Review of Rory Bremner - Who Else? Channel 4 Wednesdays and Saturdays.
SATURDAY 22 JANUARY Contray Hall, Red Lion Sq. (Holborn tube), London 10am - 6pm CONFERENCE the decline of capitalism and the new world disorder Invited Speakers:
Clarke, Michael Cox. William Dixon, Frank Furedi, David HillelRubin, John Holloway, Geoff Kay, Joe Kearney, Moshe Machover, Peter McMylor, Scott Meikle, Istvan Metzaros, Geoff Pilling, Sandy Smith. Ken Tarbuck, Hillel Ticktin.
Plenaries on: Is capitalism in decline?, Eastern Europe & international relations, plus numerous workshops.
RE by Jenny Patterson IT'S ENTERTAINING late night viewing, with a fairly traditional format - a bit of stand up comedy, fast gags and even faster CRITIQUE ... organised jointly with radical chains Bob Arnot, Chris Arthur, Peter Burnham, John Callaghan, Simon Unwaged £4, waged £8, For further details please contact 041 339 8855 ext. 4377 or 041 331 3312, or write to Critique, c/0 The Institute for Russian and East European Studies, Bute Gardens, Glasgow University, Glasgow G12. character changes, mock interview and pastiche of TV programmes.
Unfortunately the November 17 show included an ever-socliched sketch on BRleaves on the line again. Blink and you might have missed some of the visuals. According to the TV announcer, it's a political satire 'more biting than the winter chill'.
Well received by the TV audience, Rory Bremner (pity about the poppy, managed in the first few minutes as a skilful impersonator, to take the piss out of the Channel Tunnel, a Buddhist retreat in the borders, bishops, a predictable couple of royals, Thatcher, Major, Liberals, Smith et al.
He knocked Tory values of family and law and order, notably on single parents, core values and delinquents.
A particularly memorable piece started off with Dixon of Dock Green, turned into Inspector Morse then lead into a mock-serious reportage on juvenile crime, which was interspersed with real footage of Geoffrey Howe as Home Secretary, followed by a gaggle of other Home Secretaries, all ranting and raving on the benefits of the short sharp shock treatment.
Bremner puts across a powerful antidote to the Tory lies. 69 per cent of young offenders re-offend (surprise, surprise), budgets for detection, deterrents and prevention, already a minuscule one per cent are being cut.
Prisons are very expensive (he couldn't afford to buy one). Britain has the highest prison population after Turkey. Comic relief... while he is talking he gets his car nicked.
As David Attenborough, Bremner describes the survival of an exotic species, the health and housing 'quangos', as being in the interests and control of unelected, Tory funding scavengers. He comments 'It's La funny old world. Guest performers John Bird and John Frome add a touch of parody as waffling idiots in a face to face political interview -reminding the viewer of many well-known politicians, expert in deflecting questions, being as chauvinist as possible and filling the voids with verbal garbaqe. With comic skill it developed into a biting anti-militarist line. To get the best out of Rory Bremner you have to be a bit of a TV buff, and know your politicians, sports announcers and weathermen (no, not the radical US 1960s guerrilla types... more the Scottish ones with big glasses).
One of my favourite short sharp gags by the way, was the. one that went like this...
'Anyone seen the Labour Party?... They never write! They never ring!"
And what about Bremner's message for the leader?
*Get your fat arse off the fence you fat Scottish git!' Subtle? Not! Hint of capitulation to anti-Scottish chauvinism? Definitely.
Despite the criticisms, funny enough. Political rating: left-reformist.
SOCIALIST OUTLOOK No. 53, November 27 1993, Page 11