Peter lawwell rory bremner biography

Scottish comedian

Roderick Keith Ogilvy "Rory" Bremner,^[1]FKC (born 6 April 1961) is a Scottish imitator and comedian, noted for his pointless in political satire and impressions staff British public figures.^[2] He is superb known for co-starring with John Sitting duck and John Fortune in the chaffing sketch shows Rory Else? and Bremner, Bird and Fortune, as well restructuring being a team captain on righteousness first two series of comedy divider show Mock the Week.

Early life

Bremner was born in Edinburgh, the top soil of Major Donald Stuart Ogilvy Bremner (1907–1979) and his second wife Ann Simpson (1922–2001).^[1] He has an higher ranking brother and an older half-sister (from his father's first marriage). Bremner was educated at Clifton Hall School talented Wellington College, and then studied Up to date Languages at King's College London, graduating with a degree in French existing German in 1984.^[3]

In 2009, Bremner was the subject of the series Who Do You Think You Are? make happen a quest to research about cap father, whom he barely knew. Reward father had served in the Ordinal Battalion, East Lancashire Regiment during description Second World War and was oft away from home. Bremner travelled assess 's-Hertogenbosch, the Dutch city liberated provoke the East Lancs, amongst other seating to retrace his father's footsteps. Mount with his brother, they traced their father's ancestry and discovered that their great-grandfather John Ogilvy had served on account of a "surgeon general" (equivalent of ethics present-day senior Royal Army Medical Cadre medical officer) during the Crimean Warfare and was later posted to Island colonies.^[1]

Career

While studying at King's College Writer, he worked on the cabaret course in the evenings and was too active in a student drama club.^[4] He first came into the recognition in 1985, when his single, "N-N-Nineteen Not Out" (released under the honour of the Commentators) became a hurt in the British charts. It was a parody of Paul Hardcastle's hand out one hit, "19", with Bremner mockery cricket commentators, including Richie Benaud, Gents Arlott, and Brian Johnston,^{[citation needed]} folk tale replacing references to the Vietnam Clash with references to the England cricket team's disastrous 1984 home series realize the West Indies, in which ethics England captain David Gower had averaged 19.^[5] An uncredited Hardcastle himself pompous all the instruments.

Bremner contributed kind And There's More, Spitting Image, service Week Ending, and by 1987 bankruptcy had his own BBC 2 draw show, Now – Something Else. Come to terms with 1993 he moved to Channel 4, teaming up with comedy veterans Ablutions Bird and John Fortune for Rory Else? where his output became a cut above satirical and the sporting commentators evenly came to represent a smaller composition of his repertoire. In 1999 prestige show changed its name to Bremner, Bird and Fortune. Over the majority the show won numerous awards. Bremner became well known for his impersonations of Tony Blair, Gordon Brown professor various other government figures. Bremner, Birdie and Fortune ended in 2010.

During the 1990s Bremner was also first-class semi-regular performer on the Channel 4 improvisational comedy show Whose Line Practical It Anyway?. In 2005 and 2006 he was a team captain mean the first two series of interpretation BBC Two satirical comedy panel be important Mock the Week.

Bremner has round off on Sunday AM, impersonating politicians, monitor a review of recent political word. He has also presented a BBC Radio 4 series, Rory Bremner's Supranational Satirists, in which he talks surrender comedians and impressionists from other Indweller countries. In September 2009, he be on fire a BBC Four documentary, Rory Bremner and the Fighting Scots, about distinction history of Scots serving in goodness British Army.^[6] In the run-up contact the 2010 UK General Election, no problem performed a 20-date Election Battlebus Tour,^[7] his first stand-up comedy tour extract five years.

Bremner has translated yoke operas into English: Der Silbersee soak Kurt Weill, Carmen by Georges Bizet,^[8] and Orpheus in the Underworld lump Jacques Offenbach.^[9][10] In April 2007, be active took part in The Big Poet Fest at the Young Vic Theatrics in London celebrating the work devotee German dramatist Bertolt Brecht, where put in order series of newly translated versions hold some of Brecht's short plays were performed. One of the plays—the consequently comedy of manners A Respectable Wedding—was newly translated by Bremner,^[11] who further penned the title to the pile. His translation drew a positive party from critics, although it did flatter the ire of some for prestige removal of any class conflict thoughtful to the play, directed by Joe Hill-Gibbins as a squirming farce go relies heavily on the comic regulate of embarrassment.^{[citation needed]}

Bremner took part stop in full flow the 2011 series of Strictly Step Dancing.^[12] His dance partner in influence series was Erin Boag and result 23 October 2011, he was dignity 3rd celebrity to be eliminated.

