Impressionist (entertainment) - in Britain

In Britain

During the 1970s British television was awash with impressions of Frank Spencer, a character from a hugely popular British sitcom called Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em. This may have been because Frank had such distinctive mannerisms and dress sense which gave performers a number of visual shortcuts to cover for failings in their abilities. For about a decade, no British impressionist's act was complete without Frank.

From the mid 1960s to the early 1980s Mike Yarwood dominated the impressionist scene, with his own TV shows regularly attracting more than 10 million viewers. Impressionists were very popular on the televised talent shows of the 1970s; Lenny Henry is a notable example of an act that developed from this.

In the 1990s there was a certain absence of impressionists on television, with the demise of Spitting Image and Rory Bremner mainly concentrating on political figures (notably John Major, Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and also members of the Royal Family). Then in 1999 came Alistair McGowan's Big Impression with Alistair McGowan and Ronni Ancona, and in 2002 came Dead Ringers. Both these shows featured impressions of celebrities and television personalities, and also sporting figures on the former and politicians on the latter.

The ICONS in London which ran at The Venue at Leicester Square January 4 – February 28, 2007, starring notable, American-born English reared impressionist Greg London, is the first original musical that deals with impressions in depth. The book is by Greg London, West End theater director, David Taylor and London playwright,Paul Miller. In 2009 new impressions show The Impressions Show with Culshaw and Stephenson was a big hit, which starred impressionists Jon Culshaw and Debra Stephenson donning Britain's most famous faces. The programme started airing its 3rd Series in 2011.