The best impersonators in Melbourne
Impersonator covers two jobs that people keep confusing. One is a lookalike who works the room in character, poses for photographs and never really performs a set. The other is a character act with a script and a stage slot. Both are on the list below and they suit completely different nights, so decide which you are buying before you start comparing.
The Melbourne end of this work leans corporate and themed rather than wedding, which shapes what is available. A lot of it happens in city function rooms and in the older suburban reception venues, where the act arrives in character, works forty minutes and leaves before anyone has to explain who they are.
Top picks in Melbourne
Top picks are the acts in this category in Melbourne, with premium listings first (no visible client reviews or ratings in this list).
Questions people ask about impersonators in Melbourne
What is the difference between an impersonator and a tribute act?
A tribute act is a music booking. You get a show, a band or backing, and a set built around songs. An impersonator is a character booking: the point is the person, the walk, the voice and the photographs, and there may be no singing at all. If what you want is a dance floor, you are shopping in the wrong category.
How much does an impersonator cost in Melbourne?
Costume and preparation are a bigger share of this price than people expect, because the wardrobe and the makeup are the product. A short roving appearance at a city venue is the cheap end, and a scripted stage slot with a sound check is the other. Compare the from-prices on this page and tell each performer how long you need them in character.
Do impersonators work at corporate events?
It is most of the work in Melbourne. A character arriving unannounced during canapes, staying in role through the photographs and then handing over to the formal part of the night is a reliable way to start a function without a speech. Brief them on the company and on anything that must not be joked about, and they will keep it safe.
How long does an impersonator perform for?
Roving work usually runs in blocks of about forty-five minutes, partly because costumes get hot and partly because the joke wears thin after that. A stage appearance is shorter again, often twenty minutes of material. Book two appearances with a gap rather than one continuous stretch and the room stays interested.
Booking tips
Decide between meet-and-greet and a stage slot
Roving in character among eighty people is a different skill from holding a microphone in front of them. Ask which the performer actually does best, because plenty are strong at one and merely fine at the other.
Watch the video with the sound up
The look gets you about ten seconds of reaction. The voice and the mannerisms are what carry the next thirty minutes, and footage of a real crowd tells you that far better than a photograph does.
Give the act a slot, not a whole evening
Character work fades when it runs too long, and a Melbourne function room is unforgiving once the novelty passes. Two shorter appearances across the night land better than one long stretch.