A man sits on a plinth surrounded by three puppets.

Family Fun

Paul Zerdin & Friends

Get ready for a night of laughter and jaw-dropping entertainment with the Paul Zerdin.

Featuring the remarkable talents of ventriloquist Paul Zerdin, the show brings to life a delightful cast of characters including Sam, the cocky teenager; Albert, the 96-year-old with a razor sharp wit; and the Baby, who hilariously believes the world revolves around him.

As a former America’s Got Talent winner, Paul promises an evening of top-notch stand-up comedy and ventriloquism, including his famous human dummy routine with an exciting new twist.

Don’t miss this unforgettable show opening the Blackpool Comedy Festival for 2025!

Recommended ages: 14+ years. Some adult themes – PG advised

————————————————————————————————————–

The last few years have been extremely busy for the America’s Got Talent 2015 winner, on both sides of the Atlantic. 2016 saw Zerdin head to The Las Vegas Strip for a headline residency at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino.2017 and 2018 saw Paul appear on spin-off shows America’s Got Talent – The Champions and Britain’s Got Talent – The Champions. Since then Paul has toured the US and UK with his critically acclaimed ‘All Mouth’ and ‘Puppet Party’ shows.

Zerdin wasn’t available for comment but his character Sam in his absence said: “It’s so exciting to be back on the road in the UK. We’ve played Hollywood, New York, Vegas and now…Bedford! I just hope we can all get through the tour without a big bust up like last time!”Zerdin is arguably the UK’s number one ventriloquist and made his TV debut in 1993 as the host of GMTV’s ‘Rise and Shine’. He then went on to win ITV’s The Big Big Talent Show, hosted by Jonathan Ross.

Since then he has appeared on countless TV shows including;

The World Stands Up (Comedy Central)
The Stand Up Show BBC!
Just for Laughs Montreal Comedy Festival
Comedy Rocks with Jason Manford (ITV1)
Tonight at The London Palladium with Bruce Forsyth and Bradley Walsh (ITV1)
Michael McIntyre’s Big Christmas Show (BBC1)
The Royal Variety Performance.

Winning Series 10 of America’s Got Talent in September 2015, Zerdin and his sidekicks soon went viral on YouTube, receiving millions of views from around the world.

“Technically immaculate, it’s what he does with his slick talent that really sets him apart. His relationship with the characters has all the dramatic tension of a real life double act”
^{– The Guardian}“

A ventriloquist for South Park generation”
^{– The Stage}“

When you are not laughing you are simply in awe”
^{– Three Weeks in Edinburgh}

Acts:

Character Comedy Masterclass with Gareth Joyner
Character Comedy Masterclass with Gareth JoynerCharacter Comedy Masterclass with Gareth Joyner

Back to all events

Performer in drag with big blonde wig and black fur coat in mid speech.

Event Category: Comedy Masterclass

Character Comedy Masterclass with Gareth Joyner

Showtown and Queer Amusements present this peek behind the process of realising your very own character comedy creations with comedian and art-school dropout Gareth Joyner.

Spend the day exploring the process of developing comedy characters from the ground up whist discovering how drag and gender-play can enhance an act. Learn the basics of connecting with an audience in live performance and discuss the long history and traditions in which these art forms exist.

Fun for seasoned pros and absolute beginners alike with a lovely lunch included!

Recommend for ages 18+

A little about Gareth…

Gareth Joyner is a writer and character comedian who likes to explore being northern, working class and queer, and how those subjects manifest themselves in the heady world of light entertainment. Incorporating both drag and clowning in their practice, Gareth is perhaps best known for their work with registered empath Myra DuBois and (to a lesser extent) the last straight man in showbiz: Frank Lavender.

Gareth has performed with Myra DuBois and Frank Lavender on television, in film and on stages both nationally and internationally with sold out tours around the UK, as well as lighting up social media with hilarious viral videos, and packing out London’s notorious Royal Vauxhall Tavern with Myra’s weekly smash hit residency.

Recently, following a performance of both Frank Lavender and Myra DuBois, an academic type described Gareth as an “artist using two wonderfully distorted poles on a binary to thoroughly interrogate current queer discourses using popular forms” and frankly, Gareth Joyner couldn’t think of a better way to describe their work. Which really, is quite a damning indictment of their ability as a writer.