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Quiz review – Rory Bremner is an uncanny Chris Tarrant

Chichester Festival theatre A delightfully performed revival of James Graham’s fresh and funny play about the Millionaire cougher case, which critiques the TV industry and trials by media

T here is a keen sense of nostalgia to this revival of James Graham’s 2017 play about the “coughing major”. The court case made headlines when Charles and Diana Ingram were found guilty of wrongdoing on the quizshow Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? It is surprising then that it manages to keep its intrigue bottled, fresh and funny, playing out like light entertainment as well as a critique of it.

Its three central actors bear uncanny resemblances: Rory Bremner , as the host Chris Tarrant perfects the facial tics and easy manner while curbing the urge to play him as a caricature. There is some exaggeration when he elongates a vowel or smiles for too long but these are delightfully controlled. The Ingrams are the epitome of the home counties couple: her in an alice band, him in chinos. Charley Webb makes her stage debut as Diana and has some of the same sober, strait-laced qualities as Sian Clifford in the 2020 three-part TV adaptation but adds the nerdish innocence of a gameshow super fan. The major, played by Lewis Reeves, is as disarmingly sweet and squeaky clean.

As a play, it has Graham’s usual creative playfulness with jumps through time and intercepting scenes, all executed so well here. More than a simple dramatisation of events, it strives to show class and power biases within the modern entertainment industry and nascent reality TV culture, as well as showing a certain degree of trial by media. But its portrait of pop culture, from TV execs to pub quizzes, soap operas and karaoke nights, is more fond than forensic, though entertaining nonetheless.

There is a harder edge to the underground community of quizzing anoraks comprising white male Middle Englanders who speak of hacking the system and call themselves “The Syndicate”. Their speculation about what really happened in the case of the Ingrams, and how quizshows fix the game to come out on top, captures something of our world of conspiracy theory and distrust of power.

Under the direction of Daniel Evans and Seán Linnen, the court and TV studio are blended into one on Robert Jones’s loose, fluid set and this conflation carries a significance beyond staging alone: if the show was set up like an interrogation or a gladiatorial contest, as we hear it to have been, then the court case became an extension of the drama.

Ryan Day’s spotlights and blue tints conjure the stuff of Saturday night television while Ben and Max Ringham’s sound design has the signature pulse. We, the audience, become TV-cum-court jurors by casting our own votes. Our verdicts? The Ingrams were innocent.

• Rory Bremner
• Chichester Festival theatre
• James Graham

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Cast announced for tour of James Graham’s Quiz with Rory Bremner

Full casting has been announced for the UK tour of James Graham’s acclaimed Quiz .

The hit play, recently turned into a major ITV TV show, explores the real-life story of Charles Ingram, aka the Coughing Major, and his infamous appearance on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.

The Olivier-nominated drama previously ran in the West End in 2018 following its premiere at Chichester Festival Theatre. Quiz now returns to the stage, embarking on a UK tour from 22 September to 2 December 2023.

Impressionist and renowned comedian Rory Bremner will star as Chris Tarrant with Emmerdale star Charley Webb , in her first professional stage role, Lewis Reeves , Mark Benton , Leo Wringer , Sukh Ojla , Marc Antolin .

Quiz tour tickets, dates and venues »

September 2001: The nation is gripped by a scandal that remains, to this day, a mystery. In an outrageously audacious heist, Charles Ingram, aka the Coughing Major, and his accomplices duped the world’s most popular TV quiz show, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, out of £1,000,000. Or did they? And if they did cheat, how did they really do it? Uncovering new evidence, it’s time to ask you, the audience, to put fingers on keypads and answer the ultimate 50/50: guilty or not guilty?

Quiz is directed by Artistic Director of Chichester Festival Theatre, Daniel Evans and Seán Linnen with design by Robert Jones, and produced by Jonathan Church Theatre Productions and Wessex Grove, by arrangement with William Village. Lighting by Ryan Day, composition and sound design by Ben and Max Ringham, with video by Tim Reid and casting by Ginny Schiller CDG

More on: Musical Theatre News

Josh is Stageberry's editor with over five years of experience writing about theatre in the West End and across the UK. Prior to following his passion for musicals, he worked for more than a decade as a TV journalist.

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Rory Bremner Stars in Quiz UK Tour

Rory Bremner Stars As Christ Tarrant In James Graham’s Smash Hit Play Quiz

Rory Bremner, satirical impressionist and renowned comedian, stars as  Chris Tarrant  in James Graham’s thrilling and provocative drama, Quiz .

The production explores the real-life story of Charles Ingram, aka the Coughing Major, who conned the world’s most popular TV quiz show, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire out of £1,000,000. Or did he

Nominated for two Olivier Awards including Best New Comedy, James Graham’s smash hit play,  Quiz , transferred to London’s West End with sensational reviews in 2018, following a sold-out run at Chichester Festival Theatre. And in 2020, millions tuned in to see the three-part ITV adaptation starring Michael Sheen, Matthew Macfadyen and Sian Clifford.

Quiz now returns to Chichester Festival Theatre before embarking on a 9-week UK tour from 22 September to 2 December 2023, with press night on 28 September 2023.

Rory Bremner says “I’m very excited about this; not just the challenge of playing Chris Tarrant in long form but bringing the scandal that really caught the public’s imagination to a live audience every night. What really happened? The jury’s out- and this time it’s you!

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I didn’t have to phone-a-friend. It wasn’t even 50/50. This was a role I had to take on, with A: a brilliant director; B: a terrific script; C: a different audience live each night; and D: a story that divides opinion to this day. Final answer? Ask the audience!”

September 2001:

the nation is gripped by a scandal that remains, to this day, a mystery. In an outrageously audacious heist, Charles Ingram, aka the Coughing Major, and his accomplices duped the world’s most popular TV quiz show, 

Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, out of £1,000,000.

Or did they?

And if they did cheat, how did they really do it?

Uncovering new evidence, it’s time to ask you, the audience, to put fingers on keypads and answer the ultimate 50/50: guilty or not guilty?

Quiz is directed by Artistic Director of Chichester Festival Theatre, Daniel Evans and Seán Linnen with design by Robert Jones, and produced by Jonathan Church Theatre Productions and Wessex Grove, by arrangement with William Village. Lighting by Ryan Day, composition and sound design by Ben and Max Ringham, with video by Tim Reid and casting by Ginny Schiller CDG

Quiz is a fictional imagination based on real events which took place in 2001 following an episode of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? It is not in any way connected with the makers of the programme or any of the individuals portrayed. The television programme Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? is produced by 2waytraffic.

Tour listings and tickets can be found here

Staff Writer

At Theatre Weekly we are dedicated to giving theatre a new audience. Our News, Reviews and Interviews are all written with the audience in mind, helping you decide what to see next. And when you have decided, our great ticket deals will help save you money too.

