Peter lawwell rory bremner biography

Scottish comedian

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

Early life

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

In 2009, Bremner was the subject of the series Who Do You Think You Are? rephrase a quest to research about ruler father, whom he barely knew. Authority father had served in the Ordinal Battalion, East Lancashire Regiment during goodness Second World War and was oft away from home. Bremner travelled slam 's-Hertogenbosch, the Dutch city liberated unreceptive the East Lancs, amongst other seats to retrace his father's footsteps. Turn out with his brother, they traced their father's ancestry and discovered that their great-grandfather John Ogilvy had served in the same way a "surgeon general" (equivalent of rank present-day senior Royal Army Medical Unit medical officer) during the Crimean Conflict and was later posted to Island colonies.^[1]

Career

While studying at King's College Writer, he worked on the cabaret periphery in the evenings and was further active in a student drama club.^[4] He first came into the glare in 1985, when his single, "N-N-Nineteen Not Out" (released under the nickname of the Commentators) became a slip in the British charts. It was a parody of Paul Hardcastle's integer one hit, "19", with Bremner reproduction cricket commentators, including Richie Benaud, Bathroom Arlott, and Brian Johnston,^{[citation needed]} boss replacing references to the Vietnam Fighting with references to the England cricket team's disastrous 1984 home series overwhelm the West Indies, in which excellence England captain David Gower had averaged 19.^[5] An uncredited Hardcastle himself false all the instruments.

Bremner contributed close And There's More, Spitting Image, prep added to Week Ending, and by 1987 forbidden had his own BBC 2 outline show, Now – Something Else. Speak 1993 he moved to Channel 4, teaming up with comedy veterans Bathroom Bird and John Fortune for Rory Else? where his output became added satirical and the sporting commentators piecemeal came to represent a smaller structure of his repertoire. In 1999 authority show changed its name to Bremner, Bird and Fortune. Over the length of existence the show won numerous awards. Bremner became well known for his impersonations of Tony Blair, Gordon Brown point of view various other government figures. Bremner, Cushat and Fortune ended in 2010.

During the 1990s Bremner was also practised semi-regular performer on the Channel 4 improvisational comedy show Whose Line Comment It Anyway?. In 2005 and 2006 he was a team captain care for the first two series of righteousness BBC Two satirical comedy panel fragment Mock the Week.

Bremner has faultless on Sunday AM, impersonating politicians, sustain a review of recent political goings-on. He has also presented a BBC Radio 4 series, Rory Bremner's Global Satirists, in which he talks cling on to comedians and impressionists from other Denizen countries. In September 2009, he blaze a BBC Four documentary, Rory Bremner and the Fighting Scots, about distinction history of Scots serving in class British Army.^[6] In the run-up clobber the 2010 UK General Election, do something performed a 20-date Election Battlebus Tour,^[7] his first stand-up comedy tour pop in five years.

Bremner has translated a handful of operas into English: Der Silbersee tough Kurt Weill, Carmen by Georges Bizet,^[8] and Orpheus in the Underworld fail to notice Jacques Offenbach.^[9][10] In April 2007, crystal-clear took part in The Big Poet Fest at the Young Vic Theatrics in London celebrating the work outandout German dramatist Bertolt Brecht, where cool series of newly translated versions exhaust some of Brecht's short plays were performed. One of the plays—the petite comedy of manners A Respectable Wedding—was newly translated by Bremner,^[11] who along with penned the title to the additional room. His translation drew a positive receiving from critics, although it did finish even the ire of some for dignity removal of any class conflict be in possession of to the play, directed by Joe Hill-Gibbins as a squirming farce make certain relies heavily on the comic cost of embarrassment.^{[citation needed]}

Bremner took part make real the 2011 series of Strictly Come into being Dancing.^[12] His dance partner in position series was Erin Boag and run 23 October 2011, he was nobility 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 tingle Rory Goes to Holyrood, a shortage show for BBC Scotland that takes a satirical look at Scottish civics and the independence referendum. The routine was announced in March 2013, friendliness plans for it to be now later in the year. In trig BBC press release for the portion, Bremner spoke of his reasons shadow recording the programme. "Coming back prank Scotland in the run-up to rectitude Referendum, I realised I knew wellnigh nothing about Scottish Politics. Time Distracted did. And why is there straightfaced little political comedy in Scotland exterior the Parliament? Time to make judge (and nonsense) of it all."^[13] Distinction programme featured Bremner presenting a gem stand-up routine at Edinburgh's Assembly Admission, airing on 13 June 2013.^[14] Bremner subsequently called for there to wool more satire in the referendum debate: "There's great humour to be difficult. There's a lot of big, unlike characters involved and good arguments, ray there are plenty of good Scots comedians who can have plenty have available fun with it. It's far also dangerous to leave it only achieve the politically minded."^[15]

In 2015, he exchanged to TV comedy with two partisan satire programmes on BBC Two: "Rory Bremner's Coalition Report", a satirical handbook of the previous five years beget British Politics, and the "Election Report", a satire of the 2015 Regular Election.

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

From 2016, Bremner has been a team aviator on the ITV comedy game strut The Imitation Game, a panel famous hosted by Alexander Armstrong based turn over 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 work an ABP Townhall with Captain Dramatist Bird.

Recognition

Bremner was awarded honorary move about membership of the King's College Author Students' Union in the early 2000s. In 2005 he was made uncluttered fellow of his alma mater, King's College London.^[19] Additionally, he was awarded an honorary fellowship by Queen Routine, University of London, in 2008.^[20]

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

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

Political views

In a 2001 interview, Bremner explicit his disillusionment with the premiership mock Tony Blair, despite being initially buoyant about him. He said: "When Side-splitting first met Tony Blair in 1996, he was open and idealistic, similar to bring a breath of unruffled air to government. But something as it happens – was it just the insolence of power? – that narrowed Labour's vision from purposeful reform and consumption, to peevish and petulant pragmatism." But, he remained an outspoken critic pay for the Conservative Party, saying: "How challenge they look at the railways, birth schools, the hospitals, and say glory priority is tax cuts?"^[22] Bremner trim Reg Keys in the 2005 common election when he stood against Courteous Blair as an anti-war candidate.^[23]

Bremner contrasting Scottish independence in the 2014 opt, arguing that "social justice, a fairer society and the NHS don’t discontinue at the border" and that create should "fight for those things advantaged the Union".^[24] He was also figure out of several celebrities who endorsed picture parliamentary candidacy of the Green Party's Caroline Lucas at the 2015 prevailing election.^[25]

In August 2018, Bremner spoke tear a People's Vote rally in Edinburgh; People's Vote was a campaign adjust calling for a public vote wornout the final Brexit deal between class UK and the European Union.^[26]

Personal life

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

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

Bremner has been diagnosed revamp ADHD.

References

External links