English comedian and actor (born 1964)
Alistair Charles McGowan
(born 24 November 1964) is an English
impressionist
, comic, actor, singer and writer best known to British audiences for
The Big Impression
(formerly
Alistair McGowan's Big Impression
), which was, for four years, one of BBC1's top-rating comedy programmes ? winning numerous awards, including a BAFTA in 2003.
[1]
He has also worked extensively in theatre and appeared in the West End in
Art
,
Cabaret
,
The Mikado
and
Little Shop of Horrors
(for which he received a
Laurence Olivier Award
nomination).
[2]
As a television actor, he played the lead role in
BBC1
's
Mayo
. He wrote the play
Timing
(nominated as Best New Comedy at the whatsonstage.com awards
[3]
) and the book
A Matter of Life and Death or How to Wean Your Man off Football
with former comedy partner
Ronni Ancona
. He also provided voices for
Spitting Image
.
He made his debut broadcast as a tennis commentator.
[
citation needed
]
In 2012, McGowan wrote and hosted the
ITV
comedy sports show
You Cannot Be Serious!
, in which his impressions included
Roy Hodgson
,
Jedward
and
Louie Spence
.
[
citation needed
]
He has written and starred in three plays for
BBC Radio 4
about
Erik Satie
(
Three Pieces in the Shape of a Pear
), John Field (
The Peregrinations of a Most Musical Irishman
) and George Bernard Shaw (
The 'B' Word
). He devised stage shows showcasing the music and verse of Noel Coward (
Sincerely Noel
), and the music and writings of Erik Satie (
Erik Satie's-faction
). He wrote the stage play
Timing
(nominated as Best New Comedy at the 2009 whatsonstage.com awards
[4]
).
Career
[
edit
]
McGowan found work as a comedian, and performed some of the voices for the
ITV
television series
Spitting Image
. His sporting impressions were showcased on the
BBC 2
football magazine programme
Sick as a Parrot
. He also appeared as the recycling man in the BBC show
Think about Science
.
Later he took over from
Stephen Tompkinson
playing Spock in the
Tim Firth
comedy drama,
Preston Front
. In his early career, McGowan had minor roles in shows such as
Children's Ward
, and in the pilot episode of
Jonathan Creek
. He also was a series regular in the first season of
Dead Ringers
.
McGowan also appeared in the Scottish football sketch show
Only an Excuse?
from 1996 to 1998. He also hosted and starred in a sporting impressions show on
BBC Radio 5 Live
called
The Game's Up
in the late 1990s.
In 1998, McGowan provided all of the voice characterisation in the 1998 revival of
James the Cat
for
Channel 5
and later in the 2000s, McGowan went on to provide guest voices for
Yoko! Jakamoko! Toto!
and
Planet Sketch
both for
CITV
(
Yoko! Jakamoko! Toto!
later went onto air on both the BBC and
CBeebies
in 2008).
From 2 June to 7 July 2012, McGowan has hosted and written the ITV comedy series,
You Cannot Be Serious!
Impressions include England manager
Roy Hodgson
, Eurovision duo
Jedward
, and TV personality
Louie Spence
.
McGowan is patron of the Ludlow
Fringe Festival
, where he first performed live in 2013.
[5]
At the town's
St Laurence's Church
during the 2021 festival, he performed
The Piano Show
combining classical pieces played on a
Steinway Grand Piano
with stand-up comedy and impressions.
[6]
The Big Impression
[
edit
]
McGowan is best known for the TV show
The Big Impression
, formerly
Alistair McGowan's Big Impression
, with
Ronni Ancona
. His celebrity impressions include
David Beckham
,
Sven-Goran Eriksson
,
Gary Lineker
,
Nicky Campbell
,
Richard Madeley
,
Tony Blair
,
Prince Charles
,
Robert Kilroy-Silk
,
Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen
,
Angus Deayton
,
Terry Wogan
and the fictional characters
Ross Geller
(from
Friends
) and
Dot Cotton
(from
EastEnders
).
