Rory Bremner

Rory Bremner

Twenty-five years ago, Rory Bremner performed his first public impression. Nine years later, he starred in his first BBC series “Now For Something Else”. Today, he is widely rated as Britain’s sharpest impressionist – a one-man opposition party – with his weekly Channel Four show “Bremner, Bird & Fortune” (Vera Prods) and seasonal ‘specials’, regularly winning awards as the best satire on television. He ‘does’ over 100 people, from Tony Blair to Mohamed al Fayed.

His unique brand of comedy and satire has sustained a highly successful career in radio and television for over 25 years. Nowadays, he’s equally in demand as a columnist for newspapers and magazines, a documentary presenter and one of the country’s leading after-dinner speakers.

Rory was born in Edinburgh in 1961 and educated at Clifton Hall, Wellington College and King’s College, London, where he was made a Fellow in 2006. He is an Honorary Fellow of Queen Mary College.

Together with John Bird and John Fortune, his satirical programmes (Rory Bremner- Who Else 1992-97, Bremner, Bird and Fortune 1997-present) have been a mainstay of Channel 4’s output since 1992, winning a total of four BAFTAs and three RTS awards. The trio regularly produce specials, including a trilogy on Iraq (Between Iraq and a Hard Place, Beyond Iraq and a Hard Place and Beneath Iraq and a Hard Place) and a number of programmes charting the rise and fall of New Labour. Their book ‘You Are Here’, (‘a stockpile of satirical ammunition’- Daily Telegraph) was published in 2005. In 2008 they created a four-part satirical documentary series on the global financial crisis, Silly Money.

Prior to that, Rory had seven series on the BBC, from 1986 to 1992, winning the Special Award at the Golden Rose of Montreux in 1987. Over the last two decades, Rory’s appeared in many of the top TV comedy shows, from Spitting Image and Whose Line is it Anyway to Have I got News For You, Mock the Week, and QI. He’s appeared more than any other guest on Parkinson and Wogan. He is a frequent guest on The Andrew Marr Show (BBC1) where he provides a satirical review of current political events through his many characters.

In 2008 he retraced his family history for Who Do You Think You Are (BBC 1, January 2009)

In addition to his many comedy appearances he has translated two operas (Carmen and Der Silbersee) and a Brecht play (A Respectable Wedding, for the Young Vic). He is a regular contributor to The Times, The Telegraph, The New Statesman and Radio Times, for whom he has interviewed Michael Parkinson and David Frost.

When not working he enjoys travel, opera, cooking, sport (especially cricket- he had a 1985 Top 20 hit as ‘The Commentators’ with N.n..nineteen not out) and motor racing- he owns a 1963 Alfa Spyder.

He lives in London and Oxfordshire with his wife, artist Tessa Campbell Fraser, and their two daughters Ava and Lila.

mm Rory over the years there has been an ever changing sea of faces and voices. What keeps you passionate about your work?

RB The challenge of entertaining new audiences, writing topical material, and of course making people laugh!

mm Which voice has given you the most pleasure?

RB Probably Nelson Mandela- one of the most unusual- or Bill Clinton. Though Michael Howard and David Blunkett still get the best response

mm When working in the corporate scene it’s a relatively quick in and out – how do you like to prepare?

RB Ideally with a bit of background on the client and the event, so you can incorporate some material that’s unique to them- tap into their world and play with the issues that they’re talking about.

mm What are your top tips for making a corporate event work between a celebrity guest and the clients audience?

RB You need to respect the audience but you have a unique licence to make them laugh about what they do. So they feel you’re on their side, aware of their work and happy to entertain them. For the time you’re with the client, you’re theirs and you should enjoy the event.
That, and having no comfort break. Nothing kills the atmosphere and sends the audience scurrying off to the bar quicker than the announcement that there will be a short ‘comfort break.’ Even the phrase makes me squirm..

mm Thank you for answering questions for the ‘Speaker Spotlight’ – what is your next project that we can look forward to?

RB A Radio 4 satire show, of course Strictly Come Dancing in the autumn. And a new translation of Orpheus for Scottish Opera