Alistair McGowan says doing impressions could be a dying art

Alistair McGowan says doing impressions could be a dying art because younger audiences don’t watch television and won’t get it

Doing impressions could be a dying art, says Alistair McGowan, because younger audience members don’t watch television and therefore have no idea who he is impersonating.

The comedian, 58, lamented that in the 21st century, his ‘methodology doesn’t really work for a modern audience’.

The Big Impression star added he is happy to do old impressions but would much rather play the piano than search for new ones because he is no longer motivated. 

‘I still do some live shows but that is drawing to a close now as I am not feeling motivated enough,’ he told The Scots Magazine.

‘When I have done certain events recently, I have noticed that younger audiences just don’t watch television in the way we used to. The younger audience particularly has no idea who these people are, so my whole methodology doesn’t really work for a modern audience.’ 

Copycat: Doing impressions could be a dying art, says Alistair McGowan, because younger audience members don’t watch television and therefore have no idea who he is impersonating

Problem: The comedian lamented that in the 21st century, his ‘methodology doesn’t really work for a modern audience’

McGowan’s The Big Impression TV show first aired in 2000 and continued for five seasons.

McGowan and co-star Ronni Ancona would impersonate the likes of David and Victoria Beckham, Tony Blair and Jeremy Clarkson, among others. 

But McGowan, who won a BAFTA for The Big Impression in 2002, said: ‘It works for an audience my age or above, and for those I am very happy to dust off my old impressions and throw in a few new ones, but it is harder and I am less interested.

‘Before, I would sit in front of a television show and watch people and think about impersonating, but now I’ll sit in front of the piano. Things do still come in and if I need to work on a voice I will, but I’m not trying to perfect the latest football manager, like I would do in the old days.’

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