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Comedian George Fouracres has spent the last couple of months embodying Keir Starmer for the UK's version of Saturday Night Live. In doing so, he has studied the Prime Minister's every move, speech, and foible. So just what does the PM have that makes him who he is? George joins Lewis Goodall to discuss. Listen to the full show on the all-new LBC App: https://app.af.lbc.co.uk/btnc/thenewlbcapp #lewisgoodall #georgefouracres #keirstarmer #starmer #snl #snluk #labour #politics #ukpolitics #government #comedy #ukcomedy #LBC LBC is the home of live debate around news and current affairs in the UK. Join in the conversation and listen at https://www.lbc.co.uk/ Sign up to LBC’s weekly newsletter here: https://l-bc.co/signup
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0:00
Well, George, or should I say Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, thanks so much for coming in
0:04
Look, I want to talk a little bit about Keir Starmer, but first, Saturday Night Live
0:08
which has just come to the end of this inaugural run, or Saturday Night Live UK, I should say, SNL UK
0:13
And it's been, I mean, I've loved it, it's been a tremendous success, you must be really pleased, you and the whole cast
0:17
Yeah, we are really chuffed, thank you, yeah. It's been a wild ride
0:22
I bet. Because it's only been, like, two months? I think the first ep was the end of March
0:30
and it's now the end of May. And how did they go about... Because for people who haven't seen it
0:35
it's obviously based on the very long-running US version, which is basically sketch comedy
0:41
It's hosted by a celebrity, and there's a lot of political sketches and parodies of contemporary culture in all kinds of ways
0:49
And it's a sort of cast format. How did they go about casting it
0:53
When did you get the call? Did they do auditions, or did they call you up? Kind of very, like, really very straightforward, but, like, mad
1:00
So we did a self-tape in the first instance where you just have five, no more than five minutes
1:07
and you have to fill that five minutes with sort of what you do, basically
1:14
Right. Which could be anything. That's how they do it at LBC, as well as the presenters. It's exactly the same process
1:19
You should have seen Nick Ferraris. Christ. I would love to see that
1:24
Done in 1966 in black and white. Sorry. Yeah. And then that was the first stage
1:30
And then the second stage again. So all three stages, no more than five minutes
1:37
Second stage, you had to do it. So that was just self tape
1:41
Then five minutes of a live thing that you did in front of an audience
1:47
And then the third stage, the final stage, is the one that you can see on YouTube
1:52
which is the real terror monger, which is where you do your five minutes
1:58
It's not always the same five minutes, by the way. It's just the five minutes that you do
2:03
And you do it to what can only really be described as the void
2:11
Just like it's in a studio and the studio is completely empty, pitch black
2:17
and you just walk on and do your thing to the camera
2:21
and then you just go. Well, it's just like LBC. Yeah, exactly. Perfect
2:26
And I suppose, I mean, I remember when I sort of heard, because obviously SNL is a huge institution in America
2:33
like really, really massive. Some of the biggest comics and actors in America
2:38
have been on it or are on it. And when I heard that Sky were bringing it to the UK
2:44
I mean, I think there was a lot of scepticism about it because there was this sort of idea that it was very American
2:49
and that that type of sketch comedy, the way that they do it, maybe a bit forced
2:54
maybe a bit exaggerated, wouldn't sort of translate to UK audiences. But I don't think any of that has been true at all
2:59
I mean, it's gone down an absolute storm. I'd like to think it's not. Yeah, well, thank you
3:03
That's really kind of you. And I think, to be honest, I am not a pessimistic person
3:12
I am an optimistic person. You have to be coming from the black country. Yeah, you've got to, otherwise you're dumb for
3:19
I get that there... I sort of get, I don't agree with
3:24
but I get that there was an apprehension when it first came in because there's no fear like the fear of the unknown
3:29
And we just didn't know... I think people just didn't know what it was going to look like
