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The Play Expo has gone from strength to strength since 2012 when it moved to the Event City venue, Manchester. What started off as a convention focusing on retro gaming has evolved into a showcase for games old and new, celebrating associated pursuits like board games and cosplay.
To further hit the message home about the impressive growth of this expo, they managed to bag the attendance of stars from one of the most loved British sci-fi shows of all time, Red Dwarf. Chris Barrie is worshipped within the sci-fi community as the absurdly acerbic Arnold Rimmer, the hologram who is the closest Dave Lister (Craig Charles, who was also at Play Expo) gets to human interaction after the extinction of the human race.
A fast-paced retort from the great Arnold Rimmer would never fail to have you in stitches. Barrie further cemented his iconic status in comedy as tyrannical manager, Gordon Brittas, in hit BBC sitcom The Brittas Empire and has an interest in reprising both roles as discussed in the following exclusive interview with Purple Revolver.
Do you know of any progress on a new series of Red Dwarf on Dave?
“I have no concrete news yet but I do know that everyone is working very hard to make sure that it happens.”
So everyone is on board?
I think so. I can’t be absolutely sure as we speak now in October 2014. I think the will is certainly there on everyone to try and do it.
I really enjoyed the latest series. The gags came thick and fast. Is there scope for improvisation as Rimmer within that?
“I think improvisation is something we might do at rehearsal stage but once we get into the studio it’s got to be fairly rigid for the cameras to know where to go. Having said that, sometimes you can hold something on a two-shot with Lister and Kryten or whoever and do some improvisation, as long as it doesn’t ruin the structure of the story.”
What about a Red Dwarf movie?
The Red Dwarf movie is something that was probably more likely a few years back. Around the time before Back To Earth. Back then in ’09, there was a lot of talk about the movie but I would say now that most of the concentration would be doing more blocks of six series as it’s always been.
So there is a prospect of multiple new series in the future, not just the one?
“Multiple series might be putting it a little too far but there is certainly a prospect of Red Dwarf XI and possibly something beyond that.”
Excellent. Can you tell us about the Red Dwarf movie that was rumoured back in 2004?
“That was the first notion that we could get together and do a movie. The building blocks fell away really. I don’t know the intricacies of why it never happened. I’m not really the person to talk to about that.”
Would you like to revisit the Brittas character?
“Yes I would. Recently, one of the writers in an email exchange I had with him, seemed very positive about wanting to get a Brittas Empire revival going called Lord Brittas in the 21st Century, which would be very interesting. He wanted to get that off the ground but I don’t know where he is at with that right now.”
What do you think of the current output of the BBC’s comedy department? Do you think Red Dwarf would be made with it’s current policy?
“They didn’t want to make it in 2009 so I’m not sure if they would want to make it now. For some strange reason they didn’t want Red Dwarf back on the BBC. I heard a rumour that they are not looking for that kind of audience any more. I think it’s a no-brainer for any broadcaster to want Red Dwarf because it’s been a successful programme with proven longevity.”
Has there been a role you would like to tackle in video games or books that you would like to see adapted for a TV show or movie?
“No. It’s always difficult to answer that question. Only occasionally I would come across something I would like to play. I’m certainly not 25 any more so I think that kind of narrow the roles down and to be honest with you, I am not an avid reader of fiction. Like most people who are in comedy I would like to play a baddie in Lethal Weapon. How’s that? But I don’t have Alan Rickman’s baddie presence.
I can imagine you pulling off a Machiavellian, manipulative character type of villain very well. Here we are at the Play Expo video game convention. It begs the question, do you like video games?
“I have to admit that I’m in Manchester in the gaming show of the year and I am not interested in that. I concentrate on telling smaller people not to concentrate too much on it and do other things. But Simon the Sorcerer was something I was involved in. I did recently take part in a pitch to bring that back and I am quite excited about that.”
That would be great. Would you be interested in doing more voiceover work in future?
“If the right part came along, yes.”