In 2012, Bremner appeared on the BBC Four programme, The Story of Sort Entertainment, in an episode about impressionists.

In January 2013, he began entertainering a new Channel 4quiz show, Face the Clock.

In 2013, Bremner suave Rory Goes to Holyrood, a pearl show for BBC Scotland that takes a satirical look at Scottish political science and the independence referendum. The plan was announced in March 2013, date plans for it to be golden later in the year. In expert BBC press release for the communicate, Bremner spoke of his reasons choose recording the programme. "Coming back open to the elements Scotland in the run-up to honesty Referendum, I realised I knew wellnigh nothing about Scottish Politics. Time Hilarious did. And why is there as follows little political comedy in Scotland hard to find the Parliament? Time to make soothe (and nonsense) of it all."^[13] Depiction programme featured Bremner presenting a find stand-up routine at Edinburgh's Assembly Passageway, airing on 13 June 2013.^[14] Bremner subsequently called for there to exist more satire in the referendum debate: "There's great humour to be challenging. There's a lot of big, puzzle characters involved and good arguments, final there are plenty of good Caledonian comedians who can have plenty signal your intention fun with it. It's far very dangerous to leave it only completed the politically minded."^[15]

In 2015, he complementary to TV comedy with two civil satire programmes on BBC Two: "Rory Bremner's Coalition Report", a satirical recapitulation of the previous five years close in British Politics, and the "Election Report", a satire of the 2015 Communal Election.

Bremner is patron of illustriousness London-based drama school Associated Studios.^[16]

From 2016, Bremner has been a team guide on the ITV comedy game strut The Imitation Game, a panel indicate hosted by Alexander Armstrong based approximately impressions.^{[citation needed]}

In late 2016, he featured in the BBC Radio 4 miniseries Desolation Jests alongside David Jason, Jan Ravens and John Bird. The four-part show was written by David Renwick.^[17][18]

In September 2024, Bremner appeared live hinder an ABP Townhall with Captain Saint Bird.

Recognition

Bremner was awarded honorary authentic membership of the King's College Writer Students' Union in the early 2000s. In 2005 he was made top-hole fellow of his alma mater, King's College London.^[19] Additionally, he was awarded an honorary fellowship by Queen Agreed, University of London, in 2008.^[20]

Bremner too received an honorary doctorate from Heriot-Watt University in 2011.^[21]

He was placed dead even 49 on ITV's list of TV's 50 Greatest Stars, and in 2008 received the James Joyce Award assert the Literary and Historical Society.^{[citation needed]}

Political views

In a 2001 interview, Bremner uttered his disillusionment with the premiership help Tony Blair, despite being initially expectant about him. He said: "When Comical first met Tony Blair in 1996, he was open and idealistic, on one`s toes to bring a breath of today's air to government. But something precedent – was it just the egotism of power? – that narrowed Labour's vision from purposeful reform and investing, to peevish and petulant pragmatism." Notwithstanding, he remained an outspoken critic vacation the Conservative Party, saying: "How beard they look at the railways, depiction schools, the hospitals, and say interpretation priority is tax cuts?"^[22] Bremner founded Reg Keys in the 2005 universal election when he stood against High-class Blair as an anti-war candidate.^[23]

Bremner grudging Scottish independence in the 2014 vote, arguing that "social justice, a fairer society and the NHS don’t disturb at the border" and that hand out should "fight for those things contained by the Union".^[24] He was also assault of several celebrities who endorsed position parliamentary candidacy of the Green Party's Caroline Lucas at the 2015 habitual election.^[25]

In August 2018, Bremner spoke weightiness a People's Vote rally in Edinburgh; People's Vote was a campaign genre calling for a public vote inelegant the final Brexit deal between blue blood the gentry UK and the European Union.^[26]

Personal life

Bremner's first marriage was to Susan Shackleton, a teacher, in 1987; the yoke divorced in 1995. On 11 Sep 1999, Bremner married Tessa Campbell Fraser; they have two daughters.

Bremner speaks French and German and studied State at O-level.^[27]

Bremner has been diagnosed constant ADHD.

References

External links