Ventriloquism is the performance art of speaking or producing sounds so that the voice appears to come from a source other than the performer, most often a puppet or "dummy." Ventriloquists create the illusion of a separate character by manipulating the puppet and producing distinct voices, often for comedy, storytelling, or theatrical entertainment. The technique requires precise vocal control and minimal lip movement. Ventriloquism has historical roots in ancient cultures and theater, and it continues to be practiced in live performances, television, and media worldwide.[1][2]
Originally, ventriloquism was a religious practice.[3] The name comes from the Latin for 'to speak from the belly':Venter (belly) andloqui (speak).[4] The ancient Greeks used the termengastrimythos (Ancient Greek:ἐγγαστρίμυθος) orengastrimantis (Ancient Greek:ἐγγαστρίμαντις) to refer to a person (mostly women) who delivered oracles by this means.[5] The noises produced by the stomach were thought to be the voices of the unliving, who took up residence in the stomach of the ventriloquist. The ventriloquist would then interpret the sounds, as they were thought to be able to speak to the dead, as well as foretell the future. One of the earliest recorded group ofprophets to use this technique was thePythia, the priestess at the temple ofApollo inDelphi, who acted as the conduit for the Delphic Oracle.[citation needed]
One of the most successful early gastromancers was Eurykles, a prophet atAthens; gastromancers came to be referred to asEuryklides in his honour.[6] Other parts of the world also have a tradition of ventriloquism for ritual or religious purposes; historically there have been adepts of this practice among theZulu,Inuit, andMāori peoples.[6]
The shift from ventriloquism as manifestation of spiritual forces toward ventriloquism as entertainment happened in the eighteenth century attravelling funfairs and market towns. An early depiction of a ventriloquist dates to 1754 in England, whereSir John Parnell is depicted in the paintingAn Election Entertainment byWilliam Hogarth as speaking via his hand.[7] In 1757, the Austrian Baron de Mengen performed with a small doll.[8]
By the late18th century, ventriloquist performances were an established form of entertainment inEngland, although most performers "threw their voice" to make it appear that it emanated from far away (known asdistant ventriloquism), rather than the modern method of using a puppet (near ventriloquism).[a] A well-known ventriloquist of the period, Joseph Askins, who performed at theSadler's Wells Theatre inLondon in the 1790s advertised his act as "curious ad libitum Dialogues between himself and his invisible familiar, Little Tommy".[9] However, other performers were beginning to incorporate dolls or puppets into their performance, notably the Irishman James Burne who "carries in his pocket, an ill-shaped doll, with a broad face, which he exhibits ... as giving utterance to his own childish jargon," and Thomas Garbutt.[citation needed]
The entertainment came of age during the era of themusic hall in theUnited Kingdom andvaudeville in theUnited States. George Sutton began to incorporate a puppet act into his routine atNottingham in the 1830s, followed byFred Neiman later in the century,[10] but it isFred Russell who is regarded as the father of modern ventriloquism. In 1886, he was offered a professional engagement at thePalace Theatre inLondon and took up his stage career permanently. His act, based on the cheeky-boy dummy "Coster Joe" that would sit in his lap and 'engage in a dialogue' with him was highly influential for the entertainment format and was adopted by the next generation of performers. A blue plaque has been embedded in a former residence of Russell by the British Heritage Society which reads 'Fred Russell the father of ventriloquism lived here'.[11]
Fred Russell's successful comedy team format was applied by the next generation of ventriloquists. It was taken forward by the BritishArthur Prince with his dummy Sailor Jim, who became one of the highest paid entertainers on the music hall circuit, and by the AmericansThe Great Lester andEdgar Bergen. Bergen, together with his favorite figureCharlie McCarthy, hosted a radio program that was broadcast from 1937 to 1956 and which was #1 on the nights it aired, popularizing the idea of the comedic ventriloquist. Bergen continued performing until his death in 1978, and his popularity inspired many other famous ventriloquists who followed him, includingPaul Winchell,Jimmy Nelson,David Strassman,Jeff Dunham,Terry Fator,Ronn Lucas,Wayland Flowers,Shari Lewis,Willie Tyler,Jay Johnson,Nina Conti,Paul Zerdin, andDarci Lynne. Another ventriloquist act popular in the United States in the 1950s and 1960s wasSeñor Wences.[citation needed]
In India, the art of ventriloquism was popularized byY. K. Padhye and M. M. Roy, who are believed to be the pioneers of this field in India. Y. K. Padhye's sonRamdas Padhye borrowed from him and made the art popular amongst the masses through his performance on television. Ramdas Padhye's name is synonymous with puppet characters likeArdhavatrao[12] (also known as Mr. Crazy),[13]Tatya Vinchu[14] and Bunny the Funny which features in a television advertisement for Lijjat Papad, an Indian snack.[15] Ramdas Padhye's son Satyajit Padhye is also a ventriloquist.[citation needed]
The popularity of ventriloquism fluctuates. ComedianJeff Dunham has been credited with reviving the artform and is said to have done more promoting it than anyone since Edgar Bergen.[16] In the UK in 2010, there were only 15 full-time professional ventriloquists, down from around 400 in the 1950s and 1960s.[17] A number of modern ventriloquists have developed a following as the public taste for live comedy grows. In 2007,Zillah & Totte won the first season ofSweden's Got Talent and became one ofSweden's most popular family/children entertainers. A feature-length documentary about ventriloquism,I'm No Dummy, was released in 2010.[18] Three ventriloquists have wonAmerica's Got Talent:Terry Fator in 2007,Paul Zerdin in 2015 andDarci Lynne in 2017. Two ventriloquists, Damien James[19] andChristine Barger,[20] have appeared onPenn & Teller: Fool Us. Several ventriloquists have grown large followings on popular social media apps, as well. In 2025, Alex Vadukul and Dina Litovsky of theNew York Times describedSophie Becker as "reviving a vaudevillian art form".[21]
One difficulty ventriloquists face is that all the sounds that they make must be made with lips slightly separated. For thelabial soundsf,v,b,p, andm, the only choice is to replace them with others. A widely parodied example of this difficulty is the "gottle o' gear", from the reputed inability of less-skilled practitioners to pronounce "bottle of beer".[22] If variations of the soundsth,d,t, andn are spoken quickly, it can be difficult for listeners to notice a difference.
