Russell Fletcher
TRAINING
Graduated in Drama at Victoria College – Rusden 1986
THEATRE
YES, PRIME MINISTER
Role: BBC Reporter Simon Chester Yes, Prime Minister Pty Ltd 2012
THE 39 STEPS
Various Roles Melbourne Playhouse season / Tinderbox 2009
THE SANTALAND DIARIES by David Sedaris
Role: Krumpet Auspicious Arts Australia 2008
THE 39 STEPS
Various Roles Sydney Opera House season / Tinderbox Prods.
A TRIBUTE TO DANNY KAYE
Role: Danny Kaye Adelaide Cabaret Festival et. al. 2006-07
LEVELLAND
Role: Demetri Dir: Guy Masterson / by Rich Hall / MICF 2006-07
SCORE: RELOADED with Melbourne Youth Orchestra
Role: Danny Kaye Conductor: Peter Bandy 2006-07
A TRIBUTE TO DANNY KAYE
Role: Danny Kaye Self-directed / Czech House / Melbourne Fringe Festival 2005
CYRANO DE BERGERAC
Various Roles Dir. Simon Phillips / Melbourne Theatre Company 2005
TWELVE ANGRY MEN
Role: Juror 12 Dir. Guy Masterson, Arts Projects Australia / Adrian Bohm – Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne 2004
OUTLOOKERS
Role: Marcus, Ms Walberry & others Arena Theatre Co. 2003
NOISES OFF
Role: Frederick Fellowes Dir: Peter Houghton / ComedyTheatre 2003
FLETCHER’S SPONTANEOUS BROADWAY Black Cat / Fitzroy 2002
CERTIFIED MALE
Role: McBride Dir: Terry O’Connell / Aust. & NZ Tour 2001
FLETCHER’S SPONTANEOUS BROADWAY Melbourne Fringe Festival 2000
**Winner of “Palme De Broadway” Award**
THE COMPLETE WORKS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE Dir: John Saunders / National Tour 1999
JUMP RALPH, JUMP MICF 1998
KING OF FOOLS/JUMP RALPH, JUMP Adelaide Fringe Festival 1998
JUMP RALPH, JUMP
Role: Ralph Dir: Craig Freimond / Carlton Courthouse / Fringe Festival 1997
KING OF FOOLS
Writer/Performer MICF / Trades Hall (1997)
CANDIDE Melbourne Maskworks / MICF / Trades Hall 1997
KING OF FOOLS
Writer/Performer Dir: Peter Donahue / St Martins 1996
*Winner of Best Self-Devised Work- Fringe Festival 1996*
EASY TO SAY
Role: Geoff Dir: Paul Hampton / La Mama 1996
ROMEO & JULIET
Role: Mercutio Dir: Glenn Elston / Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne & Adelaide Festival 1995-96
TEST TUBE TWINSET Dir: Matthew Green / Napier St Theatre 1995
COMEDY OF ERRORS Northcote Ampitheatre 1995
IT’S A MERDE MERDE WORLD Continental Cafe / Troupe De Jour 1994
CINDERELLA Melbourne Maskworks 1993-94
TWELFTH NIGHT
Role: Sebastian Dir:Glenn Elston / Royal Bot. Gardens 1993
A MIDSUMMER NIGHTS DREAM
Role: Lysander & Tom Snout Dir: Glenn Elston / Sydney Botanic Gardens
STORMING SWANSTON WALK BY TRAM Dir: Cliff Ellen 1992
THREE LITTLE PIGS & LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD 1992
A MIDSUMMER NIGHTS DREAM
Role: Lysander & Tom Snout Dir: Glenn Elston 1989-91
CASA DEL TAWDREY
Role: Reggie – Writer/Performer MICF 1989
PEMULWOY
Co-deviser/Performer C’wealth Institute / London / Bicentennial 1988
TELEVISION
JACK IRISH
Role: Priest Essential Media Pty Ltd 2011
COMEDY SLAPDOWN
Role: Performer, assos. Fremantle Media 2008
CITY HOMICIDE – SERIES 2
Role: Miles Dempsey Dir: Kevin Calin / Seven Network 2008
JOKER POKER
Role: Player Network Ten 2005-06
VULTURE
Role: Lead Guest –Various Sketches ABC TV 2005-06
SN:TV
Series performance director Burberry Prod, Nickelodeon 2002-03
LEGACY OF THE SILVER SHADOW
Role: Guard ACTF Productions 2001
STINGERS
Role: Det.Sgt Tomkins Dir: Brendan Maher / Simpson Le Mesurier 1998
THE ADVENTURES OF LANO & WOODLEY II
Role: Father Sodgers Dir: John Olb / ABC TV Comedy 1998
GET A LIFE
Role: David Carter – Lead Artist Services / The Comedy Channel 1997
INTERFOOTY
Writer & Performer Channel 7 1997
GOOD NEWS WEEK
Guest ABC TV Comedy 1996
INTERFOOTY
Writer & Performer Channel 7 1996
THE MAN FROM SNOWY RIVER III
Role: Trooper Scanlon Pro Films 1995
JANUS
Role: Psg. Sgt ABC TV 1994
BOYS AND BALLS ABC TV 1994
BLUE HEELERS Ch 7 SSF Productions 1994
G.P
Role: Reese ABC TV 1993
WHOSE LINE IS IT ANYWAY?