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Further cast members join Rory Bremner for national tour of James Graham’s ‘Quiz’

Renowned comedian and impressionist Rory Bremner leads the cast of Quiz, the acclaimed play. He will star as Chris Tarrant, the presenter of ‘Who Wants to be a Millionaire’ at the time of the infamous coughing scandal.

‘Emmerdale’ star Charley Webb, known for her role as Debbie Dingle, makes her professional stage debut. Lewis Reeves, recognised from ‘I May Destroy You’ and ‘The Midwich Cuckoos’ is also in the cast. Mark Benton, a familiar face on TV and stage who has been nominated for two Olivier Awards, joins the lineup, swapping his police badge familiar to viewers of ‘Shakespeare & Hathaway: Private Investigators’ for the role of Judge Rivlin.

Charley Webb transitions from rural soap drama to scandalous intrigue, portraying Diana Ingram, the wife, and accomplice in the notorious Coughing Major scandal. Lewis Reeves takes on the challenging character of ‘The Coughing Major’ Charles Ingram, marking his debut on a UK tour.

‘Quiz, the Coughing Major Millionaire Scandal’ challenges audiences to decide the verdict: guilty or not guilty. James Graham’s smash hit play, praised by critics in London’s West End in 2018, returns to Chichester Festival Theatre before embarking on a 9-week UK tour from September 22nd to December 2nd, 2023.

Directed by Daniel Evans and Seán Linnen, with design by Robert Jones, ‘Quiz’ promises a thrilling exploration of the 2001 events surrounding ‘Who Wants to Be a Millionaire’. The production, a fictional interpretation of real events, is not affiliated with the show’s creators or depicted individuals.

Don’t miss the chance to unravel the mystery as ‘Quiz’ takes centre stage, inviting audiences to engage in the ultimate 50/50: guilty or not guilty? Get ready for a captivating journey through the scandal that shook the world’s favourite quiz show.

Find out more and book now .

• Churchill Theatre Bromley
• Rory Bremner
• Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?

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Rory Bremner Will Lead James Graham's QUIZ on UK Tour

The tour kicks off at Chichester Festival Theatre in September.

Rory Bremner , Britain's top satirical impressionist and renowned comedian, stars as Chris Tarrant in James Graham 's thrilling and provocative drama, Quiz. The production explores the real-life story of Charles Ingram , aka the Coughing Major, who conned the world's most popular TV quiz show, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire out of £1,000,000. Or did he?

Nominated for two Olivier Awards including Best New Comedy, James Graham 's smash hit play, Quiz, transferred to London's West End with sensational reviews in 2018, following a sold-out run at Chichester Festival Theatre. And in 2020, millions tuned in to see the three-part ITV adaptation starring Michael Sheen , Matthew Macfadyen and Sian Clifford .

Quiz now returns to Chichester Festival Theatre before embarking on a 9-week UK tour from 22 September to 2 December 2023, with press night on 28 September 2023.

Rory is 'a one-man opposition party' (Daily Telegraph). As a mimic, he's provided definitive impersonations of PMs and Presidents from Major, Blair, Cameron and Brown, to Clinton, Bush and Trump. As himself, he's been a presenter, writer, quiz-show host, actor, translator and even (briefly) ballroom dancer (Strictly Come Dancing, 2011).

Rory Bremner says "I'm very excited about this; not just the challenge of playing Chris Tarrant in long form but bringing the scandal that really caught the public's imagination to a live audience every night. What really happened? The jury's out- and this time it's you!

I didn't have to phone-a-friend. It wasn't even 50/50. This was a role I had to take on, with A: a brilliant director; B: a terrific script; C: a different audience live each night; and D: a story that divides opinion to this day. Final answer? Ask the audience!"

September 2001: the nation is gripped by a scandal that remains, to this day, a mystery. In an outrageously audacious heist, Charles Ingram , aka the Coughing Major, and his accomplices duped the world's most popular TV quiz show, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, out of £1,000,000.

Or did they? And if they did cheat, how did they really do it?

Uncovering new evidence, it's time to ask you, the audience, to put fingers on keypads and answer the ultimate 50/50: guilty or not guilty?

Quiz is directed by Artistic Director of Chichester Festival Theatre, Daniel Evans and Seán Linnen with design by Robert Jones , and produced by Jonathan Church Theatre Productions and Wessex Grove, by arrangement with William Village. Lighting by Ryan Day, composition and sound design by Ben and Max Ringham , with video by Tim Reid and casting by Ginny Schiller CDG

QUIZ is a fictional imagination based on real events which took place in 2001 following an episode of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? It is not in any way connected with the makers of the programme or any of the individuals portrayed. The television programme Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? is produced by 2waytraffic.

Rory Bremner is widely regarded as Britain's top satirical impressionist ('a one-man opposition party' Daily Telegraph). As a mimic, he's provided definitive impersonations of PMs and Presidents from Major to Mandela, Blair to Brown, Clinton to Cameron and Bush to Trump. As himself, he's been presenter, writer, quiz-show host, actor, translator and even (briefly) ballroom dancer.

Born in Edinburgh on 6 April 1961, Rory was educated at Wellington College and Kings College London, where he gained a BA in French, German and imitating lecturers. He speaks French adequately, German inadequately, and enough Russian to impress you for 90 seconds (unless you're Russian). By the time he'd graduated in 1984, he was already performing on the London stand-up circuit and at his native Edinburgh Festival Fringe and got his first TV series with the BBC in 1986. In a TV career of over 30 years, he's won numerous awards, including 3 BAFTAs for his long-running Channel 4 satire series Bremner Bird & Fortune, featuring Rory and the two Johns.

In addition, he's written and starred in satirical specials covering four elections, the Blair Government, (From Blair to Here, My Government and I) the Iraq War (Between Iraq and a Hard Place, Beyond Iraq and a Hard Place), the financial crisis of 2008 (Silly Money) and - back at the BBC - the Scottish Referendum (Rory Goes to Holyrood, (2014)) and the Coalition government ( Rory Bremner 's Coalition Report, Rory Bremner 's Election Report (2015)). He retraced his family history for Who Do You Think You Are and travelled all over Britain for the ITV daytime series Rory Bremner 's Great British Views (2012).

Meanwhile, he's guested on many other comedy shows (Whose Line is it Anyway, Spitting Image, Have I Got News for You, and Mock the Week, where he was team captain for two series). He was a regular guest on both Wogan and Parkinson and has frequently appeared on Radio 4's Newsquiz, The Now Show, Radio Scotland's Breaking The News and his own shows, Tonight and Bremner's One Question Quiz. He's also written diaries & columns for the FT, New Statesman, & Daily Telegraph. In 2013 he made his acting debut alongside Patricia Hodge and Caroline Quentin in Noel Coward 's Relative Values, directed by Trevor Nunn . ( Theatre Royal Bath and subsequently West End). In 2018 Rory exhibited his impressionist skills on a weekly basis as regular team captain on ITV's The Imitation Game. In the same year he re-joined fellow mimic Jan Ravens for a live show at the Edinburgh festival, which went on to do a sell-out UK tour.