3:33
And I think they... Like, comedians and actors, and, like, so much of us love the American version
3:42
because we can see how we would want to work and how we would want to make stuff and create stuff
3:49
and be able to just try stuff. But if you're not in the industry or if you don't do it yourself
3:59
then you might be like, why would they be bringing this American thing
4:03
that's such an institution there? They might be like, well, does that mean that it is just American
4:09
in a way that's not going to translate? And it doesn't feel that. It doesn't feel. I don't think so
4:13
No, it's a very British version. Yeah, and I think, like, it's the format is the thing
4:18
The format is the gift. And I love that anyway, because I just love
4:24
I love that there's a guest host who does everything. I love the live music
4:29
And I love that, like, it's manic and frantic how we put it together
4:33
You've got some big stars, do you? You've got Jamie Dornan do it, Shooty Gatua. Yeah, Jamie Dornan, Tina Fey, Shooty, yeah, Amy Lou Wood
4:39
Still waiting for the call myself. You'll get it, you'll get it, Lewis. So I can't wait, I can't wait
4:43
But did you, I mean, like, it's funny, isn't it, you talk about the format, because it strikes me as well
4:48
that actually it sort of brought back to the UK something that hasn't been for quite a long time
4:54
which is sketch comedy, especially sort of quasi-political sketch comedy, something which there was like when I was growing up
5:00
I think you as well, there was actually a lot of on TV, but there's not very much, or there hasn't been very much for some time
5:05
Were you conscious of that? Yeah, absolutely. And when I first sort of started in the industry
5:11
like 15 years ago, I was an actor, but I sort of found my outlet as an actor
5:17
in writing, sketch, comedy. And because it gave you an opportunity to do lots of things
5:24
over the course of, say, what you would work up into an hour at the Edinburgh Fringe, you would be able to play lots of characters
5:30
And I love getting really deep in. I'm really nerdy about, like, playing lots of different characters
5:36
trying lots of different voices and, you know, and really digging my teeth into that sort of stuff
5:42
And there was, like, I don't know, it was just, like, maybe it's a sort of budgetary thing
5:46
or just the weather of the world. But throughout that time, when I was doing live sketch
5:54
it was kind of like in 2015, 2014, 2015, 2016, there was so many amazing sketch groups doing live sketch comedy
6:06
that just very rarely translated to TV because it's expensive to do things where it's like
6:12
oh, this one's set in a castle, this one's set in space, this one's set at your mum's
6:16
It was like just, I guess it just became like not cost effective or whatever, or it became unfashionable
6:22
Is it also partly because there's been, I mean, I felt, you know, sort of as a journalist observing, you sort of feel there are sort of glimmers of this in journalism, but you can see it in comedy as well
6:31
Particularly sort of post Brexit years, a lot of commissioners and a lot of TV became quite nervous about politics
6:37
100%. The idea of woke comedy and all that. I think, like, I feel like there was, like, a very, like
6:48
it became a thinner and thinner, a wedge that became thinner and thinner over the course of those years
6:53
where the, I guess, the lightness of touch that you could have around satire
7:01
like everything became very loaded with good reason because the political weather of the world became extremely fractious extremely dangerous and like in the world of social media as well
7:17
like, costly, I guess, for, like, you know, putting a foot wrong. You can create a storm about it. Exactly
7:23
And, like, that's... It's a lot of, like, time and emotional labour
7:28
when you are constantly having to, like... I guess, defend yourself. All the discourse around that
7:36
especially a lot of the discourse. Have you been conscious of that with SNL? I've stayed away from all of that stuff
7:43
My mental health, I was like, I was like, I am staying
7:47
I said to my parents, I said to my family, I said to everyone, I was like
7:51
right, I'm going to say this. What has been said to us is like
7:54
