An Interview With Neale Bacon - Part 2

Part two of a seven part interview with ventriloquist Neale Bacon of Canada.

Video Transcript:

What age would you say you were when you first started doing shows?

Professionally, or just in general?

In general—what age were you when you started doing shows?

Thirteen or fourteen. You know, the usual birthday parties in the neighborhood. I did a couple of events around the town I was living in at the time. Then I graduated high school and went into it full-time—though I was doing more magic than ventriloquism back then.

Life moved on. I got married, kids came along, and I said to my wife one day, “I’ve seen too many of my friends on the road and what it does to their families. I think I’m going to go part-time, get a real job, and just perform on weekends.”

Being the wise woman she is, she said, “I’m not going to have this discussion with you.”

I asked why, and she said, “Because you’re not going to come back in ten years and tell me I made you quit show business.”

So, I stuck it out as a part-time performer for a lot of years. Then, almost ten years ago, I went back into it full-time. By then the kids were older, and they weren’t going to miss Dad if he was on the road.

That was also when I switched to focusing on ventriloquism. I had been, like yourself, a magician when I started. I did a bit of vent, but mostly magic. My mentor Peter asked me one day, “What do you enjoy more?”

I thought about it and said, “I really like making people laugh. Even when I did magic, my magic was always played for comedy. I love to make people laugh, so I guess I like vent more.”

Then he asked, “How many magicians are there in the Vancouver area where we live?”

I thought about the Vancouver Magic Circle I belonged to at the time, the local IBM ring with about 150 members, plus probably another 50 or 60 magicians around town who didn’t belong.

He said, “Okay, how many vents are there?”

I said, “Six.”

And he replied, “Well, there you go. Go with what you love, and go with what makes you unique.”

So about ten years ago, I really started to focus on ventriloquism.

That was great advice from him.

Yep.

You specialize in doing children’s and family shows, am I right on that?

Yes. Children’s and family—whether that’s in churches, fairs, festivals, birthdays, anywhere folks gather. I actually like doing kids’ shows, but I’d rather do family shows where I can play to the little ones all the way through to Grandma and Grandpa, and hit all those layers.