In his spare time (as if) he translates operas and plays from French (Carmen, (Spier Festival) and Orpheus in the Underworld (Scottish Opera)) and German ( Kurt Weill 's The Silver Lake, (Broomhill Opera) & The Seven Deadly Sins) and Bertolt Brecht 's A Respectable Wedding ( Young Vic ) - the latter directed by Joe Hill Gibbons and starring James Corden ."

Chichester, Festival Theatre cft.org.uk

22 Sept - 30 Sept 2023 01243 781312

Tickets on general sale from 4 March

Newcastle, Theatre Royal theatreroyal.co.uk

03 Oct - 07 Oct 2023 08448 11 21 21

Glasgow, King's Theatre ATGTICKETS.com 10 Oct - 14 Oct 2023 0333 009 6690

Cardiff, New Theatre newtheatrecardiff.co.uk

17 Oct - 21 Oct 20203 02920 878 889

Salford, Lowry Theatre thelowry.com

24 Oct - 28 Oct 2023 0343 208 6000

Norwich, Theatre Royal norwichtheatre.org 31 Oct - 4 Nov 2023 01603 630 000

Bromley, Churchill Theatre churchilltheatre.co.uk

06 Nov - 11 Nov 2023 020 3285 6000

Canterbury, Marlowe Theatre marlowetheatre.com

14 Nov - 18 Nov 2023 01227 787787

Bath, Theatre Royal theatreroyal.org.uk

20 Nov - 25 Nov 2023 01225 448844

Birmingham, Alexandra Theatre ATGTICKETS.com 28 Nov - 02 Dec 2023 020 7206 1174

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★★★★ Rory Bremner delights in the ‘coughing major’ drama The Times

★★★★ Gripping and effortlessly entertaining The Times

★★★★ Fresh and Funny The Guardian

★★★★ Broadway World

★★★★ Impressionist comedy, social satire and courtroom drama rolled into one. The Telegraph

In a shockingly shameless scam, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire was duped out of £1,000,000. Or was it?

Rory Bremner stars as Chris Tarrant alongside Charley Webb, Lewis Reeves and Mark Benton in Quiz, the thrilling and entertaining ride through the infamous Coughing Major scandal which engulfed the world’s most popular TV quiz show.

The story remains a mystery and had over six million people glued to their screens watching ITV’s adaptation of this West End smash hit play.

Now, uncovering new evidence , it’s time to ask you, the audience, to put fingers on keypads and answer the ultimate 50/50: guilty or not guilty?

Quiz’s star cast includes Rory Bremner, Britain’s top impressionist, actor and comedian, Emmerdale’s Charley Webb in her first professional stage role, Lewis Reeves, best known from I May Destroy You and The Midwich Cuckoos, with Mark Benton, star of hits including Northern Lights, Waterloo Road and most recently Shakespeare and Hathaway: Private Investigators.

Quiz is by James Graham and is directed by Daniel Evans and Seán Linnen.

Quiz is by James Graham and is Inspired by the book “Bad Show: The Quiz, The Cough, The Millionaire Major” by Bob Woffinden and James Plaskett. It is directed by Daniel Evans and Seán Linnen

QUIZ is a fictional imagination based on real events which took place in 2001 following an episode of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? It is not in any way connected with the makers of the programme or any of the individuals portrayed. The television programme Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? is produced by 2waytraffic.

UK TOUR 2023

MORE THEATRES TO BE ANNOUNCED

Photo Gallery

Photos: Johan Persson

• Written by James Graham
• Directors Daniel Evans and Seán Linnen
• Designer Robert Jones
• Lighting Designer Ryan Day
• Composer and Sound Designers Ben & Max Ringham
• Video Designer Tim Reid
• Movement Directors Naomi Said and Jonnie Riordan
• Casting Director Matilda James CDG
• Hair, Wigs and Make Up Campbell Young Associates
• Hair, Wigs and Make Up Associate Helen Keane --> Helen Keane
• Costume Supervisor Laura Rushton
• Props Supervisor Lily Mollgaard
• Voice and Dialect Coach Charmian Hoare
• Associate Director Francesca Murray-Fuentes
• Producers Jonathan Church Theatre Productions , Wessex Grove & Gavin Kalin Productions by arrangement with WILLIAM VILLAGE

© William Village Ltd

Chichester Festival Theatre

Quiz UK Tour

Rory Bremner

A Chichester Festival Theatre Production

About Quiz UK Tour

Nominated for two Olivier Awards including Best New Comedy, James Graham’s smash hit play, Quiz , transferred to London’s West End with sensational reviews in 2018, following a sold-out run at Chichester Festival Theatre. And in 2020, millions tuned in to see the three-part ITV adaptation. Now the play will be touring the UK from September 2023.

Rory Bremner , Britain’s top satirical impressionist, stars as Chris Tarrant in James Graham ’s thrilling, entertaining and provocative drama, Quiz .

September 2001: the nation is gripped by a scandal that remains, to this day, a mystery. In an outrageously audacious heist, Charles Ingram, aka the Coughing Major, and his accomplices duped the world’s most popular TV quiz show, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire , out of £1,000,000. Or did they? And if they did cheat, how did they really do it?

Uncovering new evidence, it’s time to ask you, the audience, to put fingers on keypads and answer the ultimate 50/50: guilty or not guilty?

5 Stars A tour de force. Simultaneously joyful and profound WhatsOnStage

4 Stars Fascinating. Graham at his best Times

4 Stars Full of kaleidoscopic razzmatazz Guardian

• Entertainment

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

He will be taking on the role in James Graham’s Quiz.

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.

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First Published 17 April 2008, Last Updated 24 April 2020

“It would be quite nice if we were doing this in a shed somewhere.” Rory Bremner, the UK’s foremost satirical impressionist, has lofty ambitions as he prepares to make his West End debut in Rory Bremner With John Bird And John Fortune at the Albery Theatre . Tom Bowtell caught up with the multi-voiced maestro in the backseat of his car…

“Audiences come to The West End to be entertained. And that is what our live show tries to do” says Rory Bremner in what I assume to be his own voice. “The show will be less didactic than some of the stuff we do for TV, and based more on stand-up comedy – we won’t have an autocue so we can’t risk anything too contrived!”

