Rory Bremner

Rory Bremner

Rory Bremner is one of the UK’s sharpest funny men, he exposes the lunacies of modern politics with devilishly clever political satire and spot-on impressions of leaders from around the world. Rory (Roderick “Rory” Keith Ogilvy Bremner, FKC) first came into the limelight in 1985, when his single, N-N-Nineteen Not Out (released under the name, “The Commentators”) was a big hit in the British charts. Bremner contributed to Spitting Image and Week Ending and by 1987 he had his own BBC Two show: Now – Something Else. He later moved to Channel 4 with Rory Bremner, Who Else? where his output became more satirical and the sporting commentators gradually came to represent a smaller proportion of his repertoire. In the 1990s he became a semi-regular on the Channel 4 improvisation show Whose Line Is It Anyway? and in 2005 he was a team captain on the BBC2 improvisational satire show Mock The Week.

Presenting Work

He has also presented a BBC Radio 4 series, Rory Bremner’s International Satirists, in which Bremner talks to comedians and impressionists from various European countries. Having teamed up with veterans, John Bird and John Fortune, he hosted Bremner, Bird and Fortune, which (along with its predecessor Rory Bremner, Who Else?) has won numerous awards. In September 2009, he presented a BBC Four documentary, Rory Bremner and the Fighting Scots, about the history of Scots serving in the British Army.

Other Work

In April 2007, he was also involved in The Big Brecht Fest at the Young Vic Theatre in London celebrating the work of German dramatist Bertolt Brecht, where a series of newly-translated versions of some of his short plays were performed. One of the plays that was staged, the short comedy of manners A Respectable Wedding, was retranslated by Bremner, who also penned the title to the series. His translation had a positive reception from critics. Bremner has translated three operas into English: Der Silbersee by Kurt Weill, Carmen by Georges Bizet and Orpheus in the Underworld by Jacques Offenbach. He has also translated a Bertolt Brecht play into English. In the run-up to the 2010 UK General Election he undertook a 20-date Election Battlebus Tour, his first stand-up comedy tour in five years. Bremner took part in the 2011 series of Strictly Come Dancing. His dance partner in the series was Erin Boag. He appeared on the programme on BBC Four in 2012 called “The Story of Light Entertainment”. Bremner also regularly performs on Sunday AM, impersonating politicians, with a review of recent political events.