McGowan and Ancona are probably best known for their portrayal of
Posh and Becks
, with McGowan as David Beckham and Ancona in the role of
Victoria Beckham
.
Return to acting and radio work (2005)
[
edit
]
He made a return to dramatic acting in 2005, appearing in the
BBC
's adaptation of
Charles Dickens
's novel
Bleak House
. He also appeared at the
Chichester Festival Theatre
in two plays; the first was a new translation of
Nikolai Gogol
's
The Government Inspector
by
Alistair Beaton
, the second was a new play called
5/11
, which was produced to mark the 400-year anniversary of the
Gunpowder Plot
. In 2006, he starred in the detective series
Mayo
. He also presented an episode of
Have I Got News for You
on 20 October 2006. He joined the
Royal Shakespeare Company
for the Christmas 2006 season playing Mr Page in
Merry Wives: the Musical
(a version of
The Merry Wives of Windsor
) opposite
Judi Dench
,
Simon Callow
and
Haydn Gwynne
.
Despite his acting commitments, he continued to appear on BBC Radio and television as an announcer and as an impersonator. He has re-voiced video footage of
BBC Sports Personality of the Year
and
Match of the Day
.
[7]
In 2007, McGowan starred as Orin Scrivello (and other, smaller characters) in the
West End
transfer of the
Menier Chocolate Factory
's revival of
Little Shop of Horrors
, and filmed
My Life in Ruins
, an American comedy film set in the ruins of
ancient Greece
. In 2008 he made his directing debut at
Guildhall School of Music and Drama
(where he studied) with
Noel Coward
's classic comedy
Semi-Monde
.
[8]
In January and February 2008, McGowan starred as the eponymous protagonist of
The Mikado
by
Gilbert and Sullivan
, in a revival by the
Carl Rosa Opera Company
. On 21 April 2008, he took over the role of Emcee in
Cabaret
at London's
Lyric Theatre
. In July of that year, he appeared in a revival of
They're Playing Our Song
at the
Menier Chocolate Factory
.
In March 2009, McGowan starred as the Duke in the stage version of Shakespeare's
Measure for Measure
.
[9]
McGowan appeared as a host on one episode of the fifth series of
Live at the Apollo
, which aired on 1 January 2010.
McGowan appeared in
Skins
in February 2011, playing Nick's coach in the fifth episode of the new series. On 12 March, he played the part of the Pirate King in Gilbert and Sullivan's
The Pirates of Penzance
, at the
Barbican Centre
, London.
[10]
and, later in the year, took over from
Rupert Everett
in the part of Henry Higgins in
Pygmalion
at the
Garrick Theatre
, opposite
Kara Tointon
as Eliza Doolittle. In April 2011, he took to the stage at the Djanogly Theatre, Lakeside Arts Centre at the
University of Nottingham
in David Mamet's controversial drama
Oleanna
. On 9 June 2011 he was unveiled as the newest addition to the BBC
Wimbledon
commentary team.
Also in 2011, he co-starred in season one of the
CBBC
series
Leonardo
as
Piero di Cosimo de' Medici
(being replaced in the role for season 2 by
James Clyde
).
In 2013, McGowan embarked on a fifty-date stand-up tour in his show
Not Just A Pretty Voice
. He also took part, with
Eddie Izzard
, in the first ever stand-up show performed by two English comics totally in
French
in
Sheffield
.
[11]
His voice appeared in the film
The Unbeatables
.
From 10 June to 11 July 2015, McGowan starred as
Jimmy Savile
in
An Audience with Jimmy Savile
, a play written by
Jonathan Maitland
, at the
Park Theatre
in London. McGowan was praised for his performance.
[12]
[13]
[14]
[15]
The show was transferred to the
Edinburgh Festival Fringe
in August.
[16]
He made another cameo as Savile in the movie,
Creation Stories
about
Creation Records
owner,
Alan McGee
.
