Rob Brydon is set to return to the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff, the institution where his career began, for a sell-out performance on Wednesday. The comedian and actor, who left the college in the mid-1980s after landing a job at BBC Radio Wales, will be visiting for the first time since a £22.5 million refurbishment was completed in the summer.
Reflecting on his time there, Brydon said: 'I loved it there. It was 1984. I only stayed for a year and a half because I was offered a job on BBC radio. I came here and got a room in a house in Oakfield Street in Roath and I loved it.' He is currently promoting his autobiography, 'Small Man in a Book', which covers his life up to 2000, when he first gained national recognition with shows like 'Human Remains' and 'Marion and Geoff'.
In the book, Brydon recalls a childhood in Baglan, Port Talbot, marked by both happiness and tragedy. He notes that several schools he attended also produced other celebrities: Eddie Izzard, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Ruth Jones. He recounts an amusing story about accidentally spending lunch money given to him for Zeta-Jones, whom he later met briefly at the Baftas.
Brydon also writes about the death of his baby brother Jeremy from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome when Brydon was six. 'It's not a pleasant thing to write about, but more for my parents than me. I don't remember very much about it at all. Perhaps I've just blocked it out,' he said.
Now a familiar face on British television, Brydon hosts 'The Rob Brydon Show' and the quiz 'Would I Lie to You?', and is best known for his role in 'Gavin and Stacey'. He acknowledges that his Welsh identity remains a constant in his professional life. 'They rarely say comedian and actor Rob Brydon, it's usually Welsh comedian and Welsh actor. It's who I am,' he said. He believes that 'Gavin and Stacey' helped increase awareness of Wales, and hints that viewers may not have seen the last of the show.
