Opportunity Knocks finalist and comedy impressionist Christopher Gee heads to Chichester for two shows in one day, the first his solo presentation on the lives and careers of Morecambe & Wise.
00:00Good afternoon, my name is Phil Hewitt, Group Arts Editor at Sussex Newspapers. Really lovely to speak again after a number of years to Christopher Gee, who used to live in Borgner Regis, and you're coming back to Chichester, TV impressionist Christopher Gee.
00:15Now, coming back to Chichester for two shows. On August the 1st, you're going to do a Morecambe Wise presentation at one o'clock in the Assembly Room in Chichester, and you are a producer of a Frankie Valli show at 7.30pm in the Assembly Room in Chichester, same day, August the 1st.
00:35Now, I love talking to impressionists, because you never quite know what's coming next. And I think of all the styles of performance, I admire impressionists most, because I just couldn't do it. How on earth do you find your way into an impression? What do you do?
00:52First of all, I've got to say that everybody is an impressionist, Phil, because you, me, everybody watching this, one thing in common, we were all babies, and babies to speak, they had to imitate sound.
01:03Right, but the only impression I do is me.
01:07I tell you, if I teach you, I love it when people say, oh, I can't do this. It's the same when people say, oh, I can't dance, I can't sing, whatever. I love that point, because I work with people, and I say, this is how you do. They'll say, how do you do somebody, I don't know, how do you do Alan Carr?
01:25Well, to do Alan Carr, you see, what you've got to do is you've got to put your glasses on, and you've also got to have that thing as if you're very, very cold. And you've got to do a lot of this type of thing. Oh, what am I like?
01:38And that's multi-purpose. Those are your Eric Morecambe glasses, I think, aren't they?
01:45It's very true, you know.
01:50It's amazing what a pair of glasses can do, because, you see, I could be Eric one minute, and the next minute, I could be Marco Cain. And the thing is, Marco's voice has changed over the years.
02:04Is there anyone you couldn't do?
02:08Oh, yeah. If I couldn't do anybody, I would be absolutely so determined to try and do it.
02:19Robert De Niro. I always get asked to do Robert De Niro.
02:22Go on, then.
02:23And people are amazed and say, well, how can you do that? Because you don't look like Robert De Niro now.
02:28But I'll turn the camera away, and then I'm going to come back, and you're going to see Robert De Niro. Are you ready?
02:34I'll tell you what, Phil. Listen, listen, my friend. I've got to tell you this. I've got a lot of respect for you. You know, bing-a-bang-a-bang. You're doing all this type of thing in show business. We need people like you. You're good. Yes, you are. Yes, you are, Phil.
02:53And you do a worrying Donald Trump, don't you?
02:56I wouldn't say it's worrying.
03:03The greatest president the world has ever known. And I'm sure a lot of people got questions for me. And if you've got a question for me, shoot. Very funny.
03:13And Clinton you did, don't you?
03:18Well, Bill Clinton has had that time where, you know, I've spent a lot of time trying to do things there, but there's things which I just cannot talk about.
03:29But in your line of work, you've really got to move with the times, haven't you? Because there's so many people that get forgotten, disgrace themselves that you can't do. You've got to remain current, haven't you?
03:44Do you know, it's such a valid point. However, my target audience, I would say, is 50-year-olds plus.
03:56I can work to a younger audience and stuff, but most of the work that comes in, whether it be cruise work or hotel work, whatever, I do a lot with Warners.
04:04That tends to be my demographic. Yes, you can't do people who are absolutely out of the news because of what they've got up to.
04:17So you've got to be a little bit careful.
04:20I grew up watching Mike Yarwood and loving that. But you think of all the ones that he was famous for, Step 2 and Son, Ted Heath, Harold Wilson.
04:28And today, people think, who?
04:31Yeah, no, yeah, but you see, I say this in my one-man show, which is called An Audience with the Stars, and I say, people say to me two questions.
04:38They say, one, when did you start doing impressions? And secondly, when are you going to stop?
