Alistair McGowan: Damn Labels!, Gilded Balloon 7:30pm, until 25 Aug (except 22), £14.50 (£13 concessions)
The Gilded Balloon Debating Hall’s 7:30pm slot is now home to an accomplished family-friendly performer in the shape of Alistair McGowan, whose impressions are known across the nation, largely due to the award-winning ratings-smash ‘The Big Impression’ which aired a decade ago. You read that correctly – a decade – quite staggering.
Unlike his televised outings, there are no props and no make-up in this fast-paced performance which puts the focus solely on McGowan’s vocal abilities that are often matched with proficient physical impressions of those who he impersonates.
Among the many voices are Terry Wogan, Jo Brand and David Beckham, along with an abundance of sports, comedy and TV personalities, as well as a bonus impression of David Dickinson that McGowan admitted was unplanned. His bank of impressions could be compared to a melt-in-the-middle chocolate sponge – once he starts, the impressions ooze out to create a delicious mix of accents and personas.
McGowan manages to maintain a solid pace by intertwining the impressions with comedic and personal anecdotes.
His vast array of impressions had the audience in stitches, with each and every one recognisable and virtually all of them perfected. McGowan’s raw talent is undeniable, with it being little wonder that the 400-seat venue was filled to the brim.
