What a fun comedy evening at the Norwich Playhouse watching Paul Zerdin. It was a sold out show and the atmosphere was buzzing with a really good mix of people from those who have been following him for years to those needing a good giggle. There was certainly someone two rows behind me who had a consistently good giggle throughout the show, which added to the overall fun!
The show started with a VT of Paul’s ventriloquist achievements over the last nearly 30 years, probably to fill in knowledge gaps of any members of the audience who don’t know his background, or how long he has actually been going.
Paul Zerdin is a master of his craft and you completely forget the puppets are not talking. His main puppet, Sam, is a cheeky teenager, and therefore seems to get away with saying all kinds of hilariously rude things. The banter between then was quick and funny, and how Paul switches between the two vocals is impressive. The audience interaction was very funny, the quick wit and effortless back-and-forth had everyone in stitches. It is usually the unscripted, spontaneous humour that makes a live show so much more entertaining, and of course the willing audience members!
The other puppets included Albert who is a grumpy old man who gets away with saying all kinds of things. Baby, who is cute and a strange view of the world, there is also the character Urban Fox, who has the street lingo and accent. Roger, the American bodyguard with a gruff voice who is a little dim-witted opened the doors for all kinds of jokes.
The finale had two audience members on stage with puppet mouths was a highlight of the night. A married couple came on stage and created a side splitting comedy sketch. It is a testament to his skill that he makes a complex routing look easy and so funny. This couple looked like they were reluctantly having the best time and it will be something they will bond over for years to come.
The show catered for everyone. Whereas the majority of the humour was ‘light entertainment’ with both clever and simple silly jokes, there were some more adult jokes to keep people roaring with laughter without being overly rude or offensive. Although a lot was obviously scripted, it is a show after all, there was plenty of spontaneous jokes and humour as Paul worked with the audience’s vibe on the night.
A funny, clever man who has mastered his talent to be top of his game.
