Matt Rippy

Episode 595. Alli & Davey

Our long-time friends and colleagues Alli Bostedt and Davey Naylor were married last Friday, May the 4th (Be With You), 2018, in the Sebastiani Theatre in Sonoma, CA (where we filmed The Complete History of America (abridged)) and, just days before the ceremony, they took time to talk about how their romance overcame early tour awkwardness and problematic venues (thank you, Rhyl!). Featuring knockout predictions, comments from Best Man Matt Rippy, origin stories, canal canoodling, romantic Berkhamsted opportunities, memories of our UK tour of The Complete World of Sports (abridged) and New Zealand tour of Completely Hollywood (abridged), and the inspiring story of how romance can blossom even during a theatrical tour. (Length 19:01). 

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By austin, ago

Episode 375. The Bible Boys

”LIVE! from the touring van comes — finally — our audio introduction to the cast of the current (2014) three-month sixty-city UK tour of The Bible: The Complete Word of God (abridged). Gary Fannin, William Meredith, Richard Ede, and David Ellis talk about the strange beginning to this tour, and Read more…

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By austin, ago

Episode 369. 2013’s Top Podcasts

”Are you dying to know what the ten most popular episodes of the Reduced Shakespeare Company Podcast were in 2013? Hope so! For this final podcast of the year, we hear excerpts from the ten most-downloaded podcasts of the last twelve months. Featuring insights into homeland security, reasons why both Read more…

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By austin, ago

Episode 365. The Park Theatre

”Opened in May 2013, the Park Theatre has already become the artistic center of Finsbury Park in London, and this week it hosts the eight-performance conclusion of our autumn tour of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) . Creative Director Melli Bond talks with Matt Rippy about the creation of Read more…

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By austin, ago

Episode 359. New (Old) Members

”LIVE! from BBC Nottingham, it’s the RSC UK: Matt Rippy, Davey Naylor, Gary Fannin, Simon Cole, and William Meredith, talking about outrageous idents, the return of old cast mates, surprising (but well-deserved) standing ovations, dramatic turns, the lengths we will go in the service of comedy, the hits and misses Read more…

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By austin, ago

Episode 344. UK Tour Update

”LIVE! From inside Titus Vandronicus: UK producer Davey Naylor, actors Gary Fannin, Matt Rippy, Matt Pearson, Ben Stratton, and DSM Penny Ayles share the highlights and lowlights of our twelve-week spring tour of the UK. Featuring favorite venues, shout-outs to new fans and friends, surprise chase scenes, differences between US and Read more…

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By austin, ago

Episode 335. Inside Titus Vandronicus

”Not all touring vans are equal. Climb inside ‘Titus Vandronicus’ (dubbed by Twitter follower @BenedictTheMad) and discover why it’s probably the best one we’ve ever had. Recorded on April Fools Day 2013 on our first trip in it, Davey Naylor, Matt Rippy, Gary Fannin, and Ben Stratton rhapsodize over Titus’s Read more…

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By austin, ago

Episode 333. My Willy Matters

”Happy Death-And-Day-We’ve-All-Agreed-To-Accept-As-Your-Birthday, Willy! In honor of William Shakespeare turning the big 4-4-9, we gather a mighty quorum, fully eleven-thirds of the Reduced Shakespeare Company, to discuss the Bard’s lasting influence, his greatest interpreters, and amazing bowling prowess. Featuring shout-outs to great Shakespeareans, dares to teenagers, how you can probably speak more Read more…

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By austin, ago

Episode 332. My Theatre Matters!

”My Theatre Matters! is a UK campaign to get people talking about how important local theatres are to our communities. The goal is to raise awareness on both the local and national level about know how much we value theatre’s role in our cultural and economic life. This week we Read more…

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By austin, ago

Episode 331. Shakespeare Opening Weekend

”Live! from the Dress Circle of the York Theatre Royal comes this celebration of the opening weekend of our 16-week 54-city tour of The Complete Works of William Shakespeaere (abridged) . Featuring not very relaxing nights off, impertinent artistic analogies, slippery accents, knackered actors, cast doubling, joke recycling, nervous aplomb, and Read more…

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By austin, ago
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) [revised]

Meet the Men in Tights…

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) [revised]The cast traipsing about the UK will consist of a couple of wily RSC veterans and two squirrelly newcomers.

