The Great Pretender

Ahead of his Aberdeen Comedy Festival set, the master impressionist talks satire, Scotland and the thrill of a live show

- Rory Bremner

BEING in the company of several presidents, prime ministers, sports commentators and billionaires all at once really shouldn't be as much fun as this.

You don’t expect Donald Trump to be setting up Elon Musk with golden one-liners while Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves commentate, backed manfully by the legendary Bill McLaren all in the same room.

But when you're spending time with beloved Scottish impressionist Rory Bremner, that star-studded humour shines out of every line and every comic voice.

The Edinburgh-born performer is bringing his live show back to Scotland for a rare festival appearance, and he is bringing his massive repertoire of stand-up, impressions and storytelling with him.

When speaking with The Scots Magazine to preview his appearance at Aberdeen Comedy Festival, he is full of so much fun, insight and hilarious voices that you can’t help but burst out laughing every few minutes.

His show, Making An Impression, is part stand-up, part interview chat with his longtime friend Fred MacAulay, and part journey through the voices he has been most often associated with down the years, including, most famously, Tony Blair. As Who Do You Think You Are? viewers might be aware, Rory also has strong ancestral ties to Aberdeen, and he is delighted to be returning to the city, although he thinks any trip to Scotland is special.

He jokes, “I'm one of those Scots who bangs on about how much I love Scotland, and people ask why do I live in Oxfordshire, then. I've always felt really happy when I come to Edinburgh, which is very much my home city, and I've loved that, but to be honest I just love travelling anywhere in the country.