Comedian makes a tasteful impression on EMMA DUNN with his new show

FANS of Downton Abbey will never think of their favourite show in the same way again if they catch the Only Way is Downton at Swindon Arts Centre next week.

Direct from a West End season, Luke Kempner is set to impress the audience at the Arts Centre with his spoof impressions show.

The Only Way is Downton, which will be performed in Swindon on Wednesday, April 23, is the first national tour of Luke’s tour-de-force impressions comedy and features exclusive new material.

Having made his name with YouTube hit Downstairs At Downton, and appearances in musicals including Les Miserables and Avenue Q, Kempner’s debut solo show won critical acclaim and sell-out audiences at the Edinburgh Fringe last year.

As celebrities start appearing at Downton Abbey, cultures clash and eras hilariously collide in this brilliant new parody, which takes in many other popular TV shows and familiar modern voices to help the cast of Downton save the beloved estate from financial ruin – yet again.

Luke said before he started working on the show, he researched impressions and realised they needed to be updated.

“I realised I needed to come up with something that hadn’t been done before,” he said.

Luke said he knew the show need to be current and he was keen to stay away from comedy characters that someone else had invented.

To create a narrative for the characters, Luke concentrated on popular shows, including the X Factor, I’m A Celebrity, Pointless, The Great British Bake Off and Downton.

The show includes 40 different characters, and Luke says there is something for everyone.

<li>Tickets to see the show at 8pm on April 23 at Swindon Arts Centre are £12. To book, call 01793 524481 or visit swindontheatres.co.uk.