don't read the comments, don't read the reviews and the online stuff
7:59
just enjoy the show because that's what it's for, is to be enjoyed. And you know all that's going to be out there
8:07
and you feel the pressure of that, absolutely. But there's no way you can let that put you off doing it
8:14
because it's got to happen. No, and on the flip side, I suppose, as well
8:18
the sort of social media world, and this is one of the sort of ironies in a way with sketch comedy dying
8:22
it's sort of perfectly suited for sketch comedy, because you can just watch a clip
8:26
or a particular sketch on YouTube and they get, you know, yours has got huge views
8:30
And what's crazy about that is, and what's lovely about that is that, like, being, like, a comedy fan and an actor and a comedian for years and years, and, like, I love Saturday Night Live in America, and I love American comedy as well, as British comedy, is we would see all of that online
8:52
Like, we would see that on YouTube, we would see that on Instagram, and not TikTok, because I am nearly 36
8:58
I find it very loud, don't you? I find it very, very loud
9:03
It's a lot. It's a lot. My thumb's too old. I know, I know. Take you back to good old Calm X
9:09
Nothing bad happens there. Isn't there a Flash website for this? Watch this on Weeble stuff
9:16
Particularly, I remember around 2016 in America, I remember that being the era where I was like
9:22
this is so exciting to me, seeing how rapidly they were addressing
9:26
what was at the time was just sort of unthinkably insane around like all the Trump's first election and stuff like that
9:34
And I was like, God, this is like, I wish we had something like this here that was just like this
9:40
but so hard, like how are we ever going to land on something like that? And so seeing all that stuff on social media and online
9:48
I thought, well, that's how people are going to see the show. And that is how people are viewing the show
9:51
And that's really lovely. But what's also been doubly lovely that I think none of us were
9:56
expecting is that people are tuning in are waiting for it on Saturday
10:00
and are looking forward to it on Saturday and are tuning in to see it on Saturday when it
10:04
goes out and that's really nice like I get like people in their 60s and I get like
10:10
kids who are like 22 coming up to me and saying oh I really
10:14
love the show and they watch it together and stuff and like that that's I mean obviously what we're aiming for
10:20
but it's like a really genuinely lovely surprise. And were you all very political
10:24
well i'll say individually individually i think probably varying degrees like varying degrees i
10:32
think there's 11 of us so we're all just very different people and and when you say you think
10:37
it's british did you consciously try and sort of because i mean there's often a bit of i always
10:41
think of pomposity about the way sometimes we talk about humans are humans much superior to
10:45
american humor and actually there's there's you know there's always be funny things there's not
10:49
often there are differences humor is kind of has national characteristics but often you know funny
10:53
is funny. But in what way did you actually actively sort of try and make
10:57
it British rather than American? Because you were sort of changing this very long-running format. I think the thing is, what we didn't
11:03
change was, like, how the show works. And I think, like, I think what we were never going to do
11:11
is, like, we were never going to be like, right, let's sit down and write, say, 100 sketches
11:15
about baked beans, or 100 sketches about, like, gravy or something. It was like... There'll be a market for it
11:21
Listen, if... We are basically on Boomer Island, my friend. They'll love that stuff
11:25
That's my upcoming spin-off, Beans and Gravy with Four Acres. But because the room is just full of..
11:32
The writer's room and the cast is full of people of a variety of different backgrounds
11:38
who just love comedy and want to make comedy and do comedy
11:45
and are from across different... The spectrum of British society. is obviously we're going to have been absorbing in our lives
11:56
our life here, and those of us who are... We're mainly age-wise between 23 and 40
12:07
So that voice was just, I think, always going to come through, and I presume that..