Ensemble Hat Trick Productions /ITV Ch 4 (UK) 1993
PHOENIX II
Role: Kermie (semi regular) ABC TV 1993
THE BOYS FROM THE BUSH
Role: Stevie Stranks Cinema Verity. Ch 7, 1991
BINGLES Media Arts, Ch 10, 1991
CHANCES
Role: Jeremy Beyond Productions, Ch 9, 1991
LET THE BLOOD RUN FREE Ch 10 1990
THE FLYING DOCTORS Crawford Productions, Ch 9, 1989
THE COMEDY COMPANY Ch 10, 1989
GREAT TV GAME SHOW
Writer & Performer Ch 10, 1989
THEATRESPORTS ABC. 1986
FILM
AEROPLANE DANCE SBS
BOYS AND BALLS dir: Sue Thompson
LUCKY BREAK dir: Ben Levin
EIGHTBALL dir: Ray Argall
ONE WAY TICKET dir: Richard Frankland, Ch 9
DIRECTION
SPONTANEOUS BROADWAY
Host, Director, Producer 2000-present
*Winner – ‘Palme De Broadway’, Melbourne Fringe Festival 2000
DIGGER
Role: Richard McKenzie MICF 2006
*Moosehead recipient*
BONDARAMA
Director Chapel Off Chapel, Melbourne, August 2011
THE ULTIMATE JAM SESSION
Director Bold Jack Productions 2010/11
SHANGHAI SLIM
Director, co-writer.
Written and starring Lin Dong Fu Melbourne International Comedy Festival show, 2010
COMEDY SLAPDOWN
Associate Producer, Improvisation Director Fremantle Media Australia for the comedy channel, 2008
PRIMROSE HILL
Director Written by Adam Zwar, starring Paul Denny, 2008 Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Carlton Courthouse.
FUNNY BONES
Assistant Director and Dramaturg Comedy performance for National Reconciliation Day, City Of Port Phillip, 26 May 2006
OUTLOOKERS
Director Arena Theatre Company 2004 – 2006
SCOTTY & SON
Starring Denise Scott & Jordie Lane Melbourne 2004
*International Comedy Festival – *BARRY AWARD Nominee*
CERTIFIED MALE
Assistant Director Her Majesty’s Theatre / Melbourne 2003
INTERROGATION
Written & Performed by Alan Brough & Greg Fleet
Adelaide Fringe & Melbourne International Comedy Festivals 2003 *BARRY AWARD Nominee*
SN:TV
Performance Director Burberry Productions / Nickelodeon 2002-2003
THE THREE CANADIANS present BEN HUR
Guest Director MICF 2002
WORLD IMPROV CHAMPION
Role: Player/Coach Just For Laughs Festival / Montreal Recorded for the
Comedy Network, North America 2001
I SAID , I SAID
Written and performed by
Michael Ward and Stephen Hall MICF 2001
*Moosehead Award Recipient* 2001
SHE’LL BE RIGHT
Written and performed by Lynda Gibson MICF 1998
THEATRESPORTS MELBOURNE
Co-Artistic Director 1995-2008
HAROLD
Long-form improvisation performance St. Martins Youth Arts Centre / Melbourne 1995-1996
THE PURPLE AND BLACK ZONE
A Comedy Cabaret The Comedy Cafe / Melbourne Spoleto Fringe Festival
1986
HOOVER WALLABIES WEDDING
A Commedia Mask show Salamanca Arts Festival Hobart 1985
Russell trained as a drama teacher in the 1980’s at Rusden, which qualified him to waiter at The Last Laugh and manage Le Joke. He’s worked as a comic actor since.
Russell is well known as a comic improvisor, and is the producer and performer with the incomparable SPONTANEOUS BROADWAY (“utterly brilliant” The Age), and its wild-child family version – RANDOM MUSICAL.
He has performed in many commercial theatre hits including Shakespeare Under The Stars in the Botanic Gardens from 1989 - 1996, NOISES OFF (with Marina Prior), CYRANO DE BERGERAC (MTC), and smash hit national tours of THE COMPLETE WORKS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (ABRIDGED), CERTIFIED MALE, TWELVE ANGRY MEN, and THE 39 STEPS.
Russell is also part of TROUPE DU JOUR, providing MC services, hilarious improvised entertainment for Australian business audiences and conferences, as well as team-building, communication and leadership workshops. He has also hosted the Birdman Rally, Xmas Carols, and many other public and corporate events.
Russell has appeared on many TV shows, and is most recognised as Father Ricky from LANO & WOODLEY.
He is also an acclaimed solo performer, his JEST LIKE DANNY KAYE won Best Comedy at The Melbourne Fringe, and garnered five star reviews at the 2010 Edinburgh Fringe at The Famous Spiegeltent. The show is playing at the Taranaki Arts Festival in N.Z. August 2011.
Russell occasionally writes and directs theatre but is mostly found chasing his ginger ninjas, Alice 3 and Lewis 2.
August 2011 – Russell directed the smash hit comedy BONDARAMA at Chapel off Chapel.