Surprisingly, after nearly 20 years in the limelight, this is Bremner’s first venture on to the West End stage. After a sell-out solo show at this year’s Edinburgh Festival, Bremner is teaming up with his mentors John Bird and John Fortune for a five-week run at the Albery theatre. Bremner, who is a physical (and when he wants to be, vocal) doppelganger for Paddy Ashdown is best known for his work for BBC2 and Channel 4. He has worked sporadically with Bird and Fortune since 1989, helping to revive their careers while redefining his own.

Bremner is cagey about any new additions to his repertoire of voices: “I guess George Bush and Iain Duncan Smith will be making their debuts, but it will largely be the usual suspects. I will also be doing nostalgic pieces using the Bill McLaren and Richie Benaud impressions which launched my career. We’ve got two hours to fill as opposed to half an hour, so I’ve indulged myself with a ‘greatest hits’ section.” Bremner can do hundreds of voices but there remain some which elude him “I’ve never been able to do Chris Evans”, he says without any noticeable regret.

"When I'm with friends and family I use my own voice."

While admitting that his mimicry requires regular practice and perfection, Bremner denies annoying his wife by doing endless impressions around the house. “People always think that I am constantly doing one voice or another, because whenever I do interviews I use the voices to plug the show. When I’m with friends and family I make a special effort to use my own voice.”

Rory Bremner: can't do Chris Evans

Bremner, suave and yoghurt-smooth on stage, has admitted that he gets paranoid about losing his comic touch. He even says that had he not had a gift for impressionism, he probably wouldn’t have ended up in comedy at all: “impressions were my way in – but I’ve learned a lot about comedy since I started, and I’m much more concerned with the material now than I am with just the voices.” Although his show at the Albery “aims to entertain”, it will inevitably have an unashamedly political aspect. Bremner thinks that his comedy has developed in this direction, because he’s “not really drawn to populist celebrity characters” and doesn’t “lose a lot of sleep over Helen and Paul from Big Brother.” Bremner says that he prefers “people who have something to say. I suppose I write and think about characters that come into my spectrum. People I see on Newsnight or hear on Today. There are so many celebrity voices that it would take me ages to learn them all – I guess I’m more concerned with quality than quantity.” However, lest we assume that we’ll be short-changed at the Albery, he quickly adds “having said that, there are over fifty voices in the show”. Can he do an impression of BBC-rival Alistair McGowan, the doyen of the celebrity mimic? “Sadly, I can’t. But John Colshaw [of Dead Ringers fame] does an impression of me, highlighting my earnest cheerfulness – so obviously I hate him for that.”

"I don't lose much sleep over Helen and Paul from Big Brother."

Bremner thinks that it is getting harder for satirists to stand out, as “everybody is a satirist these days. I think that we are all so ironic. Almost all supposedly serious interviewers ask tendentious, ironic, even satirical questions. I also think that many things that the government do are simply beyond parody. Things like the A-Level cock-up and Prince Charles’ letters don’t need to be satirised as they’re satire in themselves.” Despite this, he thinks there are still satirists who break the mould. “Mark Thomas is excellent and then there’s Chris Morris who, I think, is the most fearless of all of them.”

"The Johns complement each other perfectly"

But the satirists that most impress Bremner are his colleagues and co-stars John Bird and John Fortune (hereafter known as The Johns). “I admire them beyond measure. They have a wonderful combination of a curious and sceptical mind, a wonderful sense of humour and a literary ear.” Interestingly, Bremner refers to these characteristics in the singular, confirming that they work together as one unit – a kind of über-John. He credits them with inspiring his conversion from mere impressionist to eminent satirist: “The Johns have taught me just so much, in terms of the way of looking at current affairs and looking beyond the headlines and easy arguments, just being in a room with them writing, seeing how their humour and timing works, has helped me so much. They’re different characters: John Fortune is expansive and literary-minded while John Bird is ascetic almost – he can be quite shy. But as soon as he gets on stage he transforms completely and becomes an outrageous scene-stealer. The Johns complement each other perfectly.”

"I admire the Two Johns beyond measure."

Bremner, who married his second wife, Tessa Campbell-Fraser in 1999, admits that, unusually for a comedian, he is currently very happy in his personal life. This hasn’t always been the case. His first marriage foundered, while a string of high-profile liaisons also fizzled out. He has always been prone to introspection and in Who’s Who he lists “stress” as one of his pastimes. Many comedians require existential woes to fuel their comedy but Bremner feels that he is able to divorce his personal life from his work. “I can divide the spheres between personal and private, and I don’t really think that I write better when I’m miserable. Although in my personal life it is obviously better to be happy!”

Having got the frivolous stuff out of the way, I move on to the serious questions: when he’s bored around the house, does he cause trouble by doing Dead-Ringers style prank calls? “I do do that sometimes, yes. For Comic Relief I rang up Esther Rantzen and asked her to do a Hearts Of Gold Special with John Major and, pretending to be Melvyn Bragg, I rang up Jimmy Hill and asked him to appear on the South Bank Show to do a piece about the semiotics of football. That threw him, I can tell you. What I didn’t expect was that he would be quite as mad as he was. He began going on about his labrador who was using a word processor at the time and I started wondering about who was duping who.” Although satire knows no boundaries, Bremner says that he has usually refrained from doing impressions of people at their own funeral: “although it did happen once” he adds “about a year and a half ago we lost a much-loved floor manager and I was talking about him and suddenly started using some of his phrases and slipped into his voice – I certainly didn’t plan it, it just happened …”

"Jimmy Hill started going on about his labrador using a word processor"

In the 18 years since he first appeared (in voice if not in person) on Spitting Image, Rory Bremner has become the UK’s best known impressionist, but he feels that his notoriety makes his job somewhat harder. “The worst thing you can do with satire is talk it up. It would be quite nice if we were doing this in a dark shed somewhere and people discovered us. But that’s not going to happen. We’ve lost the element of surprise. People know what to expect which can count against us satirically – because satire is about surprising people and sometimes outraging them.” However, despite the country’s familiarity with his material, Bremner reckons that his show “still has a few surprises” and adds cheerily “as Bill Tidy [the cartoonist] said to me [he slips into the voice] ‘don’t worry, Rory, the worst thing that can happen is that you’ll be totally humiliated.’” So he’s got nothing really to worry about.

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Acclaimed comedian & impressionist Rory Bremner stars as Chris Tarrant in James Graham's hit play Quiz, coming to The Lowry Autumn 2023

Fri 20 January 2023

Rory Bremner, Britain’s top satirical impressionist and renowned comedian, stars as  Chris Tarrant  in James Graham’s thrilling and provocative drama, Quiz , which comes to The Lowry, Salford , from Tuesday 24 th to Saturday 28 th October 2023.

Tickets are on sale to Lowry members today, and on general sale on Tuesday (24 th January) at 10am.

