Just who the heck is in the Critical Hit Show? Let’s find out!
BARBARA BEALL as INGRID THE HALFLING WEAPONMASTER
Barbara is a professional actress living in Vancouver, BC. Recent credits include appearances on the popular TV shows Riverdale, The 100, iZombie and The Detour. Barbara is a Graduate of the University of British Columbia’s BFA Acting Program and recipient of the Hnatyshyn Foundation Developing Artist Grant for English Theatre. In addition to her work as a performer, Barbara is a seamstress delving into costume design for the first time in 2023, and co-chair of the UBCP/ACTRA Queer Performers Committee.
IAN BOOTHBY as BENOIT THE ANOINTED, THE HALF-ELF CLERIC
Ian is a multiple Shuster Award, Harvey Award and Eisner Award nominee and an Eisner Award–winning comic book creator best known for his work as the lead writer on Simpsons Comics and Futurama Comics for Matt Groening’s Bongo Comics. Boothby has written more Simpsons Comics issues than any other writer. He is a regular writer for MAD Magazine. He has also worked on various Canadian television series and is a well known stand-up, sketch and improv comedian working in the Vancouver area. He co-created Free Willie Shakespeare for the Vancouver Theatresports League which won the Jessie Richardson Theatre Award for Excellence in Interactive Theatre.
A writer for multiple television series including CBC’s Switchback, Street Cents, “Big Sound” and Popular Mechanics for Kids. He is the co-writer of the DVD film Casper’s Haunted Christmas and screenwriter of the Cartoon Network special Scary Godmother: The Revenge of Jimmy.
The creator of the sketch comedy series The 11th Hour, called “The funniest sketch series since SCTV” by the National Post, as well as the creator of the TV pilots Space Arm, Vancouver PM and I Dig BC and the co-creator of Channel 92 along with Dean Haglund and Christine Lippa. Boothby founded the Canadian Comedy Award-winning sketch group Canadian Content. He currently performs with the sketch comedy group Titmouse! and “The Critical Hit Show,” writes for CBC Radio’s The Irrelevant Show, and co-hosts the podcast Sneaky Dragon with David Dedrick. He has also written the ebook It’s About Tolerance Stupid : essays on improv & how to make things better without making yourself crazy. He is the writer of Sparks! a graphic novel series for the Scholastic Corporation’s Graphix line with art by Nina Matsumoto, and Exorsisters, an ongoing series from Image Comics with art by Gisele Lagace.
He also appeared in the Adam Sandler film Happy Gilmore.
Ian Boothby is married to Y The Last Man co-creator and artist Pia Guerra and regularly contributes cartoons with her in The New Yorker as well as the GoComics daily strip Mannequin on the Moon.
ERIC FELL as HIMSELF
Eric Fell is a writer, comedian, and actor from Vancouver, BC with over 15 years of professional experience. He was a writer for the Netflix Original series Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Return. The episode he wrote for, “Cry Wilderness,” quickly became a fan favorite, and vox.com called it “a perfect, rolling ball of comedic chaos.” The season itself has a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and was nominated for a Saturn Award for Best Presentation on Television.
Since September 2012, Eric has been a writer, performer, and script editor for The Gentlemen Hecklers, providing live commentary for the best bad movies. He also produces, hosts, and creates narrative elements for The Critical Hit Show – a live, RPG-inspired comedy that has received international acclaim and recently celebrated its 10th anniversary. Both shows have been featured at the Just For Laughs Northwest Festival’s “Best of the West” program several years in a row.
Eric’s past work includes writing for CBC Radio’s Definitely Not the Opera, appearances on the TV series “Pysch” and “Alcatraz,” and a recurring role as Thomas Warren in the narrative podcast “The Black Tapes.”
Eric is very tall and probably not from space.
JOANNA GASKELL as FREYA THE ELF WARLOCK
Joanna is an actor in TV, film, live theatre, commercials and voiceover who has been working in Vancouver since 2008. She is also a filmmaker who has written, directed and produced award-winning content, and she is co-owner of music videography company Wood Box Films. She enjoys action movies, potato chips, her cat, and spending all of her money on weird filmmaking projects.
ELLEN MACNEVIN as BELLE STRUMMER, THE HALF-ELF RANGER
Ellen is an actor in film and television, appearing in shows such as See, Riverdale, and Supernatural. She also portrays the recurring character Rachel in the show Lucky Hank alongside Bob Odenkirk. In addition to the Critical Hit Show, Ellen improvises as a part of Hocus Focus Comedy. Prone to a high degree of whimsy, Ellen often enjoys dressing up for photoshoots and having a frolic in the woods.
ALLEN MORRISON as SPITZ LUBE’N, THE HUMAN WIZARD
Bio coming soon!
SHAUN STEWART as BRASK HELLBEARD, THE DWARF BARD
Shaun Stewart has been performing on stage for over 15 years, but he used to do it a lot more often. He was an original Gentleman Heckler and was lucky to get the chance to write on the “Cry Wilderness” episode of MST3K. He is now a math teacher in Vancouver, but takes time away from ruining students’ days to be a Dwarf Bard.