Recently, an original long lost manuscript resurfaced having been discovered in an ancient bookshop in the back waters of the southern states.
Posts Tagged ‘learn ventriloquism’
The Ventriloquist Comeback Debate Continues
I have just come across and interesting article in Herald Scotland by Susan Swarbrick where she discusses the recent rise in the popularity of the ventriloquist, after a few years out in the cold especially in UK. Especially with the recent huge success of Jeff Dunham and Terry Fator in the US and worldwide.
In the article she interviews 3 UK based ventriloquists :-
Nina Conti, daughter of Tom Conti and a classically trained actress (every article ever written about her mentions this I think). In the interview she talks about Monk ventriloquist puppet and how she came to choose him. Also included is how she got started and how she learnt ventriloquism.
Next is Keith Orton who along with his green-feathered, nappy-wearing sidekick Orville (a green duck) was famous in the 1980s when they had their own show on the BBC from 1982 – 1990 called The Keith Harris Show. And during that time they had a hit single with Orville’s Song. He talks about he got started life after his show finished and how he might be on his way back into the lime light.
The third ventiloquist interviewed is up and coming Chris Young a former trainee solicitor and a Lib Dem candidate in the general election. He want to go into entertaining full-time and see ventriloquism as a way to be able to do this. He thinks there has definitely been a change in attitude towards ventriloquism in recent years.
It is an article definitely worth checking out about 3 talented ventriloquists with lots more interesting information than I’ve written about here – you can find it here -
http://www.heraldscotland.com/arts-ents/stage-visual-arts/the-great-ventriloquist-comeback-1.1043779
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.
Dunham plans to give ventiloquism aboost
I have just found this interesting article about Jeff Dunham. In the article it discusses how Jeff Dunham approaches ventriloquism, how involved he is in characters from making them to writing their dialogue.
I think it gives an insight in to how Jeff Dunham has become so popular as a ventriloquist and entertainer. He is a professional and doesn’t leave anything to chance.
The article starts as follows:
Ventriloquist Jeff Dunham, who will perform Wednesday at James Brown Arena, believes that his take on the tight-lipped style of puppetry is effective because he always approaches it as a tool rather than his primary performance purpose.
Responding to a series of e-mail questions (Dunham was on voice rest) he wrote that although ventriloquism is his methodology, he’s a comic first.
“I realized early on that ventriloquism needed to be just a vehicle for comedy,” he wrote. “It couldn’t be the focus of the act.”
Let me know what you think about the article and Jeff Dunham.
“The ventriloquism just happened to be my instrument.”…..
You can read the rest of the article here: http://chronicle.augusta.com/things-do/applause/2010-07-07/dunham-aims-revive-ventiloquism