The Daily Telegraph

Rory Bremner

Master of satire keeps it political

- By Tristram Fane-Saunders

Is Donald Trump really a gift to satirists? On the evidence of Rory Bremner’s fast-paced and thought-provoking new show, it would seem not.

The Spitting Image alumnus is a prodigious­ly gifted vocal mimic, but when he tested out his note-perfect Trump near the start, something curious happened: the laughter died away. He recovered with a few wellchosen gags, but the instant chuckle of recognitio­n that greeted his other characters never arrived.

At their best, the comedian’s imitations deflate authority by exaggerati­ng tics that might otherwise go unnoticed. It’s often about rhythm. Bremner had the audience in stitches just by dragging out those long, long pauses between Obama’s choppy soundbites. His eerily accurate Trump, however, was more impressive than amusing: it’s becoming a cliché that the president defies parody.

Briefly – too briefly – Bremner raises the compelling idea that satire may be partly responsibl­e for Trump’s rise: tell a cynical public that all politician­s are the same, and they’ll flock to the first candidate who claims to share their hatred of politician­s.

Partly Political is the 55-year-old’s first major tour in half a decade, and the title of the show is a misnomer. It’s all political, barring a wryly misanthrop­ic supporting set from observatio­nal comic Jo Caulfield, who tackles well-worn targets (Starbucks baristas asking for your name; overfriend­ly British couples on holiday) but does so with wit and verve.

Bremner moves seamlessly, often mid-sentence, between dozens of voices, dusting off the more memorable impression­s from his longrunnin­g sketch show Bremner, Bird and Fortune. At times, the punchlines don’t live up to the performanc­e, but his skills are nothing short of virtuosic.

The Nineties nostalgia is perhaps a sop to the age of his audience (none of whom looked younger than 50), but Bremner makes the excuse that our current crop of politician­s simply aren’t as memorable: “I don’t do Tim Farron. Not even Tim Farron does Tim Farron.”

The present day creeps back in for the show’s second hour, when Bremner swaps stand-up satire for sitdown journalism. Each night, he interviews a different politician or pundit.

His guest in Bishop’s Stortford was journalist Steve Richards, who unpicked the week’s news and shared some deliciousl­y odd political gossip (he has a source who tends the vegetable plot next to Corbyn’s beloved allotment).

The laughs were less frequent, but the analysis of government­al chaos on both sides of the Atlantic was utterly gripping, with Bremner playing the same character we all play: the tired, incredulou­s everyman trying to make sense of it all.

 ??  ?? The eerie impression of the new president fell flat but Bremner quickly recovered
The eerie impression of the new president fell flat but Bremner quickly recovered

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