NOSTALGIA FEATURE SHOWBIZ YESTERDAYS
This time around we look back fondly at the art of the ventriloquist. There are some wonderful stories to be told about the experts in this field and the way the art has been used for laughs by other comedians. Mark Ritchie trawls through a few of those who have drank a Gottle of Geer in their time.
Steeped in the creed of the variety theatre front of cloth type comedy acts, it was perhaps inevitable that Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise would use ventriloquism as the set-up for a sketch on TV. The result of stooging with their tall and ungainly doll/dummy was predictably quite brilliant. Comedian Sandy Powell, who often performed with his wife as a stooge, also lampooned ventriloquism in much the same way during his own act.
I have myself either seen or worked with some of the legends from the past, such as Terry Hall and Lennie the Lion, Neville King, Tony Addams and Grandad, Mike Dennett and Chic, Ray Alan and Lord Charles, Jimmy Tamley, Keith Harris and Roger DeCourcey, to name but a few.
These days the leaders in the field include Paul Zerdin and Nina Conti. In the case of Mr Zerdin, despite winning America’s Got Talent this Englishman does not seem to receive the type of exposure that someone of his talent should. The same could be said of the much-imitated Ms Conti.
Other ‘vents’ also receiving widespread exposure are the likes of Gareth Oliver and Steve Hewlett. I fist met Gareth when he was appearing as a contestant in a talent show I used to run. Back then in his days as a fledgling entertainer he was known by the stage-name Jerry Misfit. I first saw Steve Hewlett on my showcase rounds, whilst working for The Stage newspaper. Steve chose the TV talent show route achieving prominence in one of the Simon Cowell talent vehicles.
Present day subscribers and supporters of this publication, such as Andy Greaves and Lewis and Chris Bylett are both experts in this field, although Chris only makes the odd occasional appearance these days.
Wouldn’t it be great to see another Denis Spicer, or Keith Harris on our TV screens? Perhaps it simply will not happen, due to the bright young things who rule telly these days may just perceive ventriloquism as ‘dated’ and harking back to the days of variety…as if there is something somehow retrograde or just plain wrong about all that. Alas, I would not be surprised to be proven correct on this.
