Keeper Of The Pint Cosmic

From his 1998 show, reprised

More Al Murray videos

Murray's grandfather Sir Ralph Murray was a diplomat, working at the Political
Warfare Establishment propaganda unit. And his great-great-great-grandfather was William Makepeace Thackeray.

Al was a boarder at Bedford School and went on to read modern history at St Edmund Hall, Oxford, where he started performing comedy.

His break came in 1994, when he was invited compere in Harry Hill's Edinburgh show Pub Internationale, and created the pub landlord character.

Nominated for the Perrier more often than anyone else, Murray was ruled out the running in 1999 for being 'too popular', until organisers relented.

Al Murray: Barrel Of Fun
Live Review
Hammersmith Apollo

When Al Murray first donned his burgundy blazer in 1994, he could have had no idea that the Pub Landlord character would be going strong 16 years later, with half a dozen DVDs, three series of an ITV chat show and 37 sitcom episodes among the career highlights.

But it probably gets no easier. How to keep the caricature fresh for those who have watched his progress, without affecting the elements made him such a success? And how to maintain a sense of occasion for each new batch of tour dates.

In this Barrel Of Fun show, which was being recorded in London for DVD, Murray’s tinkered a little with the winning formula – but still couldn’t reach the highs of the pig-headed Guv at his intoxicating best.

Compared to his unsubtle gig at the O2 Arena last year, he toned down the rabble-rousing for the more intimate confines of the Hammersmith Apollo, though still persuaded the audience to join in gleefully with a few new choice phrases, like an overbearing playgroup leader. And though there were a few obligatory jibes at the French and the Germans, his biggest bugbear this year is the far-from-contentious squirrel. Hell, Murray even stood up for one much-ridiculed minority – the gingers, turning the old gags on their copper heads. It’s political correctness gone mad, I tell you…

This arose in the first chunk of the show, which comprises his superbly sharp banter with the audience, with their ‘beautiful British names’. This often involves portraying them as lazy and feckless workers, merely massaging the uniquely self-deprecating element of the national psyche, while youngsters are teased about their inability to get served at the bar.

As for the bulk of his set, he typically doles out his misguided opinions, constructing elaborate arguments to make his warped case. It means the pace can be slow… taking a good ten minutes of emphatic bluster, constant repetition and forceful audience interaction to construct his perfect chat-up line. It’s all done in a spirit of fun, but when the result is something of a damp squib, it seems a palaver to get there.

It’s similar with his rant about the ex-Nazi Pope, which is pretty standard comedy fare, however much we play along with his ‘bonkers mental’ catchphrase. Talking of standard fare, he also tackles the oldest one in the book: the difference between men and women – though he absolutely nails it with his hilarious description of the genders’ differing emotional landscapes. And you can sense the release when he encourages the men in the room to voice a complaint they’ll all have had about their partners, but daren’t ever have said aloud. ‘This is edgy stuff,’ Murray teases… and it kind of is.

Although the show is built around big set pieces, the convoluted arguments don’t work so well for Murray as the briefer, knowing asides. He may spend ages berating the squirrels, using a sporting audience patsy to make his silly point, but the comedy is sharper when he dismisses cows with one apparently throwaway line.

The Pub Landlord is a beautiful British institution. But like so many beautiful British institutions, he perhaps isn’t quite what he once was; even though he quite clearly has his moments, and a lightning-fast mind with the audience badinage.

• Al Murray: Barrel Of Fun is released on DVD on November 22. Click here to preorder from Amazon

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I went to see Al in Edinburgh for the 1st time and it was fantastic. I loved how he involves the audience and encourages them to take part in his act. Two hours of non stop comedy... brilliant. Can't wait till he comes back to Scotland.

Lynne, January 2011

Murray is a one-trick pony. His one idea has become a millstone around his neck but he seems content to plough the same, dull furrow. There is a hazy, ill-defined line between irony and the real thing. Most of the time it's hard to tell. As with Alf Garnett, he was saying things that people were already thinking.

Riera, March 2010

When is Al Murray going to open for Jim Davidson, or Roy 'Chubby' Brown? You can call 'The Pub Landlord' an ironic character all you want, but at the end of the day there is nothing between these comedians, they're all lazy bigots playing up prejudice.

Andrew, January 2010

Hmm, methinks John (posting here in April 2008) is being ironic and pretending not to realise that Al Murray's Pub Landlord character is, er, a character. You might just as well "hate" actors for the soap opera characters they portray. That said, I've heard that some do sometimes receive abuse from nitwits who cannot separate fantasy from reality. Sigh.

Ben, August 2008

Al Murray is a fat English lout, a thug and he isn't funny, at all.

John, April 2008

Al Murray is rubbish.

Sophie Walker, April 2007

I have seen Al live six times now and each time he was fantastic. He is a comic genius and the best comedian in modern times. He is not racist he is funny. The whole point of his character is that he is completely out of touch with reality! We've all met someone like him at the pub and disagree with all the rubbish that they spout! That is what the pub landlord is all about. We are not supposed to agree with him, we're supposed to laugh at him. It's called comedy!

Dave Terry, September 2006

What can you say? Al Murray - finger on the pulse of the nation. Urban poet. A veritable font of modern wisdom. True genius. The best thing since sliced bread - another great British invention, I might hasten to add. Laahrvely!

Karim, July 2006

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