Find out all those "interesting" little
details about Simon Fisher-Becker ... delve into nooks and crannies
where only customs men dare to probe ...
Click on the image below for live performance video on the website
for Hamlet: Tragedy of a Fat Man,
the one-man show written for Simon Fisher-Becker by Paddy
Gormley and first performed at the Etcetera
Theatre in 2002.
Another fine mess I got myself into...
Born in November 1961 in Paddington General
Hospital (which was promptly demolished) Simon was brought
up by his Grandparents in Ruislip, Middlesex. He left school
with 3 A-levels, 6 O-levels and Grade 8 certificates for piano,
clarinet and spoken English. While in the Civil Service, he
went on the gain a 2.1 BA degree in Business Administration.
On leaving Drama College he
found regular work where his distinctive shape and size gave
him an advantage over others. Early in his career he played "Mr
Bumble" in "Oliver!". On film he has played Oliver
Hardy: he would love to have the opportunity to play him on stage.
Oh no I didn't...
Simon is a character actor with extensive
experience across the whole spectrum of the industry, having
performed everything from Shakespeare to Panto. Although known
for his flair for comedy he has often surprised people with
powerful dramatic performances, especially on stage - He was
1st runner up Actor of the Year at the Edinburgh Festival in
1987 where he played Peter the Third - husband to Catherine
the Great of Russia.
Whichever area Simon works in he is always drawn
back to live theatre. It's the old adage of having a rapport with
an audience and this is no better demonstrated than in his skill
for Pantomime. A natural genre for Simon, he has appeared in eighteen
Pantos since 1987.
He is extremely versatile, playing villains such as King Rat,
stooges and foils such as Ping & Pong and of course Dame. In
December 2000 Simon teamed up with Dudley Rogers as the Ugly Sisters:
a double act that looks set to run and run.
Oh yes I did...
On TV, film and corporate videos, Simon has played most things
from bank managers, company directors or barristers at one end
of the scale to frustrated fathers, shop stewards and thugs at
the other...
and of course Friars. Simon is the Fat Friar in
Harry Potter and The Philosopher's Stone.
His excellent improvisational skills and
ability to assimilate information quickly make him a natural choice
in areas where time is short.
And finally...
As an extension to his acting, Simon has
ventured into the world of the Producer. His production company
is Just Desserts,
and Murderetc,
which started life as a murder mystery company but has evolved
in other areas of themed events and productions. He is also a
founder member of Tilt-Yard
Theatre Company.
Simon is a committee member of Actors
and Writers London, which he also chaired until 2004. AWL
is a forum for writers to have their work brought to life for
the first time in rehearsed readings by professional actors.