[17]
Music
[
edit
]
In 2013 McGowan explained in a piece for
The Guardian
that he had "... hero-worshipped the French composer
Erik Satie
for many years. Not only was he a hugely innovative and visionary composer ? but he was also a man with a passion for all forms of art."
[18]
In 2014 McGowan narrated, in the guise of Satie, a concert of surrealist ballet music from Paris in the 1920s, given by the
BBC Concert Orchestra
at the
Queen Elizabeth Hall
in London and broadcast live by
BBC Radio 3
.
[19]
In 2017 he released a debut album on
Sony Classical
featuring piano performances of classical music. Having previously had a very limited repertoire, McGowan practised intensively for nine months to complete the recording.
[20]
Environmental work
[
edit
]
McGowan serves as an ambassador to WWF-UK, part of the global
World Wide Fund for Nature
, and campaigns on a number of environmental issues. He is a patron of the urban tree-planting charity
Trees for Cities
.
In 2004 he launched 'the BIG recycle' national recycling campaign.
[21]
In August 2006 he appeared on
Steve Wright's
BBC Radio 2
show to appeal to listeners to be more energy aware. In June 2007 he appeared on the
James Whale
Show on
Talksport
to also talk this issue.
In January 2009 it was announced that McGowan in partnership with three other
Greenpeace
activists, including actress
Emma Thompson
, had bought land near
Sipson
,
Middlesex
, a village under threat from the proposed third runway for
Heathrow Airport
.
[22]
It is hoped that the area of ground, half the size of a football pitch, will prevent the government from carrying through its plan to expand Heathrow. The field, bought for an undisclosed sum from a local land owner, will be split into small squares and sold across the globe. When interviewed Mr McGowan said: "BAA were so confident of getting the Government's go ahead, but we have cunningly bought the land they need to build their runway."
[23]
In 2009 he attended the Bromley Environmental Awards and was the celebrity guest at
Bromley
Civic Centre where the awards were presented to various schools in the borough.
In June 2011 it was announced that McGowan had become a
Patron
of the Friends of
Brandwood End Cemetery
, where over 30 members of his extended family are interred.
[24]
Other work
[
edit
]
Personal life
[
edit
]
McGowan was in a relationship for seven years with fellow television comedian
Ronni Ancona
.
[
citation needed
]
In August 2013 McGowan married his girlfriend Charlotte Page alongside whom he had performed in
The Mikado
.
[25]
McGowan is a supporter of
Leeds United
, even claiming that he decided to study at Leeds partly because of its proximity to
Elland Road
,
[26]
and
Coventry City
, the team closest to the area where he spent his late teens,
[27]
and his interest in football forms the basis of his 2009 book
A Matter of Life and Death
.
[28]
On the 17 December 2012 edition of
Countdown
,
Susie Dent
revealed that McGowan neither owns a car nor drives.
Since 2020 McGowan has lived in
Ludlow
, Shropshire.
[5]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
"Television Awards Categories ? Television ? Awards ? The BAFTA site"
. Static.bafta.org. 7 July 2005
. Retrieved
28 January
2012
.
- ^
"Olivier Winners 2008 | The Official London Theatre Guide"
. Officiallondontheatre.co.uk. Archived from
the original
on 24 May 2010
. Retrieved
28 January
2012
.
- ^
"Whatsonstage.com Awards ? Theatregoers' Choice Awards"
. Awards.whatsonstage.com
. Retrieved
28 January
2012
.
- ^
"Whatsonstage.com Awards ? Theatregoers' Choice Awards"
. Awards.whatsonstage.com
. Retrieved
28 January
2012
.
- ^
a
b
"Star's show in new home town".
Shropshire Star
. 19 July 2021. p. 3.
Report by Rory Smith.
- ^
"Alistair McGowan brings Ludlow Fringe to a close one year after moving to Shropshire"
. 19 July 2021.
- ^
"Dave: Who's on Dave: Alistair McGowan"
. Uktv.co.uk. 29 March 2007. Archived from
the original
on 11 October 2007
. Retrieved
30 April
2010
.