12:12
I guess the casting process, how they cast it and who they cast is part of that
12:19
but there was no conscious effort to be like, we need to be more like Land of Hope and Glory-esque
12:25
because that's just not really how it works. So for people who haven't seen it
12:30
obviously you all play different characters in it, but the character for which I think in this series
12:34
you've obviously been most synonymous or well-known is indeed the Prime Minister, Keir Starmer
12:39
How did it come about that you were chosen? Did you want to do Keir
12:44
To be honest, I was happy to do him because I'm very interested in politics
12:50
and my favourite bits of the US series were the cold opens
12:55
which is the bit where we just start the show, just because I'm a politics nerd
13:00
And I was very keen to be involved with that and I thought, wouldn't it be great if I got to play
13:06
whoever the Prime Minister is at that point? Because even from January, you're just like
13:11
look, we've got four months gap here. We could have gone through three in that time
13:17
And I think it was just one of those things that just happened. We had like five weeks of writing workshops and stuff
13:23
to get into the, you know, to train us up, basically, for what we were going to be doing
13:28
And it was just one of those things where it was just like I did a few sketches here and there as him
13:33
and we kind of lighted on this character of him that I ended up portraying that then became
13:41
that sort of became our him, I think. and in a way
13:46
he might be a sort of peculiar character to be drawn to
13:50
apart from the fact that he's Prime Minister obviously so he's important but he's not a man I think it's fair to say
13:54
I don't think well maybe you would mind me saying this but he's not a man who sort of
13:59
necessarily exudes comedic potential let's put it that way on the face of it
14:03
was it slightly daunting like how to make this man who's very unfunny funny
14:08
although that's kind of what you do you sort of highlight the fact that he appears to be blamed I think that see yeah I find it very funny that someone would have no comic traits I find that to me is very comically magnetic
14:24
the idea that someone would be... I am fascinated by people who have no sense of humour
14:30
You're going to meet John Stopel. Oh, I've heard him a few times
14:36
I am, like, the fact that... Because also, he's not like, he is not George Washington, for instance
14:44
in that he's a complete, he's like a vessel with which to fill up any character
14:51
He is him. And I do find that very fascinating. And I, to be honest, a lot of my thinking around him
15:02
was mainly to do with like his movements and stuff. because I'm not an impressionist
15:07
as I'm sure many people probably would agree, off the back of that impression of Keir Starmer
15:12
It's pretty good. Oh, that's very kind of you. Not bad at all. Thank you
15:17
That's quite a lie. But he is quite specific. Yes, he has a very distinctive voice
15:24
He's a very distinctive voice. Like, yeah, you know. Glottal. Release the sausages
15:29
That kind of, like, that is fascinating to me. that, like, he..
15:36
Release the what? Release the sausages. A seminal moment. It was a seminal moment
15:42
This was his conference speech where he... This was his conference speech. This was his conference speech where..
15:46
Yeah, it's serious stuff. It was serious, but... Release the sausages. It's like, come on
15:51
But he, my father was a toolbiker. And all this sort of stuff is like
15:55
he's a bit of an earworm for me. And, like, I can't quite land on what he's saying
16:00
because he does have this very specific voice where he's like, and I tried to pick up on those little bits of it where he's like
16:09
you know, he is a working class lad who's had this amazing career and stuff
16:14
that he's still got that element to his voice of that like, I don't think, you know, his vowels sometimes surprise you in the direction, you know
16:25
But also just the fascinating part of it is also like Kevin Fortune
16:30
and the team in hair and make-up who, the first time they put that wig on me
16:36
and I was like, oh my God, that's his scalp that I'm looking at
16:40
I was like, something's not right. And we then went, I was like, we've got to grey out my lips
16:47
so you can't see my lips. One thing I wanted to do, but we just didn't have time in there
16:52
was I wanted to wear contact lenses that would just change the colour of my eye, but there was just all sorts of reasons
16:56
Because he's got like He's very like monochrome Like His hair, there's not much difference
17:04
His hair and his face He has got quite teenage hair as well
17:08
He's got a great hairline He's got a great hairline But it's all very kind of
17:14
It's like a helmet almost And that's like him, everything's so controlled
17:18
His hair is so controlled The level of, like Kevin would like
17:22
We'd do one week and then Kevin would come back the next week And be like, look I've just
17:26
seen that he's got this little one bit of the parting of his hair
17:33
Yeah, he does. My hairdresser is obsessed with this. But it's like a little strand
17:37
Yeah, it's just a strand. My hairdresser's told me about this. It's because he's fascinated by this, my hairdresser, right
17:43
Big shout out to Scott. He's basically pulled the parting too far over
17:48
It's not sitting where it should be naturally. Yeah, he's forcing it
17:54
And somehow it's over there. I've got to make it smart. he's done that but there's also like to be honest and i'm i'm happy in retrospect that i have seen
18:03
that a few people have like picked up on it that there was this i was like well i can't just do him
18:08
because you want to like create a recognizable character that is recognizably him but as i say
18:14
i'm not an impressionist so i'm not going to blow people away with the impression itself i'm going to
18:19
hopefully try and make something that's recognisable to people as the spirit of that person
18:26
And so I did a lot. I found the more I kind of..
