Creative supporter of the performing arts, and ENO President, joins Literary Festival

Every year at Christmas I receive a card from the Brünjes family. I always look forward to their annual creative best wishes for the season, and they never disappoint. I have known Harry and Jacquie Brünjes for close to 20 years. They have now been married for over 40, and in all this time they have remained active in the Arts world in the UK as philanthropists, supporters and performers – Jacquie in her career as a dancer and all-round performer and Harry through comedy, as a musician, a physician, an entrepreneur and in his great interest in the performing arts.

Earlier this year he was also appointed Chair of Capital Theatres in Edinburgh, Scotland's largest and leading theatre charity, seen as a recognition of Harry's exceptional leadership and long-standing commitment to the performing arts.

The husband-and-wife team have been coming to Gibraltar and the area of Southern Spain for many years, and in the recent past have been instrumental in hosting a number of speakers at the Gibraltar Gibunco Literary Festival including well-known author, the late Jeffrey Archer, and last year Jacquie, whose stage name is Jacquie Storey, interviewed Wayne Sleep at the festival.

Harry also has a successful theatrical piece and podcast called ‘Dial Medicine for Murder’ which he presented at the Old Bailey with his co-presenter Dr Andrew Johns. It explores the psychology, pathology, and historical cases of doctors who crossed the line from healer to killer. They have performed for two seasons at the Edinburgh Festival, national tours and TV documentaries.

Dr Harry Brünjes, a doctor, will take to the stage at the Gibraltar Gibunco Literary Festival this year where he will host a special event with Phil Manzanera of Roxy Music fame and introduce Lord Charles Moore and Kate Ehrman on the final volume of the authorised biography of Margaret Thatcher.

SUPPORT OF THE PERFORMING ARTS

Harry and Jacquie first met in a summer show in which she was singing, and he was performing in a comedy/instrumentalist act. Meeting during rehearsals, he was asked to accompany her on the piano. As we often say on these pages the rest is history – they stayed together and got married and today have four children Ralph, Eric, Emma, and Harry, and eight grandchildren. She stayed in show business, and he developed a career in medicine, business and show business – and together they grew in their love and support of the performing arts.

Well-known for their contributions to medicine, the arts, and heritage preservation, their home Folkington Manor is a historic Grade II listed estate in East Sussex restored and used as a family home and events venue.

I first got to know Jacquie when she adjudicated at the annual Gibraltar International Dance Festival organised by M.O. Productions back in 2008. Jacquie, a well-known singer, dancer, choreographer, is a Fellow of The British Federation of Festivals. I interviewed her for this newspaper at the time, and we hit it off immediately. Jacquie is Chair of All England Dance. She serves on the Board of Matthew Bourne's New Adventures as Chair of Development. In the past she has also served as the Artistic Advisor of Dance World Cup UK, Chair of the Sussex Festival of Performing Arts, and as a Trustee of ArtsEd. Over the years she has presented shows with Harriet Walter, Tommy Steele, Tim Rice, Ruthie Henshall, Henry Blofeld, Alexander Armstrong, David Gower, Jenny Eclair, Ruby Wax, Lesley Garrett, Joe Stilgoe and Wayne Sleep.

When we talk about Gibraltar being a small world, where everyone knows each other, the fact is that we are not alone. Some years ago, I sailed on the first Musical’s Cruise out of the UK, and just as I stepped on board the ship, who were the first people I met? Yes, Harry and Jacquie – I could not believe it. She was there to interview the great choreographer Dame Arlene Phillips, having toured the UK with her in 'Glitz, Glamour and Gossip’.

But let me tell you about Dr Harry Brünjes who is joining us this week on Alice’s Table. Today he regularly appears on stage and at festivals with ‘Dial Medicine for Murder’, a form of touring lecture‑performance which explores medical history and criminology. A doctor by profession, his life began in a very different way - on the stage in comedy.

ENGLISH NATIONAL OPERA

Harry is the English National Opera’s former Chair and is now its current President. Earlier this year he was also appointed Chair of Capital Theatres in Edinburgh, Scotland's largest and leading theatre charity, recognised for his exceptional leadership and long-standing commitment to the performing arts.

When I ask him to choose between comedian, musician, actor, doctor or philanthropist – he quickly tells me he is all of them.

“Each is part of who I am, and I have never felt the need to choose just one.”

He describes himself starting out in the profession as more of a musician and performer than a comedian although, he emphasises, he loves comedy and continues to study comedians considering them both clever and interesting people. As a young man he played several instruments, sang and performed. It was in the summer of 1977 that he started playing the piano for Jacquie. That is how they met, and smiles when he tells me, “She was above me in the billing and never lets me forget it!”

