<p> ABOUT THE COMPANY</p><p>Shane and Dave met as fresh-faced theatre students in Sydney. Their misbehaviour in acting school resulted in a career that has taken them all over the world, and has left a questionable influence on acting students everywhere.</p><p>The Umbilical Brothers have embarrassed themselves in theatre and on television in many countries, including Japan, Germany, Canada, Scotland, China, South Africa, Spain, England, Tasmania, Korea, Ireland, Hong Kong, Singapore, New Zealand, Hungary, Colombia and Zugabia, the last of which is fictitious. Having performed in six continents, they’re currently looking for an agent who can find them a cosy 600 seater in Antarctica.</p><p>In 1994 they began performing internationally, in their first acclaimed season at the Edinburgh Fringe. Since then they haven’t looked back without a rearview mirror. In 1999 they played for a year Off- Broadway in their debut US show, Thwak (a re-working of their international show Don’t Explain), which garnered them a Drama Desk nomination for Unique Theatrical Experience (the most appropriately titled nomination they’ve ever received). TV appearances included The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Late Night with David Letterman, Woodstock 99 with 100,000 music fans, and more recently the Royal Variety Performance with a Queen.</p><p>Their television shows, stage creations and DVDs have won them applause, critical praise and awards ranging from the internationally impressive to the domestically mediocre. These include the 2008 Helpmann Award (Australia’s Tony) for Outstanding Comedy Performance, a Logie (Australia’s Emmy), the Edinburgh Critics’ Choice Award, and the Australian Entertainment Industry’s Mo Award for Best Comedy Group. The last award was won five times running, which makes you wonder about its overall credibility. They also won a Promax Award for their work with MTV. They have no idea what a Promax Award is, but they think it’s probably shiny.</p><p>Away from grown-up TV, The Umbilical Brothers have built up a fanatical toddler, mother, and late-night- college-student fan base with internationally successful kids’ TV shows The Upside Down Show (co- created with Sesame Workshops, and winner of the all-important Emmy for title design) and Maisy (performing all the voices and sound effects for this BAFTA-winning series).</p><p>The Umbilical Brothers are delighted and honoured to be performing on the Hartford Stage, and hope not to tarnish its distinguished theatrical history to an excessive degree. </p>