Earlier this month Lee Ridley got up on a stage in Sunderland and performed a stand-up comedy routine for the very first time — something that he never expected to do since he can’t actually speak. Ridley suffers from Cerebral Palsy and normally uses a Lightwriter type-to-speech device to replace his missing voice, but on the night of his stand-up debut he swapped it for an iPad because it offered a clearer speaking voice and was easier for copying and pasting pre-written material from his computer. Despite an early mishap when the iPad decided to reboot itself as soon as he stepped on stage, Ridley’s 10-minute set was a success, and he says he’s “been buzzing ever since.” Ridley, who also goes by the moniker Lost Voice Guy, will be following up his debut with a trio of shows throughout England over March and April.
iPad helps voiceless comedian perform very first stand-up routine
A man with no voice was able to perform his very first stand-up comedy set with a little help from an iPad.
A man with no voice was able to perform his very first stand-up comedy set with a little help from an iPad.
is an entertainment editor covering streaming, virtual worlds, and every single Pokémon video game. Andrew joined The Verge in 2012, writing over 4,000 stories.
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