The production explores the real-life story of Charles Ingram, aka the Coughing Major, who conned the world’s most popular TV quiz show, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire out of £1,000,000. Or did he?

Nominated for two Olivier Awards including Best New Comedy, James Graham’s smash hit play,  Quiz , transferred to London’s West End with sensational reviews in 2018, following a sold-out run at Chichester Festival Theatre. And in 2020, millions tuned in to see the three-part ITV adaptation starring Michael Sheen, Matthew Macfadyen and Sian Clifford.

Quiz now returns to Chichester Festival Theatre before embarking on a 9-week UK tour which includes The Lowry.

Rory is ‘a one-man opposition party’ (Daily Telegraph). As a mimic, he’s provided definitive impersonations of PMs and Presidents from Major, Blair, Cameron and Brown, to Clinton, Bush and Trump. As himself, he’s been a presenter, writer, quiz-show host, actor, translator and even (briefly) ballroom dancer (Strictly Come Dancing, 2011).

Rory Bremner says “I’m very excited about this; not just the challenge of playing Chris Tarrant in long form but bringing the scandal that really caught the public’s imagination to a live audience every night. What really happened? The jury’s out – and this time it’s you!

“I didn’t have to phone-a-friend. It wasn’t even 50/50. This was a role I had to take on, with A: a brilliant director; B: a terrific script; C: a different audience live each night; and D: a story that divides opinion to this day. Final answer? Ask the audience!”

September 2001: the nation is gripped by a scandal that remains, to this day, a mystery. In an outrageously audacious heist, Charles Ingram, aka the Coughing Major, and his accomplices duped the world’s most popular TV quiz show, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, out of £1,000,000. Or did they? And if they did cheat, how did they really do it? Uncovering new evidence, it’s time to ask you, the audience, to put fingers on keypads and answer the ultimate 50/50: guilty or not guilty?

Quiz is directed by Artistic Director of Chichester Festival Theatre, Daniel Evans and Seán Linnen with design by Robert Jones , and produced by Jonathan Church Theatre Productions and Wessex Grove , by arrangement with William Village . Lighting by Ryan Day , composition and sound design by Ben and Max Ringham, with video by Tim Reid and casting by Ginny Schiller CDG

QUIZ is a fictional imagination based on real events which took place in 2001 following an episode of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? It is not in any way connected with the makers of the programme or any of the individuals portrayed. The television programme Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? is produced by 2waytraffic.

ON TOUR FROM 18 SEPTEMBER 2023 – 2 DECEMBER 2023

WRITTEN BY JAMES GRAHAM DIRECTED BY DANIEL EVANS AND SEÁN LINNEN

PRODUCED BY JONATHAN CHURCH THEATRE PRODUCTIONS & WESSEX GROVE, BY ARRANGEMENT WITH WILLIAM VILLAGE

LIGHTING BY RYAN DAY

COMPOSITION AND SOUND DESIGN BY BEN AND MAX RINGHAM

VIDEO BY TIM REID

CASTING BY GINNY SCHILLER CDG

For more information please see here

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Rory Bremner Stars As Christ Tarrant in QUIZ

Rory Bremner, Britain’s top satirical impressionist and renowned comedian, stars as Chris Tarrant in James Graham’s thrilling and provocative drama, Quiz . The production explores the real-life story of Charles Ingram, aka the Coughing Major, who conned the world’s most popular TV quiz show, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire out of £1,000,000. Or did he?

Quiz now returns to Chichester Festival Theatre before embarking on a 9-week UK tour from 22 September to 2 December 2023, with press night on 28 September 2023.

Rory is ‘a one-man opposition party’ (Daily Telegraph). As a mimic, he’s provided definitive impersonations of PMs and Presidents from Major, Blair, Cameron and Brown, to Clinton, Bush and Trump. As himself, he’s been a presenter, writer, quiz-show host, actor, translator and even (briefly) ballroom dancer (Strictly Come Dancing, 2011).

Rory Bremner says “ I’m very excited about this; not just the challenge of playing Chris Tarrant in long form but bringing the scandal that really caught the public’s imagination to a live audience every night. What really happened? The jury’s out- and this time it’s you!

I didn’t have to phone-a-friend. It wasn’t even 50/50. This was a role I had to take on, with A: a brilliant director; B: a terrific script; C: a different audience live each night; and D: a story that divides opinion to this day. Final answer? Ask the audience! ”

September 2001: the nation is gripped by a scandal that remains, to this day, a mystery. In an outrageously audacious heist, Charles Ingram, aka the Coughing Major, and his accomplices duped the world’s most popular TV quiz show, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, out of £1,000,000. Or did they? And if they did cheat, how did they really do it?

Uncovering new evidence, it’s time to ask you, the audience, to put fingers on keypads and answer the ultimate 50/50: guilty or not guilty?

Quiz is directed by Artistic Director of Chichester Festival Theatre, Daniel Evans and Seán Linnen with design by Robert Jones, and produced by Jonathan Church Theatre Productions and Wessex Grove, by arrangement with William Village. Lighting by Ryan Day, composition and sound design by Ben and Max Ringham, with video by Tim Reid and casting by Ginny Schiller CDG

QUIZ is a fictional imagination based on real events which took place in 2001 following an episode of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? It is not in any way connected with the makers of the programme or any of the individuals portrayed. The television programme Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? is produced by 2waytraffic.

LISTINGS QUIZ ON TOUR FROM 18 SEPTEMBER 2023 – 2 DECEMBER 2023 WRITTEN BY JAMES GRAHAM DIRECTED BY DANIEL EVANS AND SEÁN LINNEN PRODUCED BY JONATHAN CHURCH THEATRE PRODUCTIONS & WESSEX GROVE, BY ARRANGEMENT WITH WILLIAM VILLAGE LIGHTING BY RYAN DAY COMPOSITION AND SOUND DESIGN BY BEN AND MAX RINGHAM VIDEO BY TIM REID CASTING BY GINNY SCHILLER CDG Press Night: Thursday 28 September

DATES and VENUES Chichester, Festival Theatre cft.org.uk 22 Sept – 30 Sept 2023 01243 781312

Newcastle, Theatre Royal theatreroyal.co.uk 03 Oct – 07 Oct 2023 08448 11 21 21

Glasgow, King’s Theatre 10 Oct – 14 Oct 2023 0333 009 6690

Cardiff, New Theatre newtheatrecardiff.co.uk 17 Oct – 21 Oct 20203 02920 878 889

Salford, Lowry Theatre thelowry.com 24 Oct – 28 Oct 2023 0343 208 6000

Norwich, Theatre Royal norwichtheatre.org 31 Oct – 4 Nov 2023 01603 630 000

Bromley, Churchill Theatre churchilltheatre.co.uk 06 Nov – 11 Nov 2023 020 3285 6000

