Max Fulham is a leading force in the dying art of ventriloquism. He also happens to be a brilliant potential stand up comedian.  But for now his conviction to reinvigorate this almost lost art gives him a USP that he needs to hold onto. And the fact that the Jack Dome space is full to bursting suggests there is life in the old dog (genre) yet.

The premise of this show, his Fringe second (not counting his wonderful kids show this year) is reminiscence.  Max is clearing out the loft and in true Toy Story 4 stylee he finds discarded puppets from his youth.  Some feature heavily, some simply hit the skip but all make an impression.

Fulham is a gifted audience manipulator so tonight’s victim, Johann, who works in management at the NHS (the gift that keeps on giving) is both cherished and vilified in equal measure. He does a mean Macarena though.

In Max’s attic we find a succession of great characters: A horrible baby, a hat that turns into his long lost child, a particularly ugly and now redundant Theresa May puppet, Suella Braverman makes a brief appearance too, the Mona Lisa and a whole gallery of familiar painted figures and, most important of all, his Grandad. Grandad is a key character in Fulham’s armoury, all Brexit this and new-fangled that.

But the highlight of the night is the spectacularly funny Martin Lewis, Money Saving Expert.  The five-10 minute sequence is breathtakingly funny with the audience howling at Martin’s hilarious ideas. You will never think of the Four Candles, Two Ronnies sketch, the same way again.

Fulham is a genuine talent.  Maybe he can bring back ventriloquism from its music hall heyday, but he’s under no illusion that that is a challenge.

The fact is; this is simply art and unbridled comedic creativity.  That gives him a chance. He has a creative mind that can trawl any genre for inspiration. In this case pretty much his parents’ informative years.

‘Memory Foam‘ is at Jack Dome at Pleasance Dome until Mon 31 Aug 2026