Why we should talk to the hand

An audience is not, apparently, happy with simply a great show. They want something edgy fresh and new. This year at the Edinburgh Fringe three ventriloquism acts rolled up their sleeves and attempted to reinvent the art to keep you talking to the hand.

Paul Zerdin’s understated charm and charisma, his exceptional skill and of course, the fact he is very, very funny make this one of the best shows I’ve seen. His first character, adolescent potty mouth Sam who looks like an extra from Avenue Q, is an instant hit and the audience are audibly distressed when he is crammed back in the ominous black suitcase at the end of his skit. An incontinent pensioner and a bizarre looking baby follow on the guestlist, both of whom showcase different though equally polished aspects of the puppeteer’s skills.
Traditionally the ventriloquist dummy assumes the role of the naughty tyke but Zerdin shows a bit of his nefarious side as he wanders out into the audience regaling them with anecdotes involving his unusual skill. One such example is that of throwing his voice in busy lifts and informing those inside that not only are the doors closing, but the cable is snapping.

Nina Conti’s ‘Talk to the Hand’ is another joyous hour of comedy, marred only by the guest appearance of the rather dull Abi Titmuss on this particular performance, who was more concerned with quoting Macbeth than engaging with the playful banter being offered to her by a monkey.
As with Zerdin, Conti’s charm envelopes her audience, of course her infectious laugh, relaxed movements and cheerful good looks help. As usual, we meet a number of oddball characters from her luggage, all of whom delight in chattering with the audience with some great comebacks that even Conti herself giggles at.
Playing with her act, Conti informs us she has a new puppet which is, so far, voiceless. Seeking ideas from onlookers she test drives a number of possibilities from Liverpudlian to Rastafarian, subtly showing us the range of her talents.
However, it’s when Conti manages to take a drink whilst still speaking that she gets major kudos from her audience.
A new apparatus on the ventriloquist circuit makes an appearance at both Zerdin and Conti’s show, that of the human dummy mask. As sinister as it sounds, the plastic contraption fits around an unfortunate audience member’s mouth as the ventriloquist in question controls the voice and mouthpiece, playing off the embarrassed victim’s movements. Cruel, perhaps but damn funny.

Strassman’s show ‘Duality’ is a departure from the comedy to that of Zerdin and Conti. Instead, the audience go unnoticed, voyeuristically witnessing a man delve into the psyche of the ventriloquist, exploring his apparent personality disorder.
Despite posing dark questions this puppeteer doesn’t bring the audience down with his existential angst, instead he cleverly interjects his bouts of analysis with light hearted banter and even some whimsy. The narrative dips between rehearsing show material and everyday chatting and squabbling.
While Strassman’s skills themselves are not as polished as Conti or Zerdin’s, he makes up for this with an intelligently mapped act which ends with a twist. On more than one occasion I found myself remarking on the clever orchestration which inhabits your thoughts long after you leave.

Ventriloquism certainly made its mark on the Fringe this year. There’s a strong willingness to believe what these guys are doing, to involve yourself with the character and we leave, feeling like we’ve met an interesting new person, despite being told all along they’re not real.
These shows combine all the elements; that of comedy, whimsy, the absurd and the intelligent. Taking the ingredients but cooking up something unique and highly polished, much to the gratitude of their nightly audience.