Comments about Sir Keir Starmer’s voice and speaking style are rarely complimentary.
So no wonder the Prime Minister’s distinctive delivery is now in the sights of a top impressionist.
Jon Culshaw, who has just begun mimicking Sir Keir for a new show, describes it as ‘audio constipation’ and ‘turgid’.
The Dead Ringers and Spitting Image star told the Mail the PM’s voice was ‘profoundly unadventurous’, adding: ‘He’s over-cautious to the point of being absolutely clenched.’
Mr Culshaw, who is best known for his impersonations of political figures including Boris Johnson and Donald Trump, added: ‘His voice is audio constipation. The word for him is turgid.’
The late actress and Labour MP Glenda Jackson once said Sir Keir should have coaching, saying his voice was ‘one of his big drawbacks’.
Mr Culshaw, 56, has been getting to grips with impersonations of Sir Keir and members of his Cabinet in preparation for a one-man show, Imposter Syndrome, which starts a nationwide tour next week.
In an interview with Weekend magazine, in Friday’s Daily Mail, he revealed his thoughts about impersonating Wes Streeting and David Lammy.
Jon Culshaw, who has just begun mimicking Sir Keir Starmer’s voice for a new show, describes it as ‘audio constipation’ and ‘turgid’
Culshaw, 56, has been getting to grips with impersonations of Sir Keir and members of his Cabinet for a one-man show, Imposter Syndrome, which starts a nationwide tour next week
On Health Secretary Mr Streeting, he said: ‘He talks like a pupil from Grange Hill. ‘I was like literally, and he was like literally….’.’
He described Foreign Secretary Mr Lammy as ‘good value’, saying: ‘He speaks one… word… at… a… time. With a richness of presentation.’
He recalled how his impersonation of the King once earned him a heckling – from Charles himself.
Mr Culshaw was hosting an awards show and performed his impersonation of Charles as he introduced the then Prince of Wales.
He said the heir to the throne feigned ‘mock indignation’ and joked that his public voice was only for ‘royal duties’.
The prince then performed his own impersonation, slipping into a Lancashire accent and asking the comedian: ‘When I’m at ‘ome, ‘ow do you know I don’t talk like this?’
Mr Culshaw said a royal aide had suggested he should impersonate Charles as he introduced him on stage during the awards ceremony, and told him that the future King would enjoy the joke.
He recalled he had been doubtful, but remembered that Charles was a fan of The Goon Show and the comedian Spike Milligan.
Culshaw described Foreign Secretary Mr Lammy as ‘good value’, saying: ‘He speaks one… word… at… a… time. With a richness of presentation’
Culshaw said Health Minister Wes Streeting ‘talks like a pupil from Grange Hill’
He said: ‘So I adopted his voice and manner and said, ‘It’s my great pleasure to introduce His Royal Highness, the Prince of Wales… cufflink-fiddle, cufflink-fiddle’.’
The full interview with Jon Culshaw will appear in Weekend magazine, in Friday’s Daily Mail
