Recently, an original long lost manuscript resurfaced having been discovered in an ancient bookshop in the back waters of the southern states.
Archive for the ‘Famous Ventriloquists’ Category
Ventriloquist Paul Zerdin An Interview And Tour Dates
Paul Zerdin is one of the best ventriloquists in the UK. He is about to go on tour in UK and perform at the Edinburgh Fringe festival. (See the dates later). He will be joined by his ventriloquist figures Baby, Sam and Albert. He gets a member of the audience to help him out in one of his routines that is very funny.
To add variety to the show he does some stand-up comedy without his friends about life as a ventriloquist.
He performed at last year’s Royal Variety Performance Show and has been seen on many TV shows. This quote from The Stage sums up his show:
“Paul Zerdin is no dummy. A ventriloquist for the South Park Generation”
And from The Scotsman Paul’s show got 5 stars:-
‘Every now and then you stumble across a finished article, a show so polished it shines. Paul Zerdin: Sponge Fest is one of these shows. A ventriloquist at the top of his game, Zerdin is so sure of his skills and so in control of his material that he isn’t just performing – he’s showing off, clearly having as much of a laugh as his audience.’
I say “If you get the chance go and see his show and see a ventriloquist at the top of his field.”
There is great article including an interview with Paul became a ventriloquist, attitude toward ventriloquism etc. You can check it out here:
http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/lifestyle/Venting-spleen/article-2417571-detail/article.html
I think they get Terry Fator mixed up with Jeff Dunham, otherwise it gives some good insights into what makes a ventriloquist.
The dates for Paul Zerdin’s 2010 shows are:
July 2010
Wednesday 21st The National Lottery, BBC1
Friday 23rd Redgrave Theatre, Bristol
Saturday 24th Newbury Festival, Newbury
August 2010
Thursday 5th – 15th Sponge Fest – Revisited, Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh
September 2010
Wednesday 22nd Gulbenkian Theatre, Canterbury
Thursday 23rd Octagon Theatre, Yeovil
Friday 24th David Lloyd Club, Raynes Park
Saturday 25th White Rock Theatre, Hastings
Sunday 26th Wimbledon Theatre Centenary Celebrations, Wimbledon
Wednesday 29th Corn Exchange, Bedford
Thursday 30th Komedia, Bath
October 2010
Friday 1st Theatr Hafren, Newtown
Saturday 2nd Camberley Theatre,
Sunday 3rd Garrick Theatre, Lichfield
Wednesday 6th Wulfren Halls, Wolverhampton
Thursday 7th Palace Theatre, Newark
Sunday 10th Capitol Theatre, Horsham
Monday 11th Comedy Festival, Sheffield
Tuesday 12th Leicester Square Theatre, London
Wednesday 13th Leicester Square Theatre, London
Thursday 14th Pavillion Theatre, Brighton
Friday 15th Arts Centre , Darlington
Saturday 16th Clocktower Arts , Croydon
Tuesday 19th The Comedy Store, Manchester
Wednesday 20th Alban Arena, St.Albans
Friday 22nd The Regal, Tenbury Wells
Sunday 24th Playhouse Theatre, Derby
Tuesday 26th Library Theatre, Leeds
Wednesday 27th Richmond Theatre, Richmond
Thursday 28th Assembly Room, Tamworth
Saturday 30th Millennium Studio, Cardiff
Sunday 31st Millennium Studio, Cardiff
How Shanthakumar Became A Ventriloquist
Ventriloquist Shanthakumar is a veteran performer of 2,500 shows and his shows have appeared on TV. You may not have heard of him because he is based in India.
There is an interesting article that has recently been published about him. In it he discusses how he became a ventriloquist and some of his insights into learning the art of ventriloquism.
The article starts as follow:
Shanthakumar has three interesting companions, whenever he takes the stage — puppets named Johnny, Jack, and Rani, who always worries about her looks. These puppets are the Chennai-based ventriloquist’s creations and have become a means to convey his quick retorts, well-timed repartees and reflections on life.
