Rory Bremner on portraying Chris Tarrant in Quiz: ‘I was just ready for a challenge’

Impressionist Rory Bremner has told of his excitement about portraying Chris Tarrant in the UK tour of Quiz.

Written by playwright James Graham, whose credits also include Ink, This House and The Vote, as well as TV drama Brexit: The Uncivil War, Quiz is based on the Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? cheating drama.

TV presenter Tarrant hosted the popular show until 2014 and the upcoming UK tour of the play is due to hit the road from September this year.

Speaking at the Henley Festival, Bremner, known for his political satire, told the PA news agency that the voice is “locked and loaded”.

He added: “I’ve been waiting for a challenge for a while and this was the one that came along. I’ve been really loving my time on (BBC Radio 4 show) I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue, and to be part of that is a joy.

“That’s an area where I think people understand that there is a place for humour, which is just silly, and it can be very inventive, or it can be just very silly.

“But to be on tour with Jack Dee and the others has been just such a privilege. I never thought I’d be playing those big theatres again and hearing the laughter. But I’ve loved that.”

Bremner, 62, became a household name with TV shows like Channel 4’s satirical show Bremner, Bird And Fortune, alongside John Bird and John Fortune, as well as Rory Bremner… Who Else?, and has also been a regular on other popular shows such as Mock The Week.

Quiz details the story of former Army major Charles Ingram and his wife Diana, who were found guilty of using an elaborate coughing scheme to cheat their way to the £1 million top prize on the ITV quiz show during a high-profile trial in 2003.

The incident and ensuing court case, in which they denied a single charge of procuring the execution of a valuable security by deception, was the subject of the 2020 ITV drama Quiz, scripted by Graham, and starring Matthew Macfadyen and Sian Clifford as the couple and Michael Sheen as show host Tarrant.

TV star Bremner, who is an Audi ambassador and performed for guests in the Audi VIP enclosure at Henley Festival, said: “I was just ready for a challenge. I know Chris (Tarrant), I’ve studied him, I’m happy, I think it’s a voice I can do but I think I want to work on the character and that’s the journey that I will be on with the director.”

Silent Witness actress Emilia Fox and The Money Maker’s Eric Collins were also in attendance at the Henley Festival event.