CJ Finley

Think twice before volunteering at a CJ Finley show, because you might end up as one of the puppets. The comedy ventriloquist turns audience members into part of the act, alongside his own puppet routines and a stretch of straight stand-up. A good share of the material goes back to where he started, the working men's clubs of Lancashire in the north of England. He has headlined theatres on luxury cruise ships, toured around Australia and performed at events overseas, and the shows now number in the thousands. At a corporate night, that mix of puppets, crowd work and stand-up gives the room something to watch and something to join. Melbourne-based, travels nationwide.