18:31
I did this voice and he does this thing with his thumb where when he's doing something very serious
18:37
he'll stand slightly to the side and he'll soften his voice at a very strange moment
18:43
almost like he's running out of breath. And he's like, if I say a consonant too hard
18:46
it's going to alarm people. And so I did that. And then kind of what naturally happened
18:53
is that his upper body became strangely stiff. And then I was like, oh, he's like a cross between Zippy and George from Rainbow
19:05
And then because that first cold open, he sat at the desk like that
19:09
What happened is I kind of, I sort of, every, you know
19:13
his whole head moved with his shoulders like that. and then that weirdly became him
19:20
And the gift, may God bless him, was... Mip, mip. That one day, like, that clip on our, like
19:33
our, like, writers and cast WhatsApp group of someone being like, has anyone seen Mip, mip
19:42
If you've not seen this or heard this, you must look it up
19:46
what's clearly happening is that over the top of everyone going like
19:50
making all those stupid noises that they make in the House of Commons just that tumult
19:55
he comes forward and clearly he's about to go Mr Speaker but he just
19:59
he doesn't quite get the mister out so he goes mep mep and then
20:05
mep mep became I was like we were like how do we work this in and then we did the
20:09
millionaire one where I was like where it's like he's like can't think of the right answer and he's like mep mep
20:16
And so Mitt became this sort of... It's so perfect. It's kind of like him sort of resetting
20:23
or his alarm generally at things around him. Mitt, Mitt would be this kind of little car horn
20:28
You must have watched loads of him. Yes, yeah. Do you like him
20:33
What, me personally? Do you have much time for him? People sometimes say they feel sorry for him
20:39
and you've lampooned him professionally. I don't feel sorry for him, no. And I think, and I hope this is okay to say, I hope
20:47
Just say it, mate. Let's go for it. I don't, like, it is, I am a human being
20:53
and I hope I'm quite an empathetic person. And, like, it is not nice to say, like
21:00
what I don't think anyone is interested in doing anyway is just being like, I'm a big stupid head, borp, borp, borp
21:06
because that's not also very interesting. but um he's the he's the premier of the country and he has a great deal of power and you know
21:17
even within the the parliamentary system the power the executive power that the prime minister has is actually very very high And you know I can I probably can really talk about my own political
21:33
leanings. But as a politician, I don't know him as a man. I've got no idea what he's like
21:39
as a man. I think that's clearly intentional. None of us know what he's like, because he's
21:44
That guy. But I am personally not a fan of a lot of his stuff
21:59
Do you enjoy lampooning him? I don't, for instance, as I'm sure there are probably some impressionists and satirists who do
22:08
I don't get off on the thrill of the chase. I don't feel the bloodlust of going after..
22:14
Like, there are certain people who maybe I would. With him, it's more like I genuinely, truly believe
22:21
that these people with that amount of power should be lampoonable. And satirised
22:29
And satirised. And I think it's actually quite an important... I know this probably sounds a bit pretentious
22:36
and I do mean it lightly, But I do think that we as a democracy, because bear in mind, like all of us, anyone who makes any programme, whatever side of the political divide you fall on, you are a voter and you are a member of this democracy
22:52
And you have the right to take the mick out of the prime minister
22:57
That's deeply British. It's very British. And I think that like, like, I don't agree with nastiness
23:03
I don't agree with. I don't think your impression is nasty, actually. I hope not
23:08
I don't think it's nasty. It's not interesting to me to watch nastiness. It's not interesting to me
23:13
But it does, like all good impressions and satire, alight upon a fundamental truth about it. Yeah
23:17
And he and his government, the government of this nation generally, I'm sure
23:25
has to take responsibility for the way they are perceived and the way they behave and the way they act and their policies
23:34
so we are within our rights as people to do a silly impression of them
23:39
so I don't feel guilty about that, no I am not a member of the Labour Party
23:46
I used to be a member of the Labour Party I think that like
23:54
making fun of the leader of the Labour Party or making fun of the Prime Minister
23:59
there is even a difference between making fun of the leader of the Labour Party and making fun of the leader
24:03
