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Red Dwarf’s Chris Barrie takes time out from his autograph and photo schedule at SF Ball 23 to tell to Nick Joy why he’s delighted that there’s another six episodes of the hit sci-fi sitcom in the can ready for this autumn and why hecklers are actually helping him do his job.

15 February 1998 was the first time that the world was introduced to the petty, cowardly Arnold Judas Rimmer BSC SSC (Bronze Swimming Certificate and Silver Swimming Certificate), a holographic representation of Dave Lister’s former bunkmate on the mining spaceship Red Dwarf. Hang on a minute – that’s nearly 29 years to the day! How did that happen? And why is the much-loved Chris Barrie still happy to essay this perennial loser?

Congratulations to Red Dwarf for recently winning the Comedy.co.uk awards for Sitcom of the year and Best Returning Comedy. It really shows how much love and affection there still is for the show and the quality is still there.

Thank you; it’s a great thrill to win those awards. It’s fantastic after nearly 30 years to see that appreciation, to see that our hard-core set of fans are still out there for us. And we’re building on that; we’re getting new fans. For me, it’s testament to Doug [co-creator/writer Naylor]’s writing and the chemistry that is still there between us. We’ve gone through our 20s, 30s, 40s and now 50s together.

And the reviews are great.

We think we’ve probably done in series XI and XII some of our best ever work. We like the fact that this reflected by the audience and 99% of reviewers; they’re noting that we can still cover new ground and keep up the quality.

And still be relevant. 

Yes, I think it is. We now try to address aspects of the 21st century given that we were originally a 20th century show. Like the tech ban and the 3D printing in Series XI, that sort of stuff. We are, first and foremost, a comedy show and the chemistry of the four leads is what’s the most important thing. But Doug’s ever-creative mind will be showing new aspects of the in Series XII… and there could be something beyond there as well.

You’ve been playing this part for 30 years now. Are you finding that as you grow older you’re getting more like Rimmer, or even Gordon Brittas [Chris’ popular sitcom character in The Brittas Empire – 1991 to 1997]?

You haven’t given me much of a choice there have you?! [Laughs] They say that the older you get the more like your parents you become. My father was a military man, so I suppose there are aspects of that in me but I think that we’re all British Islanders, which brings a sense of analness… anality?… which both Gordon Brittas and Rimmer have. I don’t think I’ll ever be quite as bad as either of them.

It’s not an aspiration of yours?

No! You do get a little bit grouchier about things as you get older, but I couldn’t survive as either of those guys. It’s quite nice to check yourself when you’re doing a series and you say: ‘Note to self: do not do that; don’t ever behave like that in real life.’ It’s also great vent, a release and a joy to be able to play those extreme characteristics in Red Dwarf.

Rimmer and Brittas are two characters that you’re very much identified with. 

Yes, and they are deliberately very different people. The character of Brittas was always told at a young age that he was brilliant at everything whereas Rimmer was told that he was rubbish at everything – and that’s the big difference between them. It’s also why Brittas had that unbreakable confidence, even though he has left in his wake a destruction of people and things. He’s still going by the book and saying: ‘I was right.’ Rimmer is… slightly more complex. He knows that he is rubbish, so if there’s any tiny little chink of light… he’ll go for it and seize the day.

But one shared trait is that ultimately they are both losers.

They are definitely both losers but live incredibly different worlds. For me it’s been an utter joy and we are trying to do more Brittas. One writer of the original two is interested in doing some new stuff and I hope he can come to terms with the way the BBC want to take the show. There was a treatment done last year which seemed to me what the 21st century version should be about – a community centre with a global team. Mrs Brittas owns a chain of leisure centres and keeps her husband managing one; that felt like a brilliant idea…

How did the cabaret go last night? You performed an after-dinner set to the diners at the Ball. Do you still get that buzz from the live crowd, much in the same way you perform Red Dwarf to a live audience?

Oh, it was great – a chance to do me silly voices and talk bollocks; everybody seemed to be reasonably happy about it. I still do after dinner speaking stuff but most of it tends to be for groups of law societies, IT people… and the pet industry! They can be good audiences, or they can be… interesting audiences! But last night you got the impression that people had an interest in what I had to say. It was a science fiction TV audience. We had some little set ups there that were very unexpected but enhanced everything. When I do the Bournemouth Law Society on Wednesday lunchtime I’ll probably be a little bit more… not serious…I just won’t be doing any Red Dwarf lines.

Do you still get heckles? ‘Do your Ronald Reagan!’ or ‘Do David Coleman!’ [from Spitting Image in which Chris appeared in nearly 70 episodes of the puppet satire comedy show from 1984 to 1991]?

Oh, they do it for me. They go ‘Errrrrrrr, remarkable!’ [Sports commentator David Coleman’s catchphrase on the show] And that’s great – I’m all for audience participation.

Is it satisfying knowing that you already have 6 new episodes of Red Dwarf under your belt for transmission later this year?

Oh yes, it’s a good feeling to know that we’ve got six great episodes still to air in nine months’ time, especially when you consider the occasionally fraught moments that one can have trying to shoot episodes back-to-back with the constraints that we have in the 21st century – budget, studio space and schedules. It’s good to know that we’re in good hands and ready to go.

I was at the BAFTA launch for Series XI last year and you mentioned that you all wear Kryten masks in one of the upcoming episodes. You also said that you would never mock Robert Llewellyn ever again for having to wear the rubber head.

Absolutely. Bobby [Llewellyn] does 30 to 40 filming days in a season in that mask and we did something like 2 or 3. But I tell you what – just the claustrophobia and the limiting nature of the glue around the eyes. He does good business with that and that’s why Bobby’s our hero. Danny [John-Jules – Cat] and Craig [Charles – Lister] were both saying: ‘Never again!’… As indeed I was!

Has it always been that tough for Bobby?

The mask technology has got better over the years. I remember back in 1990, around Series 4, when Robert was in at 4:30 in the morning for a three-hour session to get that mask, but now it’s right down to under an hour. In those days I was in at ten to eight, slapped on the ‘H’ [hologram sticker in the middle of the forehead] and off I went! Bobby has been such an absolute trouper to go through that for the length of time he has. It’s going to be a cracking show that one… as will the others.

Red Dwarf XII is currently scheduled to be shown on UK satellite channel Dave in autumn 2017.

With thanks to Andrew, Anne, B and the crew at SF Ball, raising funds for the Teenage Cancer Trust.

Photos from SF Ball by Stephen Wright