* Aging ingenue Matt Rippy leads the charge, having been a member of the RSC since 1995 and having performed in five Reduced shows in seven countries on five continents, many of them solidly. Audiences who watch television or go to movies will recognize Matt from his below-decks discovery in The Dark Knight and his steamy appearance as the original Captain Jack Harkness in Torchwood. (more…)

By austin, ago

Returning to London

Oh, yes – you read that right! But read it again just to be sure. See?! It’s really true! The show that launched a thousand reductions, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) is coming back to the West End in July! Limited engagement at Leicester Square Theatre! 4 weeks Read more…

By austin, ago

Episode 324. Appreciating Stephen King

”With all due respect to Annie Wilkes, reduced King scholar and film critic Katherine Naylor and I are big fans of Stephen King, so we sat down recently to discuss our favorite books, recurring themes, underrated novels, and abandoning pretension. Featuring chilling memories of reading The Stand, divergent opinions on The Read more…

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By austin, ago

Episode 314. Reduced Musical Abilities

”A jam session broke out recently when we got the band back together for Ultimate Christmas Show (abridged) brush up rehearsals. Matt Rippy, Michael Faulkner, and Mick Orfe play their music and talk about their musical backgrounds and abilities. Featuring original compositions, the gifts of wrong notes, examples of how musical skills can Read more…

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By austin, ago

Episode 313. Celebrating & Housecleaning

”We begin our 7th year of podcasting by doing a little late-fall cleaning, explaining some of the changes we’ve made to how our podcasts are posted, walking you through what’s changed over on iTunes, pointing out some interesting bells and whistles, showing off some cool new features, revealing how many Read more…

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By austin, ago

The Ultimate Christmas Show (abridged)

“Critic’s Choice!” Boston Globe. “Brought down the house with gales of laughter.” Theatre Mirror. The fruitcakes of the Reduced Shakespeare Company take you on an irreverent yet heartwarming trip through the holidays in The Ultimate Christmas Show (abridged). It’s festive funny physical family fun as these Three Wise Guys send-up Read more…

By austin, ago

Happy Merry Chrismakwanukkahanzakah!

Ready for some holiday cheer? Don’t miss the first National Tourof The Ultimate Christmas Show (abridged) coming to Reston VA, Charlotte, Fort Worth, San Diego, St. Louis and Anchorage! Take a look. Last season The Ultimate Christmas Show (abridged) broke box office records, so buy your tickets early. Don’t miss the show that was a Boston Globe “Critic’s Choice” and Read more…

By austin, ago

London 2012

We won the Gold! The comic Gold, that is. The RSC took the UK by storm this summer – take a look. After a five-week tour of the regions, we settled in for an exciting six-week run of The Complete World of Sports (abridged) at the Arts Theatre in London which coincided with the London Olympics. Read more…

By austin, ago

Episode 282. We Get Notes

”Every actor gets ’em; this week we get ours. After a recent performance of The Complete World of Sports (abridged), we met in a crowded noisy bar in Santa Rosa, California with Dodds Delzell, Chad Yarish, and April George, all of whom worked on the original production of the script. Read more…

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By austin, ago

Episode 281. Guilty Theatrical Confessions

”Ever have the feeling that the thing everyone says is so awesome you just don’t ‘get’? Join the club. This week, we share our blasphemous opinions about plays, musicals, lionized authors and composers we can’t believe we’re saying out loud. Featuring heretical dismissals, casual disregard, unsupportable claims, and a special Read more…

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By austin, ago

Episode 278. Home Field Disadvantage

”Most of our performances are Away games, but every couple of years we get to play a Home game. It’s almost always a mixed blessing and this most recent performance at the Sebastiani Theatre was more mixed than most. Featuring swamp coolers, detachable bathroom doorknobs, hand-lowered chandeliers, ghosts in the machines, Read more…

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By austin, ago

Episode 274. How We Tour

”LIVE! from US Interstate Highway 91, en route from Stowe VT to Reston VA, we talk about how touring has changed over the years, sometimes for the better and sometimes not. Featuring unpaid endorsements, tips on long-drive-time-killing, unauthorized Michael Faulkner taunting, a special appearance by 20-year Apple Media Propulsion Engineer Read more…

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By austin, ago

Episode 273. Audition Glory Stories

”Audition glory this week, both the ones we won and the ones that got away. We share tales of auditions that went spectacularly well and gloriously bad, and talk about how to shake it off, survive in the room, and live to audition another day. Featuring disasters, success stories, a Read more…

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By austin, ago

OMG! RSC in NYC, PDQ!