Canterbury, Marlowe Theatre marlowetheatre.com 14 Nov – 18 Nov 2023 01227 787787

Bath, Theatre Royal theatreroyal.org.uk 20 Nov – 25 Nov 2023 01225 448844

Birmingham, Alexandra Theatre 28 Nov – 02 Dec 2023 020 7206 1174

Related News & Reviews Past & Present

• Q&A with Stephanie Street from the cast of QUIZ | Noël Coward Theatre James Graham’s new play, Quiz, transfers to the Noël Coward Theatre, running from 31st March 2018 to 16th June 2018. Following...
• Review of QUIZ at Noel Coward Theatre There was something about the television game show Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? Even its irritating aspects, like going...
• Casting is announced for James Graham’s new play, Quiz Casting is announced for James Graham’s ‘sparkling new play’, Quiz, which transfers to the Noël Coward Theatre. Following the success...
• Joanna Lumley and Amanda Holden to host Polka Quiz Night Joanna Lumley and Amanda Holden host Polka Theatre’s Online Charity Quiz. Donations from the event will go towards Unlock Polka,...
• Dreamcoat Stars: Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat Featuring stars from the hit production Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Journey into a colourful production featuring vibrant and...
• Casting announced for James Graham’s Sketching Nav Sidhu (How I Live Now, The Kumars, Gangs of Tooting Broadway), Penny Layden (RSC, National Theatre, Call the Midwife),...
• Zoe Wanamaker Stars in STEVIE at Chichester Festival 2014 Chichester’s Festival 2014 opens with a revival of Hugh Whitemore’s Stevie Smith. ‘Smart writing people think it’s not at all...

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Rory McIlroy sang Journey in New Orleans. He also won the golf tournament

NEW ORLEANS — Rory McIlroy is on the TPC Louisiana 19th green stage with a beer in one hand and a microphone in the other. He’s got Mardi Gras beads around his neck standing next to one of his best friends, Shane Lowry, and the drunken New Orleans crowd keeps chanting.

“Rory! Rory! Rory!”

“Do you know any songs from the 80s?” the bandleader asks.

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And then Journey starts playing.

The four-time major champ belted out “Don’t Stop Believing” early Sunday evening, tossing his head back to put his chest into the notes. Lowry just laughed and drank his beer watching his buddy make a fool of himself. As he walked off moments later, Lowry answered why he didn’t join — “I would have sung much better.”

McIlroy just won a golf tournament. And he needed to win a golf tournament. But far, far more than he needed anything on a scorecard, he needed this week. McIlroy needed to have fun.

This is not a drill. Rory McIlroy singing Don't Stop Believing pic.twitter.com/y5PkEDoqo4 — Brody Miller (@BrodyAMiller) April 28, 2024

This all began with a “really drunken lunch” after their Ryder Cup win last fall. McIlroy asked Lowry if they could team up for the Zurich Classic — the PGA Tour ’s only team event. Lowry has played this event before but, fearful of rejection, never asked McIlroy to team up. McIlroy sent Lowry a Christmastime text confirming. He was coming to New Orleans.

Fast forward to Saturday night, and just off Bourbon Street in the French Quarter at a classic white tablecloth Creole joint called Arnaud’s, McIlroy and Lowry received a standing ovation from the other diners. This isn’t even some casual weekend in Louisiana. It’s Jazz Fest. It’s NFL Draft week. The Pelicans are in the playoffs. Yet the people were so psyched to have the No. 2 player in the world they filled TPC Louisiana with the largest galleries anyone can recall and applauded them at restaurants. One TV reporter joked the last athlete to receive that was Reggie Bush nearly two decades ago.

“It was weird for me,” Lowry said. “That stuff doesn’t happen to me.”

“It doesn’t happen to me, either!” McIlroy joked.

“He’s getting old,” Lowry said with a cheeky grin. “But he can still move the needle a little bit.  Rory brings a crowd, and people love him.”

A little context. McIlroy isn’t having a very good season. It became a running gag last week that Scottie Scheffler’s caddie, Ted Scott, is outearning McIlroy in 2024. And McIlroy has been having a stressful few years. He was the face of the PGA Tour in its war with LIV and the most public-facing policy board member. Then, he got blindsided by the PGA Tour entering into a framework agreement with the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia (LIV’s owners), calling himself a “sacrificial lamb” as they sent him to speak to the media the next day.

He then reportedly lost a power battle over the future of the tour to Patrick Cantlay and decided to leave the board, with Sports Illustrated reporting Cantlay and others like Tiger Woods and Jordan Spieth focused more on catering to the tour’s elites. McIlroy then changed his tune and campaigned for unification with LIV. He rubbed people the wrong way, criticizing Spieth publicly for saying the PGA Tour didn’t “need” the Saudis. He consistently made comments about the desire for money ruining the sport. He got in an awkward incident at the Players Championship with playing partners Spieth and Viktor Hovland.

Oh, and the golf has suffered. It’s all relative. He’s still top 30 nearly every week, but has just one PGA Tour finish better than 19th all season. When he finished T22 at the Masters two weeks ago, he got questions about whether he needed to blow up his swing and do a full reset.

Then, he went to New Orleans.

McIlroy was not locked in this week, at least not for most of the week. This week was about having fun with his old buddy Shane. They didn’t even practice when they got in Tuesday because the course was too busy, so they messed around at the chipping green instead. During the Wednesday Pro-Am, they hardly even played every other shot. They seemed to hit when they felt like it while walking and talking the rest. They crushed chargrilled oysters from Drago’s on the 10th hole and teased each other.

Who knows how worried they even were as they entered the seventh hole Sunday five back of the leaders. Yes, they’re competitors and want to win, but they were just going with the flow.

Then, McIlroy got hot. Playing alternate shot, they birdied four of the next five holes to get one back. McIlroy dropped a saucy little club twirl that he hasn’t shown in years on a perfect iron shot on 14. And right around that time, he clearly started to want it a bit more. When he put his drive on 16 into a bunker, he bent over and held his head down for a full minute in frustration.

But no worries. Lowry hit a perfect wedge from the bunker to the center of the green, and McIlroy hit a wide-breaking putt to take a share of the lead.

On the par-3 17th, Lowry’s tee shot flew into the crowd and he later missed a tough par putt. He was visibly disappointed with himself, but McIlroy speedily chased him off the green to say, “Hey, Shane. That was a good putt.”

“Rory is there backing me up this week,” Lowry said, “and he was a great teammate, and he made me believe in myself. It was good to have him there to do that.”

They then birdied 18 to send it to a playoff, and thanks to a missed putt by Martin Trainer in the playoff, McIlroy won his 25th PGA Tour tournament and Lowry earned himself a spot in the remaining PGA Tour signature events. Teamwork.