- ^
"McGown's directorial debut photo and link to press release"
. Julianpindar.com. 24 October 2008
. Retrieved
30 April
2010
.
- ^
1 TORQUAY MAN (27 March 2009).
"Measure for Measure at Wolverhampton Grand Theatre " Express & Star"
. Expressandstar.com
. Retrieved
30 April
2010
.
{{
cite web
}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (
link
)
- ^
"The Pirates of Penzance"
. Barbican. Archived from
the original
on 18 February 2011.
- ^
"≫ Alistair Mcgowan ? Not Just A Pretty Voice Available To Download Now"
. Offthekerb.co.uk. Archived from
the original
on 14 June 2015
. Retrieved
12 June
2015
.
- ^
Masters, Tim (7 June 2015).
"Jimmy Savile: critics hail Alistair McGowan's role as 'revolting' DJ - BBC News"
.
BBC News
. Bbc.co.uk
. Retrieved
12 June
2015
.
- ^
Matilda Battersby (11 June 2014).
"An Audience with Jimmy Savile: Victim felt 'quite unwell' watching Alistair McGowan's 'uncanny' portrayal of paedophile DJ - News - Theatre & Dance"
.
The Independent
.
Archived
from the original on 11 June 2015
. Retrieved
12 June
2015
.
- ^
Lawrence, Ben (11 June 2015).
"An Audience with Jimmy Savile, Park Theatre, review: 'merely depressing'
"
.
The Telegraph
. Retrieved
12 June
2015
.
- ^
"Comic Alistair McGowan praised for Jimmy Savile portrayal"
.
The Yorkshire Post
. 4 June 2015
. Retrieved
12 June
2015
.
- ^
Conlan, Tara (10 July 2015).
"An Audience with Jimmy Savile goes to Edinburgh Festival Fringe"
.
The Guardian
.
- ^
Harvey, Amelia (11 March 2022).
"
'Creation Stories' Is An Underwhelming Biopic Of The Great Music Producer Alan McGee"
.
Screen Queens
.
- ^
McGowan, Alistair (12 July 2013).
"Erik and Me: Alistair McGowan on Satie"
.
The Guardian
.
- ^
"BBC Radio 3 - Radio 3 Live in Concert, BBC Concert Orchestra - Milhaud, Satie, Porter, Le groupe des Six"
. Bbc.co.uk. 2 October 2014
. Retrieved
12 June
2015
.
- ^
"Alistair McGowan releases debut solo piano album"
. 8 August 2017.
- ^
"Alistair McGowan | Observer ethical awards | The Observer"
.
www.theguardian.com
. 14 January 2007
. Retrieved
18 February
2020
.
- ^
"UK | England | London | Protesters buy up Heathrow land"
.
BBC News
. 13 January 2009
. Retrieved
30 April
2010
.
- ^
"Celebs buy Heathrow expansion land"
. 13 January 2009. Archived from
the original
on 7 June 2009.
- ^
"Alistair McGowan becomes a Patron of the Friends of Brandwood End Cemetery"
. Friends of Brandwood End Cemetery. 14 June 2011
. Retrieved
15 June
2011
.
- ^
Walker, Tim (3 August 2013).
"Alistair McGowan secretly marries his girlfriend"
.
The Telegraph
. Retrieved
12 June
2015
.
- ^
Jeffries, Stuart (23 September 2009).
"Alistair McGowan: 'Football cost me my partner, Ronnie Ancona'
"
.
The Guardian
. London
. Retrieved
23 April
2010
.
- ^
the guardian 5 October 2017
[1]
[
permanent dead link
]
- ^
"Faber & Faber : A Matter of Life and Death [Ronni Ancona & Alistair McGowan, 9780571250547]"
. Faber.co.uk. Archived from
the original
on 24 January 2010
. Retrieved
30 April
2010
.
External links
[
edit
]
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