The Complete World of Sports (abridged)

It Might Be the BIG Apple… but there’s a REDUCED price! (Available only for a SHORT time)

The Reduced Shakespeare Company returns to The New Victory Theater (New York’s theater for kids and families… and those who refuse to act their age) for a three week run of The Complete World of Sports (abridged). Austin, Matt and Reed are ready to once again tackle life’s big questions: Is bowling really a sport? Who invented curling? How DOES one get to the Subway Series?

The New Vic is running a special offer for RSC fans who step up to the plate now: 15% off any performance, any seat if purchased by Oct 21st. (more…)

By austin, ago

Quick Quiz!

Answer correctly and win a prize! Question: Name four states that end with an “A.” If you said (or thought… or have heard of…) Florida, Georgia, Alabama, and California – you win! And the prize is … the RSC will perform in all those states this Fall! Click here for Read more…

By austin, ago

RSC, RSC in NY, NY

New Yorkers love their sports and they love their theater. So look out Big Apple! The Reduced Shakespeare Company will combine NYC’s two favorites pastimes when they return to the New Victory Theatre from October 21 – November 6 with The Complete World of Sports (abridged). Hey, they’ll be playing Read more…

By austin, ago

RSC on NPR

While performing The Complete World of Sports (abridged) at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC this summer the RSC boys spoke with Neil Conan on National Public Radio’s “Talk of the Nation.” Comic hijinx ensued. Listen and you just might be amused. Listen >

By austin, ago

Episode 242. We Have Consensus!

”We review the reviews we’ve received for The Complete World of Sports (abridged) and delight in reading the raves and criticizing the critics. Featuring “childlike glee,” an obscure Andy Griffith/Don Knotts reference, “delicious anarchy,” a special appearance by Neal Conan from National Public Radio, and our “usual lack of shame”. WARNING: CONTAINS Read more…

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By austin, ago
The Complete World of Sports (abridged)

Washington DC – We Have a Consensus!

The Complete World of Sports (abridged)
Folks in Washington DC don’t agree on much this summer. But they are unanimous in their delirious enjoyment of the DC premiere of  The Complete World of Sports (abridged) at the Kennedy Center Terrace Theatre.  Here’s what the critics have to say:

Washington Post: “The pacing and timing are crackerjack. It’s hard not to grin all night, so give ’em a medal: Who’s gonna beat their time in a comic sprint?” Read Review

Washington Examiner: “Delicious anarchy.” Read Full Review

(more…)

By austin, ago

Episode 240. Final ‘Hollywood’ Thoughts

”On the night of our final performance of Completely Hollywood (abridged) at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC, we reflect on how it’s changed and matured, its uniquely high level of absurdity, its surprising number of character laughs, and whether we’ll ever perform it again. Featuring a special appearance by Read more…

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By austin, ago

Episode 223. Live From Zaandam!

”Davey Naylor, Matt Rippy, Jeff Marlow, Tiger Reel, and Jan Duyn take time out of their busy touring schedule to reveal their day-to-day adventures on the road in Belgium and Holland. Featuring tales of Carnival, the ideal place for calling a show, an actual Dutch review read aloud in English Read more…

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By austin, ago

Episode 217. Keeping Austin Weird

”What keeps Austin weird? (We’re talking about the city in Texas, of course, not the RSC actor.) Our first trip to the Texas state capitol allowed us to sample this great college town and discover it’s not only weird, its bats; make sweeping generalizations and obscure Ghostbuster references; perform spot-on Read more…

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By austin, ago

Episode 215. Touring In January

”It was a week right out of Planes, Trains, & Automobiles as we attempted to dodge winter storms. Reed Martin, Austin Tichenor, Matt Rippy, and stage manager Elaine Randolph regale us with tales of canceled flights and performances, lost luggage and personnel, impromptu trains, rescheduled hotels, and rerouted trunks. Featuring Read more…

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By austin, ago

Episode 214. Big Year Ahead

”Join us for a quick preview of our upcoming 2011 tour dates. Featuring expert advice on how to get the RSC booked in a venue near you, some unacceptably teasing hints, a special appearance by Christopher Rawson, the chairman of the American Theatre Critics Association, and horrible and unforgivable butchering Read more…

