Here’s everything you need to know about the British tour from our British correspondent!
For those of you who don’t watch talent contest TV shows, you probably don’t know the name Paul Zerdin but let me inform you! Paul has been a ventriloquist for many years and found fame as the winner of America’s Got Talent in 2015. His act involves playing himself alongside various puppets including pre-teen Sam, cheeky pensioner Albert and a whiny baby.
Zerdin impressed the judges and audience with his act in every round of “America’s Got Talent, with compliments given to his comedy skills, ventriloquist abilities and clever use of technology. His efforts helped him to top such acts as contestants as Piff the magic dragon (a dry comic magician dressed as a dragon) and Drew Lynch (a comedian who overcame his stutter to tell jokes).
For winning America’s Got Talent, Paul was rewarded with a million pounds and the chance to perform at Las Vegas. Now, Paul will be returning to his native homeland to do a 45-date tour across the country called “All Mouth” and I’m sure his British fans will be excited to see him on stage. Considering the wide-spanning amount of cities he’s set to perform at, every fan should find a venue close to them that will be showcasing Paul’s act.
Paul performing as Sam in “America’s Got Talent” in 2015
However, Paul gained controversy when doing his routine in Las Vegas last year because other ventriloquists have accused him of imitating their schticks. According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, fellow ventriloquist Ron Lucas commented on Zerdin’s Vegas act saying “To me he’s like a ventriloquist’s version of a cover band, He comes on and does four or five other ventriloquist’s bits and leaves letting the audience think he wrote the songs.”
Zerdin responded to this criticism by saying “Nobody’s stealing anything. Because of the nature of the act and what we’re doing, we’re all going to think along similar lines.”, although his act is being criticised by the press too, The Guardian’s Brian Logan gave a mixed response to one his London gigs last year “The show is a compendium of Zerdin’s favourite bits, in which he flaunts a pretty impressive voice-throwing talent – which isn’t to be sniffed at, but I missed the playful deconstruction of the form in which Nina Conti, among others, trades. And the jokes are basic.”
Paul’s Mouthing Off gig at Planet Hollywood in Vegas
To be objective, though, some reviewers have lavished Paul’s stage act with praise, including Robin Leach of Las Vegas Sun, who commented “Everybody agreed that Paul has made the art of ventriloquism cool all over again” after seeing Paul’s Planet Hollywood performance. Plus the website Celebrityradio.biz applauded Paul by saying “There are moments in this show that are totally sensational and utterly breath-taking. Remarkable skill and discipline!”.
So with these mixed feelings from Paul’s peers and critics, should you go see him? Well, I’ve personally never seen Paul on stage but I have checked out all of his rounds in America’s Got Talent and I can see why people are divided. While Paul’s ability to throw voices is beyond impressive and he did manage to get a few laughs out of me, unfortunately, there is something a little old-fashioned and childish about his routine that’s kind of tacky.
Sure, there’s an audience for such Vaudevillian acts but I couldn’t help but feel like I was watching a Punch & Judy performance at a children’s party. It also doesn’t help that he doesn’t have much creative or vocal range, with most of his characters doing a high pitched helium voice and having similar personalities (cranky, rude and argumentative). So, I’m apprehensive about Paul’s act working for a headline performance on the big stage because while he is talented, he does need to improve and broaden his skills.
I guess that his gimmick could appeal to families and adults nostalgic for their childhood parties but personally, he’s not a performer that I’d go out of my way to see. My suggestion is to watch Paul’s rounds in “America’s Got Talent” on youtube and see if his style is your cup of tea because what he does isn’t for everyone. I do wish him the best and hope that he can mature as years go on.
If you’re interested in Paul’s upcoming UK tour, which starts in September 2017, head over to Ticketmaster.