Quite how Morgana Robinson isn’t a household name yet, I’ll never know. But hopefully her new seven-part BBC Two series Morgana Robinson’s The Agency will change that.
Following brief appearances in sitcoms such as My Family and The Green Green Grass, Morgana first came to the public’s attention in 2010 with her Channel 4 sketch show, The Morgana Show.
The show was a mix of silly characters and impersonations and was the first time we met the likes of Cheryl (Cole as it was back then) and Fearne Cotton.
Two years later she starred in another Channel 4 sketch show, Very Important People, which is where we were first introduced to Morgana’s impressions of Natalie Cassidy, Danny Dyer, Russell Brand and Adele.
In the last three years Morgana has starred in a few sitcoms including Vic & Bob's House Of Fools, Toast Of London and The Windsors.
But now she’s back doing impressions in Morgana Robinson’s The Agency which is essentially a second series of Very Important People but under a different name and on a different channel.
The series features ten impressions, six of which were in Very Important People; Russell Brand, Natalie Cassidy, Fearne Cotton, Danny Dyer, Cheryl and Adele. That’s not necessarily a bad thing of course.
I’d probably feel more cheated if I were to watch an impressions show starring Morgana Robinson and not see Natalie Cassidy or Fearne Cotton. Two impressions she has absolutely nailed and in my opinion, no one can do them better.
That leaves four/five characters (depends if you count Mel & Sue as one or two) for Morgana to really get stuck into; the aforementioned Mel & Sue, Joanna Lumley, Gregg Wallace, and Miranda Hart.
To compare it constantly to Very Important People is perhaps a bit unfair. Whilst that was very much a sketch show, The Agency is more akin to a sitcom. Shot in a mockumentary style, the series is narrated by Claire Skinner.
The series follows a documentary crew who have been given unlimited access to top London talent agency, Mann Management. Including agent to the stars, Vincent Mann (Cavan Clerking) and his superstar clients.
Morgana plays both Mel & Sue, in five out of the seven episodes. Of course she doesn't play them at the same time, that would be ridiculous.
She records the two parts separately and then those clever people in the edit merge it all together so it appears as though they’re in the same room.
Appearing in five out of the seven episodes, Mel & Sue live together with Mel's husband Tim (Seb Cardinal), Arthur C. Clark the cat and two goldfish - also called Mel & Sue.
Sue is jealous of Mel's relationship with her husband and this is a theme which runs throughout the series. Pretending to fall over and therefore ruining their date night and ensuring that Mel watches the latest episode of Making A Murderer with her rather than him.
Morgana’s impression of Natalie Cassidy is second to none so of course she features heavily in the series. All seven episodes in fact. Since first seeing her impression, I haven't been able to look at the real Natalie Cassidy or 'Lesbian Sonia' in EastEnders in the same way ever again.
In The Agency Natalie lives with her dad, played by Perry Benson and sister Cat, played by Gemma Whelan. Together, the two sisters take it in turns to look after him.
In the opening episode, Natalie is on the hunt for the perfect dress for The National Television Awards, her one selfish day of the year and the biggest event in the calendar year in their house after Christmas.
When she gets offered an audition in front of Morgan Freeman for the part of 'Cockney Astronaut' in a new rom com set on Mars, she has no option but to bring her dad along with her. When she isn't getting ready for the NTA's, she's looking after her dad, auditioning for parts, or setting up her own fame school.
If The Agency doesn't work out, I would absolutely love to see an entire series dedicated to Natalie Cassidy. It's what the nation has been waiting for.
Joanna Lumley appears in six out of the seven episodes and is as fabulous as you'd expect her to be.
A particular highlight for me, in the three episodes I've seen is when she takes a trip to the Premium Inn in Potters Bar for her latest travelog in episode two. She describes Potters Bar as a "wonderful little haven" and her encounter with a vending machine is simply wonderful.
As for the other new characters, Miranda Hart is chasing a response from Game Of Thrones and "perfect celebrity" Gregg Wallace is launching his own range of sauces.
Elsewhere, Cheryl is continuing her search for the perfect partnerRussell Brand is building his own utopia in the Essex countryside and Danny Dyer is working away in his man shed eyeing up a career as a children's writer.
Morgana might play around 85% of all the characters you see on screen but there’s also a great supporting cast.
Excluding the ones I’ve already mentioned, the series also sees appearances from Matt Berry, Terry Mynott, Asim Chaudhry, Natasia Demetriou, Cariad Lloyd, Lolly Adefope and many more!
I've seen the first three episodes and so far there's absolutely no filler. Not only does Morgana look like each of the people she's impersonating, but she also sounds like them.
So whether you're watching with the sound off or your eyes closed, you'll be in no doubt as to who Morgana is portraying. Each sketch is brilliantly written and performed and I really hope that 2016 is the year that Morgana Robinson's talents finally get recognised.