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By austin, ago

Episode 203. We Love Zombies

”Matt Rippy is not only a fan and scholar of zombie movies, he starred in one! For this Halloween week special, we discuss our favorite zombie movies, what they represent, and why they’re different from rage-virus movies. Featuring appreciations of less-well-known zombie movies (Fido, Dead Snow), backstage glimpses from the sets Read more…

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By austin, ago

“SPORTS” TALK

There has been an amazing buzz surrounding Reduced Shakespeare Company debut of “The Complete World of Sports (abridged).” No, not Buzz Lightyear. Not even Buzz Aldrin. It’s been the buzz from the press which has called SPORTS (abridged) “deeply funny,” “absolutely hilarious,” and “both merciless and affectionate!” Click here for Read more…

By austin, ago

Episode 197. ‘Sports’ Opening Night

”The Complete World of Sports (abridged) had its official RSC premiere this weekend at Merrimack Repertory Theatre in Lowell, MA, so we kept the microphone on backstage, during our walk home, and at the cast party. Featuring tongue fumbles, theatrical tricks, mild nausea, and expert testimony as to how stage Read more…

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By austin, ago

Episode 196. At The Ballpark

”It’s a beautiful day for a ballgame, so we finish rehearsal by heading off to watch the Lowell Spinners struggle against the Tri-City ValleyCats. Yes, it’s one minor league squad enjoying the other. Featuring fantastically bad play by play, an excerpt from The Complete World of Sports (abridged), a special appearance Read more…

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By austin, ago

Episode 194. Moments Of Glory

”We take a break from rehearsing The Complete World of Sports (abridged) to recall our various moments of sporting glory…and some moments of humiliation as well. Featuring last-minute victories, unexpected emotion, a special appearance from Modern Family‘s Eric Stonestreet, and a brief quote from Bill Cosby. (If you spot it, Read more…

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By austin, ago

Episode 193. Reduced Rehearsal Barn

”The actors in the RSC’s newest show The Complete World of Sports (abridged) – Matt Rippy, Reed Martin, and Austin Tichenor – take a break from rehearsing (in this magnificent structure) to discuss how the new show is shaping up so far. Featuring cautious optimism, fear and trepidations, shout-outs to our predecessors, an outbreak of song, and our first bilingual celebrity blurb! (MP3. Length 20:09)

(more…)

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By austin, ago

Episode 184. Shakespeare Fun Facts

”Facts both silly and true highlight our reduced knowledge of the immortal bard in this podcast inspired by a recent London Times article. Featuring audio footnotes; excerpts from our “Complete Guide to London (abridged)”, the Reduced Shakespeare Radio Show, and Reduced Shakespeare: The Complete Guide for the Attention-Impaired (abridged); special appearances Read more…

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By austin, ago

Episode 180. New Victory Tour

Join us on a backstage tour of the New Victory Theatre in New York City, and go behind, below, and above the scenes. Featuring a rundown of the theater’s glorious and checkered history, mysterious tales of the “phantom of the New Victory”, some bodacious putti, and a special appearance by the Read more…

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By austin, ago

Episode 171. Walking To Work

”We walk to our performances at the New Victory Theatre in New York City along one of most famous thoroughfares in the world – Broadway. Featuring honking horns, massive crowds, steady drizzle, mistaken identities, reduced reviews, unexpected encounters, and huge delight at being at the center of the theatrical universe. Read more…

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By austin, ago

Episode 165. We Reduce ‘LOST’

”A post-performance run-down of how the filming of Lost Reduced went and how it came to be. Featuring spoilers about special effects, the various entendres of “brands in hands“, special appearances from both Adrian Scarborough from Gavin and Stacey and Sophie Jones from Sky-TV, and how a hot and bright reduced Read more…

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By austin, ago

Episode 164. Commute From Hell

”Flying from California to Dallas shouldn’t be this fraught with excitement and adventure. But oy, was it fraught. Fraughter than we thought. An extra day’s rehearsal goes down the drain as we struggle and fail to avoid a weather system in Phoenix, the likes of which nobody’s ever seen before. Read more…

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By austin, ago

TICKETS to LOST

Wanna be there?! The final series of Lost starts on ABC on February 2nd in the US, and on Sky1 and Sky1 HD on February 5th in the UK. To celebrate, we’re condensing the last 5 seasons into less than 10 minutes and performing it in front of a live Read more…

By austin, ago