Last night, we interviewed the brilliant Rory Bremner for our More Than Mostly Comedy Podcast - the second guest to join us via Zoom since lockdown - for what was a predictably witty and insightful conversation.
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| Rory, making us laugh with his Michael Howard last night. |
While it's fair to say Rory was always on my wishlist, he's someone I would never have dreamt would appear at Mostly Comedy before he did. He's an act like Paul Daniels, John Thomson or Ardal O'Hanlon, who appeals to the kid/teenager inside me, who grew up watching these performers for them to have a formative influence. And as I said to him during our interview, it was his satirical shows of the early-1990s - alongside 'Have I Got News For You' - that first educated & informed me of politics and its innate ridiculousness.
Despite not believing we'd secure an act of his calibre at the club, we were delighted when he first agreed to do it in 2016 and overjoyed when he turned out to be one of the nicest people to grace us with their presence. His first show happened to be the club's eighth anniversary, and I have a strong memory of him joining us for a slice of birthday cake post-gig; standing in the reception of our old venue The Sun as he did a string of impressions in the style of 'Call My Bluff' contestants, using the bell on the desk to trigger each voice. It's a situation I never thought I'd be in, though I was grateful for it.
It was his innate niceness that made me ask if he'd be up for doing the podcast, and he was probably the person I wanted to do it the most. I knew he'd have so much to give to the conversation, not least in these trying times when we need the social commentary. Plus I knew he'd bring a string of voices with him, conjuring them up like a magician pulling rabbits from a hat.
That's not to say that interviewing him isn't intimidating. When you're talking to someone so well-informed, you can't help but worry you won't pull your weight. But while his talent and intelligence makes the whole thing a little daunting, his kind manner puts you at your ease. And while there's so much more Glyn and I wanted to ask, what we covered was still fascinating. Plus he did his Michael Howard, which is always a bonus.