Meet a new motivational speaker – Alan Partridge!
When it comes to visionaries planning for a better tomorrow you might think of former US President Barack Obama or software pioneer and philanthropist Bill Gates.
Perhaps the person least likely to be on that list of blue sky thinkers would be gaffeprone TV anchorman Alan Partridge, a grandmaster at causing offence and best known for his “Aha!” catchphrase.
But Steve Coogan’s comedy creation is doing just that next spring with a live show across Britain and Ireland called Stratagem.
In a video message on YouTube, broadcaster Alan said he would be “outlining a way forward – a stratagem for the future. It’s my plan to restore daylight to a nation plunged into darkness – a ‘nited’ kingdom, if you like. And the only way to turn a nited kingdom into a United Kingdom is to add the ‘u’ as in you. And I want you to come to my show: Stratagem Live with Alan Partridge.”
So what is Alan’s blueprint for this new world order, conquering coronavirus and spanning the great Brexit divide?
He said: “I want to build a bridge. For while we don’t always agree, what really binds us as a nation is when all of us together can’t stand something like speed bumps or anything changing.”
According to alanpartridgelive.com, the show will see Alan wearing a headmic favoured by TED talkers, market hawkers, TV evangelists, backing singers and carnival barkers, Alan combines all these roles and more.
“It’s a manifesto for the way we can move forward, a roadmap to a better tomorrow, an ABC for the way to be,” he said.
The live stage show promises to inform, educate and entertain in approximately equal measure.
Perhaps it’s not so strange that a character dubbed “a national treasure” by Vanity Fair – right up there in the British comedy pantheon with Basil Fawlty and Mr
Bean – should be the one who
tries to bring the nation together.
After all, we have taken him to our hearts since Alan first appeared as a hapless sports reporter on the spoof radio show On The Hour back in 1991.
TV shows like Knowing Me, Knowing You and This Time With Alan Partridge have followed.
He even topped the UK film box office charts in 2013 when his debut feature Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa was released
We have been following his every move for 30 years – from radio, TV, the oblivion of community radio and living in a roadside hotel in Norwich, the big screen and YouTube to the comfy settee of This Time with Alan Partridge. So it’s not too much of a leap of faith to see Alan in a new light as a motivational speaker. What could possibly go wrong?
2022 tour dates ...
April 22 SSE Arena Belfast April 23 & 24 3ARENA Dublin
April 28 & 29 Utilita Arena Birmingham
April 30 Sheffield Arena May 4 Utilita Arena Newcastle
May 6 Motorpoint Arena Nottingham
May 11 M&S Bank Arena Liverpool
May 12AO Arena Manchester
May 19 & 20 Motorpoint Arena Cardiff
May 25 SSE Arena Glasgow
May 26 Playhouse Edinburgh
May 27 P&J Live Aberdeen May 28First Direct Arena Leeds
May 31 & June 1 The O2 London
See alanpartridgelive. com site for more information about booking and ticket prices.