The Keith Barrett Show: Pleasance Courtyard, Edinburgh, 2005
I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue Live: Royal Festival Hall, London, 2010
Play: A Chorus of Disapproval: Harold Pinter Theatre, London, 2012
A Night Out with Sir Michael Caine: Royal Albert Hall, London, 2014
Play: Future Conditional: The Old Vic, London, 2015
Play: The Painkiller: Garrick Theatre, London, 2016
Rob Brydon Probes Barry Humphries: London Palladium, London, 2019
Jason Manford Presents: The Weekly Stand Up: Online: 2020
Rob Brydon is a Welsh actor, comedian, radio and television presenter, singer, and impressionist. I first saw him on stage at the 2005 Edinburgh Festival in character for The Keith Barret show. The live show, based on the TV series is a spoof chat show where Barrett interviewed couples from the audience in the hope of finding the secret to a successful marriage. Brydon delivered a very funny spontaneous show.
I next saw him host a live performance at The Royal Festival Hall in London of I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue Live – the classic long running BBC Radio 4 panel game. The teams were Barry Cryer, Tim Brooke-Taylor, Jeremy Hardy and Graeme Garden with Bryon proving to be a very genial compere.
Brydon made a surprise appearance from a theatre box with Steve Coogan at the start of A Night Out with Sir Michael Caine in 2014 where the two mimics argued and tried to prove who did the best Michael Caine impersonation.
I have seen Brydon star in three West End plays where his adaptability to the different roles has shone through each time. To date he has starred in A Chorus of Disapproval at The Harold Pinter Theatre, Future Conditional at The Old Vic and The Painkiller alongside Kenneth Branagh at The Garrick Theatre in 2016.
I saw Brydon talk to Barry Humphries at The London Palladium in April 2019. Brydon’s stories, comments and questions for his comedy hero were extremely quick-witted and genial as is re-nouned from the Welshman and proved to be a perfect foil for Humphries’ stories about his wonderful career. There was even a Tom Jones singalong constructed by Brydon at the end of the night. It was fascinating to watch the younger comedian clearly enjoying himself and gain insight with the audience into the Australian comic legend’s extraordinary stories. It was an extremely funny pleasure to listen to and a great night featuring two comic heavyweights.
Brydon was a guest for The Weekly Stand Up show online hosted by Jason Manford that I watched in June 2020. The comedy actor talked about his career including encounters with Mick Jagger, Anthony Hopkins and Ronnie Corbett. Brydon was hilarious impersonating his heroes and is a major comic force.
Brydon continues to be one of the most versatile comedy actors and comedians that Britain has produced.