has made several appearances on BBC Radio 4 and BBC 6 Music, most recently in The Now Show, and on TV appeared in the highly anticipated IT Crowd Special (Channel 4) and presented the Game of Thrones fanshow, Thronescast (Sky Atlantic)
Kirsty Newton on piano – Multi-instrumentalist Kirsty will soon be appearing on UK screens as one of ‘The 100’ expert judges on BBC1’s primetime Saturday night singing talent show All Together Now and is also the resident pianist on brand new TV show Al Murray’s Great British Pub Quiz on Quest. Following a short tour of Japan in March 2019, Kirsty joins Paul Merton’s Impro Chums UK tour, comedy legend Arthur Smith for his run at Soho Theatre and this year’s Fringe, where she will also be musically directing and performing in The Scott Walker Song Book with Andy Davies and appearing with sensational party band Massaoke,
VENUE: Underbelly McEwan Hall, Teviot Place, EH8 9AG
TIME: 7pm
DATES & PRICES: Previews 31st July-2nd August @ £12.50. Shows: 3rd-26th August (Not 12th August) at 16.50.
TICKETS: 0131 510 0395 / www.underbellyedinburgh.com
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