TALKING TO AL MURRAY – LANDLORD OF HOPE AND GLORY
Everyone’s favourite publican Al Murray is on his last leg(s) of his recent tour Landlord of Hope and Glory. We caught up to talk Brexit, boozers and more as he gets set to perform at Rose Theatre, Kingston this November…
YOU’RE BACK ON TOUR WITH LANDLORD OF HOPE AND GLORY, YOU’VE ALREADY SOLD OUT A NIGHT AT THE ROSE THEATRE AND HAVE ADDED ANOTHER DATE IN NOVEMBER – A MAN IN HIGH DEMAND – HOWS THE TOUR BEEN SO FAR?
Magic really. We did a big chunk of dates in the spring, and now we’re out again. It’s interesting. that when we stopped in the early summer I thought I was going to have to change the show before we came out again in the autumn, and I haven’t had to because political events remain as all over the place as they were then. It’s quite handy for the touring comedian.
WITH PLENTY OF POLITICAL FODDER AT YOUR DISPOSAL, WHAT WILL BE ON THE AGENDA ON THE NIGHT?
Ha! Well what do you reckon?
BREXIT. WILL WE? WON’T WE? WHAT ARE YOUR OBSERVATIONS ON THE CURRENT PLIGHT OF POLITICS?
I have no idea, but what I do know is that this is going to go on forever. Even if we leave without the deal then we’ll still have to agree a deal at some point. This is going to go on, literally forever I think. It’s amazing. Do you remember that film Sliding Doors? The protagonist in it, he used to go to the pub and tell a mate all about his day, and his mate would sit there and laugh his head off at him and find it all hilarious. I feel like the bloke in the pub in Sliding Doors.
I know people are all very worried about this, but I think a lot of it is absolutely hilarious. If this was ever going to be anything other than an ongoing cock-up, if anyone imagined it would be anything else, then I think that’s funny as well. I think there’s lots to laugh about at the moment. I know lots of people are worried, but I say take heart – the whole thing’s hilarious.
YOU PREVIOUSLY RAN IN THE LOCAL ELECTIONS FOR SOUTH THANET. IF YOU HAD BEEN SUCCESSFUL AND WERE NOW TOP DOG – WHAT WOULD BE THE FIRST THING YOU’D DO?
The Pub Landlord was offering free dogs, beer at 1p a pint and I was going to brick up the channel tunnel. You’d think I would have done better.
YOU’RE WELL KNOWN FOR BEING A KEEN MUSIC FAN AND MUSICIAN. SURREY-BASED BAND THE FARLEY’SHAVE BEEN KNOWN TO WARM UP THE CROWD AS YOUR HOUSE BAND. HOW DID THAT COME ABOUT?
Well I used to play in a rock band with the Farley’s bass player. At one point I was going to write a Pub Landlord musical and I heard a thing that they had done – covers in their style – and I thought this was kind of thing I was looking for, but then I shelved that idea. I had played the Spiegel Tent with them, and having them play was like a cabaret or a circus, and it was a good fit. I then started writing songs for them to play and me to sing along with. It’s an ongoing organic thing with them – good fun.
PUBS – THE BRITISH BOOZER – ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH ANY OF THE LOCAL BREWERIES OR TAVERNS IN THE WIDER VICINITY OF KINGSTON, RICHMOND? HAVE YOU GOT ONE IN THE AREA YOU POP INTO ON OCCASION?
Well I live in Chiswick, so it’s all Fuller’s for me. Plenty of pubs! You can go down the river to the Black Lion or go to the super flagship shiny pubs like the George IV in Chiswick – the beer’s really good in there – good places to drink in Chiswick.
YOU’VE SPENT MANY YEARS AS THE PUB LANDLORD AND HAVE SPENT TIME PRESENTING AND MAKING DOCUMENTARIES. WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS POST-TOUR – WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON?
I’m doing a podcast about the Second World War with a historian called James Holland, where we talk about a different subject each week. That’s a big ongoing project. – it’s gathering listeners and gathering attention. That means I have an awful lot to read, because I have to catch up with James who knows everything. The podcast is called We Have Ways of Making You Talk.
AL MURRAY: LANDLORD OF HOPE AND GLORY / NOVEMBER 4 / ROSE THEATRE, KINGSTON
For more information and to book tickets visit, www.rosetheatrekingston.org
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