Yeah, maybe McIlroy was the key to the win this week, but there’s a chance Lowry was the key to a much-needed week for McIlroy. Because he admitted this week was about getting away from the stress.

“Absolutely,” he said. “The reason that Shane and I both started to play golf is because we thought it was fun at some stage in our life.  I think sort of reinjecting a little bit of that fun back into it in a week like this week, it can always help.”

And as the event finished, tournament organizers could be seen celebrating the coup of one of the game’s biggest stars winning and possibly coming back next year to defend his title. This isn’t exactly one of the tour’s bigger events. They’d kill for McIlroy in the field again. So he was asked, “Has anyone started trying to sell you on returning?”

“I don’t think they need to try,” McIlroy said. “I think we’re coming back.”

(Top photo: Chris Graythen / Getty Images)

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Brody Miller covers golf and the LSU Tigers for The Athletic. He came to The Athletic from the New Orleans Times-Picayune. A South Jersey native, Miller graduated from Indiana University before going on to stops at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Indianapolis Star, the Clarion Ledger and NOLA.com. Follow Brody on Twitter @ BrodyAMiller

Zurich Classic set for dramatic finish with Rory McIlroy/Shane Lowry two back in team debut

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After his partner put his approach shot in the water on the 16th, Rory McIlroy calmly knocked a wedge to about 20 feet and rolled in the curling birdie putt, celebrating with a fist pump.

“Rory McIlroy had shown up,” according to partner Shane Lowry, as McIlroy made birdies on his own ball on Nos. 9, 10, 11, 13, 16 and 18. The Irish duo are firmly in the mix through 54 holes at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans.

McIlroy – who is making his debut at this event this week – and Lowry shot an 8-under 64 Saturday at TPC Louisiana. They’re just two shots back of the lead held by Zac Blair and Patrick Fishburn at 23-under heading into Sunday’s finale, with Luke List and Henrik Norlander (who finished tied for 23rd together last year) in second at 22-under.

McIlroy and Lowry are tied with Ryan Brehm and Mark Hubbard for third.

There are a few TOUR winners hovering around the top of the board (including last year’s runners-up Nick Taylor and Adam Hadwin among the four teams a shot back of McIlroy and Lowry at 20 under) but the major-winning pedigree held by McIlroy and Lowry, clad again in matching outfits Saturday – blue polos and khakis for the third round – should help give them a bit of a spring in their step for Sunday.

“I think today was about staying patient knowing that the course was going to present some opportunities, especially on that back nine, and I think our patience was rewarded with the chances that we gave ourselves and rolled a couple of putts in on the back and kept ourselves in it,” McIlroy said.

Rory McIlroy sinks clutch birdie putt at Zurich Classic

McIlroy and Lowry – friends for about 25 years – started slowly, going out in 3-under, but made three birdies in the first four holes after making the turn and shot 5 under on the back nine.

They were only 1-under through six holes and saw Fishburn and Blair put a bow on their 12-under 60 effort – just one shot off the Four-ball scoring record.

“We absolutely finished strong," McIlroy said. "It was a tricky day. The wind was blowing. We had some chances early on that we didn't take advantage of. We birdied the two par 5s on the front nine and then we definitely got it going around the turn. I hit a lovely shot into (hole) 9 and was able to convert that, and I think that gave us some really good momentum going into the back nine."

Making a birdie at the ninth, McIlroy continued, was a “game changer.”

“I think that 6-iron he hit into (hole) 9 and he rolled the putt got us going, and from there on in, it was Rory McIlroy at his best, and it was a joy to watch,” Lowry added.

“I knew we had a lot of holes to play, but certainly when we were 1-under through 6 and a long way down the leaderboard, I knew we needed to get something going.”

No matter where a duo ended up on the leaderboard, the winds at TPC Louisiana were a scoring speedbump on Saturday. The teams all had to navigate the blustery blows.

“It’s a pretty similar direction as the rest of the week but just a lot stronger,” said Hubbard, after his team shot an 8-under 64. "There's just some holes out here that even if you know it's blowing one direction, like (Nos.) 9 and 18, they should play a little down off the right and for some reason they always seem to have a little hurt on those approach shots – and they're tough shots into those greens. To have to trust a certain club or certain line that you might not be comfortable with, that's tough.”

The wind is set to be a factor again on Sunday, where the final round will once again be alternate shot.

That’s a format where anything can happen, but McIlroy said to be just two back of the lead is a solid position to be in. He and Lowry are eager to make a final-round move and return to the winner’s circle on the PGA TOUR.

“I thought it was important to finish the way we did,” McIlroy said, “excited to have a chance to win tomorrow.”

'It was intense': PGA Tour's Ryan Brehm reflects on Rory battle, Sunday to remember

Ryan Brehm is a pretty mild-mannered guy, whether things are going great or not so great on the golf course.

But last week in suburban New Orleans, we got to see a different side of him — actually, a lot of people got to see a different side of him, as he and Zurich Classic partner Mark Hubbard were in contention till the very end Sunday night, and thus, received a whole lot of TV time on CBS.

Brehm showed a fair amount of emotion, and for good reason. He hit some of the best shots of his season in a six-hole span, including driving a par 4, stiffing a 5-iron into a gale-like breeze on a par 3, and reaching the par-5 18th hole in two with a 3-wood from 290 yards.

Brehm and Hubbard came up a shot short in the two-man team event, finishing 24 under behind eventual champions Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry, who beat Chad Ramey and Martin Trainer in a playoff . Officially a third-place finish, the loss stung, to be sure, for Brehm, a one-time winner on the PGA Tour, and Hubbard, a no-time winner on the PGA Tour. But the experience was one to remember and, Brehm hopes, a springboard to a good finish in an otherwise forgettable season. Brehm and Hubbard each pocketed more than $340,000; Brehm had made $150,000 all season coming in.

"I was intense out there. I've never really been in that environment, and it was intense, you know?" Brehm told The News earlier this week. "It was exhilarating for us.

"Hopefully I do start to gain some confidence. Certainly, if you can't gain confidence by being in that environment and giving yourself a chance, I don't know what's gonna give you confidence."

Being in contention down the stretch is always exciting, but the circumstances made it even better for Brehm, 38, a Mt. Pleasant native and Traverse City resident who played golf at Michigan State. Brehm and Hubbard played the final round alongside the marquee group, McIlroy, the No. 2-ranked player in the world, and Lowry.

McIlroy is the biggest draw on the PGA Tour, with four major championships and seven Ryder Cup appearances. Lowry has one major and two Ryder Cup appearances.

Between them, they have won five majors. Between Brehm and Hubbard, they have played in five majors.

"Never anything like that," Brehm said, when asked if he's ever experienced an environment like Sunday, going toe to toe, drive for drive, with McIlroy and Lowry before a massive gallery. "Nothing like that. We were in contention with Rory coming down the stretch. We were paired with two major winners. This was the Ryder Cup for us.