Modern ventriloquists use multiple types of puppets in their presentations, ranging from soft cloth or foam puppets (Verna Finly's work is a pioneering example), flexible latex puppets (such as Steve Axtell's creations) and the traditional and familiar hard-headed knee figure (Tim Selberg's mechanized carvings).
The classic dummies used by ventriloquists (the technical name for which isventriloquial figure) vary in size anywhere from twelve inches tall to human-size and larger, with the height usually 34–42 in (86–107 cm). Traditionally, this type of puppet has been made frompapier-mâché or wood. In modern times, other materials are often employed, includingfiberglass-reinforcedresins,urethanes, filled (rigid)latex, andneoprene.[23] Traditionally, the ventriloquist’s dummy is given a flippant personality who unapologetically insults their ventriloquist and often members of the audience as well.
Notable names in the history of dummy making includeJeff Dunham, Frank Marshall (the Chicago creator of Bergen'sCharlie McCarthy,[24] Nelson's Danny O'Day,[24] and Winchell's Jerry Mahoney), Theo Mack and Son (Mack carved Charlie McCarthy's head), Revello Petee, Kenneth Spencer, Cecil Gough,[25] and Glen & George McElroy. The McElroy brothers' figures are still considered by many ventriloquists as the apex of complex movement mechanics, with as many as fifteen facial and head movements controlled by interior finger keys and switches.
Jeff Dunham referred to his McElroy figure Skinny Dugan as "theStradivarius of dummies."[26] TheJuro Novelty Company also manufactured dummies. Geoffrey Moran of Australia has built foam puppets Koala (Kevin) and Billy Baby. He has also built a wooden Irish Dancing Donut puppet along with Plunger the pull apart puppet, Ernie (from Tasmania) and Siegfried the World's Greatest Marching Band Leader. Other puppets, such as George, Darryl the Dinosaur, Goggles the bird, Barry the Box and Bruce the Robotic Bucket have been made by other associates.
The plots of somefilms and television programs are based on "killer toy" dummies that are alive and horrific. These include "The Dummy", a May 4, 1962 episode ofThe Twilight Zone;[27]Devil Doll;[28]Dead Silence;Zapatlela;[29]Buffy The Vampire Slayer;Goosebumps;Tales from the Crypt;Gotham (the episode "Nothing's Shocking");Friday the 13th: The Series;Toy Story 4; andDoctor Who in different episodes. This genre has also been satirized on television inALF (the episode "I'm Your Puppet");Seinfeld (the episode "The Chicken Roaster"); and thecomic stripMonty.[citation needed]
Somepsychological horror films and other works featurepsychotic ventriloquists who believe their dummies are alive and use them as surrogates to commit frightening acts including murder. Examples of this includethe 1978 filmMagic,the 1945 anthology filmDead of Night,[27] andthe Ventriloquist fromBatman comics and other Batman media.
Literary examples of frightening ventriloquist dummies includeGerald Kersh'sThe Horrible Dummy and the story "The Glass Eye" byJohn Keir Cross. In music,NRBQ's video for their song "Dummy" (2004) features four ventriloquist dummies modelled after the band members who 'lip-sync' the song while wandering around a dark, abandoned house.[citation needed]
...Ardhavatrao, also known as Mr. Crazy, made famous all over the world by Mumbai-based ventriloquist Ramdas Padhye and his family - scored a century this year.
Note the lip movement for 'big'. This is, of course, the origin of the ventriloquist's 'gottle o' gear'.
