The Mario Rosenstock effect: Do mimics leave a good impression?

If your voice and mannerisms were constantly being copied by comedians, how would you feel? Deirdre Reynolds quizzed some personalities

IMITATION is the sincerest form of flattery. For Ireland’s comics, it’s also a professional hazard. Comedians Dermot Morgan, Sean Crummey, Mario Rosenstock, Oliver Callan and Risteárd Cooper all found fame ‘as someone else’.

From TV personalities, to pop stars and politicians, no-one is safe from being mimicked, says Callan, who can be heard on Callan’s Kicks on RTÉ Radio 1 every Friday. “Nobody’s impossible to mimic, some just take a little bit longer,” he says. “None of the targets are anyone who can’t take it. We’re not mimicking anyone who’s particularly vulnerable or weak.”