But Harry would soon take a very different route and embark on another profession which he admits was probably not entirely his own choice.

“My parents, having been in the business, wanted me to be a doctor. I was delighted to be accepted by Guy’s Hospital in London and thoroughly enjoyed the work and the people. Nearly all my best friends today came from Guys, and we are still close today. Once I qualified, I quickly realised that it would be impossible to pursue both medicine and performing as careers. By then, Jacquie and I were about to get married. It was 1980, and we decided to settle down and start a family,” he says.

He explains that the private work began out of necessity after the great storm of 1987 when they lived in a lovely house on the clifftop just outside Brighton, and within about twenty minutes that night their home was devastated. The roof collapsed into the house, and they lost their possessions. In fact, he adds, “We were lucky to escape with our lives.”

By then they had three children, and Jacquie was expecting their fourth. That night she had to jump from a garage roof to escape, so it was extraordinary that she and the baby came through it safely, he recalls. But they were in such difficult financial circumstances after that Harry put up a plaque and began looking for private work. Over time this developed into Premier Medical and ultimately, it would change their lives. Today, he no longer practises medicine. But hardly a day goes by without somebody asking him something about it.

THE SHOW BUSINESS

Harry tells me that helping people has always given him great satisfaction, and when he sold the business, the City of London just beckoned.

“One of the stories I tell is “From Guy’s Hospital to the City — a short walk over the bridge” and within a few years, I was invited to take on roles in different companies. I also became a trustee of English National Opera and, a couple of years later, its Chair. My father was in the business, so I have always had a deep love of show business. He taught me very early on why it is called show business: there is no show without business. I feel I can understand the world from both an artistic and a commercial point of view.”

Today, more than ever he and Jacquie combine their “arts” interests. He recognises that Jacquie is an enormous help and supports him at the London Coliseum. He also works closely with her in her roles with UK Young Dancer and All England Dance, and in her development work with Sir Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures.

“We support one another and both enjoy the arts enormously. Many years ago, we worked together as a double act, so it is not unknown for us to revive a little of the old act around the piano!”

They first holidayed in Spain in 1981, just six months after their daughter was born. He recalls a photograph of them standing on the other side of the border (in the closed frontier years) with their little girl, wishing they could visit. When they returned in 1997 looking for a property – “Golf was one of the attractions, as I am a keen golfer, and we often flew into Gibraltar”- and thus began their connection with the Rock. Another of his great interests is history and not surprisingly became fascinated by the Rock’s history.

“We were also very much attracted by the warmth of the people. I first became involved with the Literary Festival when Seamus Byrne (now director of the festival) asked whether we could bring our friend and neighbour Lord Jeffrey Archer to speak. He came to the festival, and Jacquie returned last year to interview Wayne Sleep. This year I will be speaking to Charles Moore and Phil Manzanera. It is a pleasure to be involved and to share such interesting people and their stories with an audience.”

COVID TIME

As we talk about his time as Chair at English National Opera (2015 to 2025), he looks back on it as “an extraordinary time”. On joining, the company was already facing funding cuts, and the emphasis was to secure its return to the Arts Council England’s National Portfolio. There followed some successful years but then COVID struck and they were forced, like everybody else, to close the theatre and think creatively.

“One of the initiatives I am most proud of is in helping to establish, alongside the creative team, ENO Breathe. Developed with Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, it brings musical and medical expertise together to help people manage breathlessness and associated anxiety following COVID. Research has supported its benefits, and ENO reports around 5,000 participants by autumn 2026. A new pathway is also being piloted for people with asthma and COPD, with referrals through participating healthcare services,” he explains.

After COVID, ENO enjoyed successful work, and Harry began to think about retirement, but they were soon faced with another major funding crisis and pressure to establish a base outside London. Harry decided to stay on and fought hard to protect the company’s future.

“I spent a great deal of time making our case to the UK Government and seeking support. The outcome is that ENO continues to perform at its home, the London Coliseum, while also developing work and a presence in Greater Manchester,” he emphasises. Harry was honoured with a CBE Commander of the British Empire for his work in the arts.

Opera in English, which is accessible to everyone, remains central to ENO today. In his time as Chair, he worked to introduce free tickets for under-sixteens which has now grown into free-ticket opportunities for under-twenty-ones. Stepping down as Chair he was made President. With Jacquie’s support, he says, he continues to help with development and fundraising, which is something they both enjoy.

ARTS AND THEATRE

As I move our conversation to the challenges facing the Arts and theatre in the UK, Harry believes in some respects, they are the same as always and finding the show that attracts an audience.

