Comedian and impressionist Rory Bremner talks about the evolution of satire since he began in the 80s and his role in a new comedy play.

Bremner is currently starring in Noel Coward’s Relative Values, which will be at Richmond Theatre this July.

Set in the early 1950s, Relative Values is about the uproarious culture clash between the glittering world of Hollywood and the stiff upper lip of the English aristocracy.

Bremner, known for television hits Bremner, Bird and Fortune and the award-winning Rory Bremner Who Else?, decided to take on the role after director Trevor Nunn told him he wanted him for the part.

He says: “He told me we should do a play together. I assumed he was being very flattering or the drink had got the better of him, but he was serious.”

Nunn’s faith in Bremner is not a surprise after such a long career, starting on BBC and then spanning 18 years on Channel 4, which he refers to as “the most rewarding and fulfilling time”.

However, he says this all came to an end in 2010, when, he very honestly states, “the phone just stopped ringing”.

He says: “While that’s not going on, while that’s not happening, it’s a chance to re-invent and also to try different things.”

Within his time in comedy he says satire has changed from a constructed style to more experimental and spontaneous.

He says: “A lot of these panel shows are about boys-y humour and less about carefully structured constructed pieces.”

On his decision to do impressions of politicians, he says it is because politics fascinates him and he is drawn to impersonate intelligent characters.

When asked if he would ever want to go into politics he gives a prompt “no”, but then continues: “I’m sort of doing it, at least in Bremner, Bird and Fortune, whether we wanted to be seen as commentators or not, it simply followed by us making sense out of nonsense.

“The problem is now making sense of politics at all. We have a generation of politicians that are lacking in colour, except for those like Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage - but also we are in an age where it’s not so much politicians that have the power but big faceless companies - you can’t really do impressions of them.”

Bremner is joined by a popular comedy cast in Relative Values – Caroline Quentin and Patricia Hodge – who he has nothing but praise for.

He says: “Caroline and Patricia are just lovely and wonderful and the supporting cast are really wonderful as well.”

Relative Values; Richmond Theatre, The Green, Richmond, Monday, July 8 to Saturday, July 13, from 7.30pm Monday to Saturday and a 2.30pm matinee on Wednesday and Saturday. Tickets are £15-£38 (premium seats £42.50), and are available from the box office 0844 8717651 or atgtickets.com/Richmond.