04:44And I said, I started with Mike Yarwood because at the time, Mike Yarwood, his big impression was Prince Charles.
04:53And of course, if it was alive now, then it wouldn't be Prince Charles, it would, of course, be King Charles.
05:02And when I used to watch Mike Yarwood, I'd be fascinated.
05:08Absolutely fascinated the way in which he would do the things with the cuffs and his little pinky ring.
05:16The way he'd change his face.
05:18You realise that's your knighthood just gone up in smoke there, isn't it?
05:21Well, if I get, I'm going to have to get, I'll get some, some roll to roll for me knees, because if I go down my knee, I won't get up again.
05:29You see, I don't know, you can get up and go, go on, go on, get up, otherwise I'll poke you with me sword.
05:36So in amongst all this, we should talk about the fact that you start the day, well, at one o'clock, Assembly Rooms, Chichester, August the 1st,
05:43with the Morgan Wise presentation, and that, you're talking about their lives, their careers, and you do so from a position of admiration, don't you?
05:53Now, we've had you, Eric Morgan.
05:54It is, but also...
05:55Let's have your Eric, please, rather.
05:59No, listen, the talk, I do the talk, but I find it very moving.
06:04Because their success, it wasn't just plain sailing, I mean to say that they came across so much, you know, people, critics,
06:13who absolutely said the worst things about Eric Morgan that really hurt him, you know, a definition of a Morgan Wise.
06:22I won't spoil it, but if you come to talk, you know, somebody said, as a definition of Morgan Wise, it was so hurtful.
06:34He kept this critique's review in his wallet, Eric, until his dying day, just to remind him about the struggle he went live.
06:41But all these great insanists, they went through such a big, big challenge.
06:46And I'd just love to talk about their lives, and hopefully people will go, oh, I never realised that.
06:54Let's have a little blast of your Ernie, then.
06:57I can't do Ernie.
07:03Can't you?
07:05I've stumped you at last.
07:08Eric and Ernie, I could...
07:09No, I can't do it.
07:10No, it's going to undo all my good work.
07:14I'll tell you, I could do a better Andre Preview than Ernie.
07:20Go ahead.
07:21It's the preview.
07:24Excuse me, I couldn't see you because the lid of the piano.
07:28So what do you want me to do about it?
07:30Well, I don't know.
07:31I have to have a word with my manager.
07:33What do you think, Ernie?
07:34I don't know.
07:36Would you mind jumping up?
07:38You want me to jump up?
07:40Well, if you don't mind.
07:41Classic stuff.
07:44Brilliant.
07:44There again, that whole story about how Andre Preview came to be on the show.
07:52It's fascinating.
07:54Brilliant.
07:54Well, I shall leave you to tell it as part of the talk that you're giving on Saturday.
07:59No, it's not a Saturday.
08:00It's Friday, isn't it?
08:01August 1st.
08:02Friday the 1st of August.
08:03Friday the 1st of August.
08:05Morecambe Wise presentation, one o'clock in the evening.
08:08I think you are co-producer for the Frankie Valli 7th.
08:11And I'm comparing it as well at night time, the Frankie Valli show.
08:15Fantastic.
08:16The Assembly Rooms looks lovely.
08:19I've never been.
08:20Have you been to the Assembly Rooms?
08:21It's beautiful.
08:22Fabulous venue.
08:23I've only seen photos.
08:24I'm really looking forward to do that.
08:26And this is hopefully something we're going to support the Assembly Rooms in future events.
08:31It all depends if people come and book tickets and support what we're trying to do with the Assembly Rooms.
08:37And if it is successful, then I'll be coming down again.
08:39We've got Wayne Denton, I think, in the book for John Denver and Neil Diamond.
08:46Two shows in one.
08:48But I'll keep you in the loop.
08:49And thank you ever so much for all your support for the entertainment and the world of entertainment.
08:53It's tough out there.
08:54Well, lovely to speak to you again after far too long.
08:58Take care and have a great time.
08:59You take care.
09:01OK, I look forward to seeing you, hopefully, when I'm down there one time.
