Impressionist: Television Appearances

The cult satirical puppet programme, Spitting Image, was chosen to be part of the popular Must See TV series on ITV1. The show, broadcast in December 2005 and hosted by Sanjeev Bhaskar from The Kumars, took viewers through some of the show's most famous moments. In a special interview Steve Nallon explained how some of his voices for the show came into being, including the voice of actress Beryl Reid as the Queen Mum. Steve also explained why the show's voice sessions were recorded on the set of Crossroads at Central Television in Birmingham. In the early days, Central TV had no area big enough for the team, which included in those days Chris Barrie, Harry Enfield, Jan Ravens and John Sessions, so the reception desk set of Crossroads became a makeshift voice recording studio! Steve added that he once took headed-notepaper saying ‘Crossroads Motel’ and wrote to his grandmother on it. She then told all the family to watch Crossroads as she thought Steve was staying there while making Spitting Image!

Steve on Spitting Image: Must See TV
To hear some of Steve’s voices, please visit Steve’s Voice Bank.

Steve recently returned to his stand-up comedy roots, creating a new impressionist set. Part of Steve’s routine was broadcast on the hit cult comedy series The Dan and Dusty Show on ITV. For more information on Steve’s stand-up comedy set, please click the image to the right.

Steve featured prominently in this informative and entertaining BBC special looking at the art of the impressionist in television history. In the feature documentary Steve talked about his and his fellow impressionists approach to the craft of mimicry in comedy, especially focusing on the caricature nature of impressionism on the satirical series Spitting Image.

The programme was narrated by Ricky Gervais and broadcast on 30 December 2003.

The Impressionable Jon Culshaw

Steve appeared on the show as Ann Widdecombe to Jon Culshaw’s Michael Howard. In a dream sequence parody of the movie, Marathon Man, Michael Howard is the dentist torturer (Lawrence Olivier in the film), repeatedly questioning Tony Blair (originally Dustin Hoffman): “Is IT safe? IS it safe? Is it SAFE?” To hear an impression of Ann Widdecombe, please visit Steve’s Voice Bank.

In Alistair McGowan’s Big Impression, the new and highly acclaimed comedy sketch show, Steve added a second “Maggie” to his famous Maggie Thatcher impression when he appeared as none other than the actress Dame Maggie Smith working along side Alistair’s “Hugh Grant” in a brilliant comic send-up of a typical BBC costume drama. To hear an impression of Maggie Smith, please visit Steve’s Voice Bank.

Steve is also appeared in a parody of the Michael Buerk crime series 999, playing Henry Heimlich, creator of the ‘Heimlich manoeuvre’. The series was broadcast in 2001 on BBC One.