"There were a lot of people, and there a lot of buzz."

Brehm and Hubbard, 34, of Denver, were plodding along through the front nine of Sunday's alternate-shot round (Friday and Sunday were alternate shot, Thursday and Saturday were best ball), and into the back nine, when Brehm stepped to the tee at the 391-yard, par-4 13th, which plays shorter on a direct line on the dogleg left but not that much shorter. Brehm, always a long hitter, smashed a hard draw, the ball landed just short of the green and rolled up just past the hole, to 15 feet past. Hubbard missed the eagle putt, but that was a birdie.

Then, on the next hole, a tough, 193-yard par 3, Hubbard hit the tee shot, to about 20 feet from the hole on the fringe. Brehm rolled that in for back-to-back birdies to put the team squarely in the hunt.

But the duo didn't make another birdie in increasingly tough conditions, despite some good approaches, particulary from Brehm. The duo missed makeable attempts on each of the last four holes, including at the par-3 17th, where Brehm hit a 5-iron to about 10 feet, and on the 18th, where Brehm smashed his approach over the back of the green and the team couldn't get up and down to join the playoff.

Still, Brehm collected the second-biggest check of his PGA Tour career (he got $666,000 for winning the Puerto Rico Open in 2022), and Hubbard collected his second-biggest check of the season (he got $877,500 for finishing fourth at the big-money Pebble Beach Pro-Am in February).

They celebrated afterward with oysters and spirits, though they lamented what could've been, particularly for Brehm, whose two-year exemption on the PGA Tour for winning in 2022 is up at the end of this season.

"It was fun," Brehm said of the post-tournament grub and suds with Hubbard, "but honestly, I found myself trying to swallow a pill I didn't really want to swallow. It honestly stung a little bit. I thought we were gonna do it."

Still, Brehm was proud of how he and Hubbard responded, particularly playing under the glaring spotlight Sunday alongside McIlroy — with whom, by the way, Brehm kept up with off the tee.

"I thought we did a pretty good job of just embracing the challenge, instead of being scared of it," Brehm said. "Really, the alternate-shot format can really isolate you and put you on an island.

"I thought we did a hell of job of executing shots."

In the end, they just missed too many putts on Sunday. Hubbard missed a bunch on the back nine, but it's a hard game, and in team competition, the one hard-and-fast rule is never saying you're sorry to your partner. You're in this thing together.

Brehm is back on his own this week, at the CJ Cup (the old Byron Nelson) in McKinney, Texas, where he hopes to build on what happened in Avondale, Louisiana.

Brehm has played 12 events this year on the PGA Tour and made just five cuts. He's 114th in the FedEx Cup standings, still well outside the top 70, which would get him into the playoffs and secure his card for 2025. After this week, there are only nine tournaments where Brehm is guaranteed to be exempt for, including the Rocket Mortgage Classic in Detroit, where he's made the cut the last three years.

Brehm battled some injuries last season, missed a month with a shoulder ailment, and made just nine of 34 cuts. He also was working on some swing changes, which carried over into this year. With the two-year exemption he got in 2022, he figured he had some time to make some changes and be patient with the results. But time is getting short, and there are fewer opportunities now for none-stars like Brehm (whose name was actually mispronounced as Br-EEM multiple times during Sunday's telecast), given all the small-field, big-cash signature events. The new setup heavily favors the stars and makes life tougher on the grinders like Brehm and Hubbard.

"We're fighting for our lives out there," Brehm said. "The PGA Tour model wasn't broken. I don't understand it."

A good example of that was the Zurich Classic, which isn't a signature event, which means there's not a ton of incentive for the biggest names to attend, kind of like Detroit. But McIlroy agreed to play, at the prodding of his fellow Irishman Lowry, and he brought significant buzz and crowds to a tournament where that would otherwise be lacking. Check out the rest of that leaderboard and envision what it would've been like without McIlroy.

McIlroy did for New Orleans what Rickie Fowler's win at the 2023 Rocket (in a playoff over fellow star Collin Morikawa and Adam Hadwin) did for Detroit.

Brehm hopes the PGA Tour takes notice of how good all the tournaments can be, not just a handpicked lot. The stars are essentially obligated to play the signatures, and they play the majors. And since most stars play a smaller schedule than the journeyman, it leaves fewer options or desire to play the non-big-time tournaments.

More importantly in the moment for Brehm, though, is another good tournament for himself. He doesn't have a ton of deficiencies in his game, though chipping has been a struggle. He just hasn't been able to string together four rounds in a row. In fact, he's struggled to string together two, hence all the missed cuts.

The confidence, though, isn't an issue. If it was, it certainly isn't anymore.

"There's still a little gas," said Brehm, in his sixth year on the PGA Tour, "left in this tank."

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• Anniston/Gadsden

Rory McIlroy gets on stage, performs Journey’s ‘Don’t Stop Believin’ after Zurich Classic win

• Published: Apr. 29, 2024, 6:40 a.m.
• Mark Heim | [email protected]

JUST A SMALL TOWN GIRL pic.twitter.com/NefSbCQjAk — PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) April 29, 2024

Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry won the Zurich Classic on Sunday, beating Chad Ramey and Martin Trainer with a par on the first hole of a playoff.

How did they celebrate the win at the TPC Louisiana?

The charismatic, 34-year-old McIlroy took the stage for a musical performance.

McIlroy and Lowry went straight for the tournament’s post-round concert “The Molly Ringwalds” was performing.

Videos started making rounds on social media Sunday evening of McIlroy and Lowry getting up on stage the band’s frontman telling the crowd McIlroy would sing the Journey hit “Don’t Stop Believin.’”

Only in New Orleans! Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry partying and singing Journey “don’t stop believing’” with fans at @Zurich_Classic after wining the 2024 team event. 🔥🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/EAJkYOmOtf — Fletcher Mackel (@FletcherWDSU) April 28, 2024

McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, won his 25th PGA Tour title and first of the season. Lowry, of Ireland, claimed his third PGA Tour victory. Each walked away with about $1.29 million and 400 FedEx Cup points apiece.

The Irish tandem closed with a 4-under 68 in the alternate-shot final round in windy conditions to match Ramey and Trainer at 25-under 263.

McIlroy and Lowry began the day two shots off the lead. They opened the round with Lowry’s tee shot into the woods on the right side of the hole, and they bogeyed two of their first three holes before beginning their charge on the seventh, where McIlroy made the first of four birdie putts over the next five holes.

McIlroy had two mis-hits down the stretch that could have been costly, leaving an approach shot well short of the green on the par-4 13th and hitting short into a fairway bunker on the short par-4 16th.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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