Alistair Charles McGowan
About Alistair Charles McGowan
Alistair Charles McGowan (born 24 November 1964 in Evesham, Worcestershire) is an English impressionist, BAFTA award-winning comic, actor, pianist, poet, and writer. He starred in The Big Impression (formerly Alistair McGowan's Big Impression) with Ronni Ancona, in which his celebrity impressions included David Beckham, Sven-G枚ran Eriksson, Gary Lineker, Tony Blair, Prince Charles, and Terry Wogan. He studied English at the University of Leeds before attending the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, graduating in 1989, then went straight into comedy, performing live at The Comedy Store and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
McGowan's television career began when he performed voices for the ITV series Spitting Image, and he later took over from Stephen Tompkinson playing Spock in the Tim Firth comedy drama Preston Front. In 2012 he hosted and wrote the ITV comedy series You Cannot Be Serious!, with impressions including Roy Hodgson, Harry Hill, Jedward, and David Beckham. He returned to dramatic acting in 2005 in the BBC's adaptation of Bleak House, starred in the detective series Mayo in 2006, and received a Laurence Olivier Award nomination in 2008 for his West End theatre work.
An accomplished pianist, McGowan released an album of classical piano music called The Piano Album in 2017 and published his poetry collection Not What We Were Expecting in 2024. He has written and starred in three BBC Radio 4 plays about Erik Satie, John Field, and George Bernard Shaw, and is patron of the Ludlow Fringe Festival. In 2013 he embarked on a fifty-date stand-up tour with his show Not Just A Pretty Voice and, with Eddie Izzard, took part in the first ever stand-up show performed by two English comics entirely in French. In 2015 he was praised for playing Jimmy Savile in the play An Audience with Jimmy Savile at London's Park Theatre.
Videos (4)
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Frequently asked questions
What is Alistair McGowan known for?
He is an English impressionist, BAFTA award-winning comic, actor, pianist and writer, best known for starring in The Big Impression with Ronni Ancona.
Where did Alistair McGowan study?
He studied English at the University of Leeds and later attended the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, graduating in 1989.
Is Alistair McGowan a musician?
Yes, he is an accomplished pianist who released The Piano Album of classical piano music in 2017 and has combined classical pieces with comedy in his stage shows.
Has Alistair McGowan published poetry?
Yes, in 2024 he published his poetry collection named Not What We Were Expecting.
What stage role earned Alistair McGowan praise in 2015?
He was praised for playing Jimmy Savile in the play An Audience with Jimmy Savile at London's Park Theatre, which later transferred to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Comedians similar to Alistair Charles McGowan
Same comedic style, across countries