of the country um i i think it's kind of baked into our traditions as a country this is me talking by the way you
24:12
know me personally it is baked into the tradition of our democracy and and i don't think we've seen
24:18
enough of it in in the last 15 years and i'm glad we've been able to do it in a way that's not like
24:23
we're not going after people we're just reflecting something that we hope is relatable to people to
24:31
see and highlighting it's also like any kind of high stakes highfalutin stuff
24:40
is inherently ludicrous and ridiculous in the true sense of the word
24:45
and showing that to people through being this to me it's just
24:50
that should be fine I think. Would you like to meet him? I don't think he'd like to meet
24:55
me. Well and here he is George I've got some good news for you
24:59
the prime minister Oh, my God, I recognise that sound. And then he comes around the corner
25:04
And just points at me, going, oh, no. And then he chases me around, going, that would be amazing, to be fair
25:10
Do you know what? I would, I, there's, yes, I would like to meet him
25:17
One day, I'm sure. Maybe you're presenting that series. I hope, like, I can't internalise
25:23
He'll need something to do. I can't internalise. What a night of comedy that will be. Live
25:30
Live from Rygate. Why did you do that? Why did you keep going mip-mip? I did that once
25:35
It's not fair. Matt Ford always said he's all about his strangulated voice. Matt Ford also
25:41
does a good impression of Starmel. The way he would get into him, just to do the
25:45
impression, he would say, Metropolitan Police. Just something about the way Keir Starmer would say, Metropolitan Police
25:51
It's just like every syllable's perfect to really get you into the Starmel. He's got a lawyerly manner about him
25:57
I think that's fair. Although someone once told me, which I always thought, this could be the one thing now that could rescue his premiership
26:02
this is one thing maybe if he sort of wheeled this out. Someone once told me that in private, he sometimes refers to himself in the third person
26:09
Is that true? Someone told me that it's true. He'll say things like, that was a bad day for Keir Starmer
26:15
which I think is quite good. He should do more of that, right? I kind of get that because I think what is difficult
26:20
and what so few people in the world, although an increasing number
26:24
know what it's like to be the Prime Minister of Great Britain and of the United Kingdom
26:29
Keir Starmer don't like this. This doesn't work for Keir Starmer. So long, buddy
26:36
See, it's perfect. He'll be Prime Minister this time next year if he starts wheeling that out
26:40
Just finally, who do you think you'll be doing impressions of come the next series
26:45
Honestly, do you know what? I have no idea. I have no idea
26:49
Do you know who's a big one for me? Go on. and unfortunately is one of my best impressions, Enoch Powell
26:57
Oh, such a distinct... Is he going to make a... Of all the potential Prime Ministers that we've heard of recently, George
27:03
I have to say Enoch Powell, even down Paddy Power, is 100 to 1 right now
27:08
But rising... The ghost of Enoch Powell is... Very distinctive voice. Mad voice
27:13
He's got that very sort of... He was the member of Parliament for, I believe
27:18
Wolverhampton South West. That's right. And it's actually, the more you watch of Enoch Powell being interviewed
27:25
the more infuriating a character he becomes. Because he's immensely patronising. He's like, you know when people are like
27:34
especially in the current political discourse, it's like, the more you watch of him, the more you listen to what he says
27:40
I'm like, yeah, the more you can conclude he's a white supremacist
27:45
And he thinks the person he's talking to is a moron. You know, on his Desert Island disc, he chose five Wagner
27:51
And he said he would have chosen eight Wagner, but he wanted to give a bit of variation for the audience
27:57
Absolutely. And so he chose three Beethoven instead. And his favourite food that he was allowed was smoked fish paste
28:04
And he was like, I believe that my Nordic ancestors would have..
28:08
Whatever it is in my DNA. And then he's like, it is a terrible thing you have done to me
28:12
putting me on this island. I'm like, it's a bit of fun, Enoch. God, loosen up
28:16
I don't think he was a very fun guy, was he, really? Well, George, I mean, as a man who likes to specialise
28:22
in 1960s political impressions, my Harold Wilson seriously getting almost no purchase
28:27
these days whatsoever. It's nice to meet a fellow traveller. George, an absolute pleasure
28:31
Good luck with the next series. Thank you. Thank you so much. It's lovely to meet you, Lewis
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