“People enjoy being entertained, but identifying the right production at the right moment requires real judgement. Jacquie and I enjoy a very wide range of work — opera, ballet, musicals, jazz, plays, choral singing and recitals. Occasionally, we see something we thoroughly enjoy with very few people in the audience. But however good it is, it cannot survive without attracting enough people. Sometimes it is simply a matter of timing. A production may be ahead of its time, or the public may be looking for something different. The people who can identify the perfect show for the perfect moment are very clever indeed.”

With costs rising and ticket prices on the increase Harry agrees production costs need to be kept under control wherever possible so that tickets can remain reasonably priced. Theatre in general must be realistic about what audiences can afford. But he knows this is difficult when the cost of every element of a production is increasing.

“Looking at ticket prices on Broadway, I do still feel the West End can offer good value, but keeping theatre affordable remains a real challenge.”

However, he remains optimistic about the future.

“We spend so much time looking at screens — even talking to one another, and to AI, through them — that I believe people will increasingly want the experience of going out, seeing others and sharing an afternoon or evening together. As the song says, “People who need people”. I worry about losing that personal touch. Bringing it back to comedy, comedians rely on observing people and recognising funny situations. If we spend our lives behind screens, we risk losing some of that richness. Live entertainment, live music and being together matter. I believe people will come back to those experiences and that they will thrive in the future.”

Emma & Tom Wedding Photos 22nd February 2020.

In the last few years Harry has returned to the stage – his natural environment – where he has been busy as a performer, and as part of a duo heading a very successful live show called ‘Dial Medicine for Murder’ (which has become a podcast). It started life as a conversation with his friend/co-presenter/podcaster Dr Andrew Johns, a forensic psychiatrist. It was first performed at the Edinburgh Festival in 2015 and has continued to evolve. Delivered in front of audiences around the UK, and even America, in a great variety of venues including the Old Bailey and the Royal Courts of Justice just last year.

“The Old Bailey was very special, probably one of our favourite performances. We recreated the original John Bodkin Adams court case, and standing in the dock was quite an experience. Andrew has given evidence there on many occasions, but it was a first for me. I am pleased to say I have never been on trial for anything! As a theatrical venue, it presented different challenges. The lighting, microphones and technical arrangements needed more organising than in a conventional theatre. Jacquie, who has directed and supported the show since the beginning, organised that side of things and now runs all the technical elements for us. Those settings give the piece a very particular atmosphere.”

DIAL MEDICINE FOR MURDER

Then came the podcast ‘Dial Medicine for Murder’ which developed as a video podcast, filmed against a green screen, so that on screen they appeared to be sitting in a wonderful library. Now, every time they think they have finished with it, it resurfaces and somebody asks them to perform it again. There are discussions about developing it further, and they now hope they may tour again next year.

When I say to Harry, “I know you are a great storyteller” and ask him if this is the secret of his success. He quickly says this question makes him laugh.

Harry Brunjes and Andrew Johns.

“I have always thought of Jeffrey Archer, as the great storyteller! I have never written a book, although Jacquie keeps encouraging me. Perhaps I will get around to it when I retire. If there is a secret to my success, I think it is people. I enjoy meeting them, watching them and learning from them. While I was doing my A Levels, my father encouraged me to work as a Butlins Redcoat. I learned to deal with all sorts of people, entertain them and put them at ease. That ability to observe and understand people has helped me in medicine, business and comedy.

As we turn to this year’s Gibunco Gibraltar Literary Festival, he tells me, he is looking forward to taking to the stage on the Rock. With Phil Manzanera, he assures me they will be talking about Roxy Music and the fascinating Phil Manzanera life story with his background and history set to surprise us. Of that there is no doubt, and for certain, Harry will bring out the best in him.

“Come along: there is much more to discover than the music alone,” he adds.

As to the talk by Lord Charles Moore on the final volume of his acclaimed authorised biography of Margaret Thatcher, examining the dramatic closing years of her premiership, her fall from power, and the enduring legacy she left behind, Harry is quick to remind me Margaret Thatcher asked Charles to write her biography. The event will include a theatrical performance featuring a semi-dramatisation of Margaret Thatcher’s final three days in office, followed by a Q&A with Harry.

“He knew her extremely well and produced three wonderfully detailed volumes. His knowledge is extraordinary, and he is also a very amusing man. Audiences can look forward to a fascinating and entertaining conversation.”

Researching this column, I read how his colleagues have described Harry as tireless, generous, determined – words I would agree with, but I would add storyteller, charm and sincerity. All, he has always applied in getting the best for the Arts which he will always support.

Harry recognises the Arts have been an important part of his life and firmly believes “they are vital for the future”, and together with Jacquie he will continue to be involved and support the Arts into the future. Importantly for us, they will also continue to form part of our Literary Festival.