How did Shanthakumar get interested in the art? He replies, “My interest was in presenting jokes with punch lines at various humour clubs that I have been visiting since the 1980s. I equipped myself accordingly and showcased my brand of humour at these clubs. This, perhaps, is what led me to ventriloquism.”
He continues, “The great Prof. M.M. Roy, one of the oldest professional ventriloquists in India, was my teacher. I asked him if he could teach me and sure enough, classes began on a fortnightly basis. Roy had performed in the film ‘Muradan Muthu’ on the insistence of ‘Sivaji’ Ganesan, and M.R. Radha was all praise for Roy after watching a show of his. Roy had assisted many in Hindi and Telugu movies.”
The rest of the article can be found in The Hindu by clicking here:
http://thehindu.com/arts/theatre/article505963.ece
Let me know your thoughts on the article and ventriloquism in general.
Paul Zerdin – A Volunteer Ventriloquist
Here is another great clip of Paul Zerdin, with a vounteer from the audience to act as his dummy. This is a funny act and the volunteer really helps to make it even funnier. I hope you enjoy it too.
Ventriloquist Russ Lewis – Hollywood Palace
This is a great routine by Russ Lewis with Brooklyn in 1967. It is a clever and fast routine by a ventriloquist at the top of his game.
I thought you would like to see it;
Hope you like it.
Ventriloquist Ray Alan Videos
With Ray Alan recently passing away I thought it would be great to post some more videos highlighting his skills as a ventriloquist. I have found three more:-
1. Don’t blink on this one or you might miss him. It is quick but shows his easy relaxed style with Lord Charles
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2. The next video has Ray Alan has some great archive footage of him performing with Lord Charles. It also includes him talking working on the Laurel & Hardy Show. He reveals how he came up with Lord Charles’ character and who he based his appearance on. Let me know what you think about this revelation.
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Finally here is a tribute from Keith Harris and Orville shown recently on TV
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Ventriloquist Ray Alan Dies Aged 79
Ray Alan has died suddenly at the age of 79.
He was described by his agent as being “Technically he was regarded as Britain’s top ventriloquist. You just couldn’t see his mouth moving.”
Ray started his ventriloquism career during his teen years by creating the illusion that voices were coming from boxes. In 1954 he worked with Laurel and Hardy.
He was regularly on TV during the 1950s – 1970s. He also performed at Bob Hope’s 82nd birthday bash.
His best known puppet was Lord Charles, known for the catch-phrase “you silly arse” and with an eye for the ladies. He was based on an upper-class toff with a liking for the ladies and booze. His face was based on Laurel Hardy.
He was a great talent and will be missed. Here is a video of him performing at his best with Lord Charles.
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Here is a link to his obituary on the BBC;
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment_and_arts/10147436.stm
Also on the BBC is an article inspired by Ray Alan about the recent history of ventriloquism:-
It Starts:
The death of British comedian Ray Alan recalls a lost age when ventriloquists were cosy family entertainment favourites. Today, they are more likely to be found at the cutting edge of subversive alternative comedy.
You can read the rest here;-
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/8702845.stm
Jay Johnson in NYC and Soap
Jay Johnson: The Two and Only!, winner of the 2007 Tony Award for Best Special Theatrical Event, will return to New York, producer Dan Whitten of Tiger Theatricals announced today. The one-weekend only event will play from January 8-10, 2010, at the Theatre at Saint Peters.
Best known for playing the schizophrenic role of Chuck and Bob on the groundbreaking television comedy, “Soap,” Jay Johnson is widely regarded as one of the world’s great living ventriloquists.
Read more about Jay Johnson and his show here: The JAY JOHNSON TWO AND ONLY
Here is a great a video of Jay performing with Bob on Soap:
Paul Zerdin – Ventriloquist on Royal Variety Show 2009 Enjoy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFRM_Nkhhig
Paul Zerdin Ventriloquist
This is a quick introduction to the wonderful skills of Paul Zerdin. He performed at The Royal Variety Perfomance Show in 2009. He has also performed for Her Majesty in 1997 and 2002.
The Royal Variety Performance is currently available above
Its not that long but heck! Thanks Guys, Over 500,000 Views!
Duration : 0:2:27