The dumbshow of mime

From Lee Dean

Although can't prove it I believe that ventriloquism has its roots in pantomine. I believe the word "dummy" comes from dumbshow of mime, back when mime artist would come out on stage with inanimate object, say a stick, and give it life.

Punch and Judy used an interpreter, like Shakespeare’s plays with prologues to explain pantomime sequences. In one of his plays, I forget which one, Shakespeare says: "O excellent motion! O exceeding puppet! Now will he interpret to her.

"So if at first find it odd that they made a ventriloquist dummy of Emmett Kelly, a famous clown, that was known for not talking, I remind myself that vent is essentially mime. The dummy can't talk and the vent give it the all-important movement for mine and then voice in sync with that movement for standard vent or without it to do vent differently

Phil D'Rey's silent vent act, a golf routine, was splendid.