As the entertainment world mourns the death at 82 of Britain’s most popular television impressionist, Mike Yarwood, the future of satirical impersonations is in question. Yarwood, widely acknowledged as the groundbreaking master of the skill in the 1970s, inspired many later stars, such as Rory Bremner, Jon Culshaw and Alastair McGowan. But recently some, including McGowan, have suggested that impressions no longer communicate to younger audiences.
John Lloyd, producer of Spitting Image, hopes this is not true. He still believes that a clever impersonation is an important way to bring powerful national figures to life for the public.
