Rory Bremner
Master of satire keeps it political
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.