Nina Conti – In Your Face

Nina Conti opened her 90-minute ventriloquism show by telling her audience that 95 per cent of it was improvised on the night, according to the vibe and their participation. After a quick survey of the front row, ably assisted by her potty-mouthed puppet Monkey, she called a management consultant up on stage.

After being fitted with a moving half mask, over which Conti had complete control, the consultant became a living ventriloquist doll and proceeded to act out his day-to-day duties. Except Conti knew absolutely nothing about his job role so she asked him questions and as she picked up on her volunteer’s body language, a hilarious scenario unfolded. Following this Monkey unforgettably appeared in a hypnotism sequence that cleverly led to the interval.

The second half was even more memorable. Firstly, Monkey led a solo Q&A, then Conti plucked seven willing participants from the stalls, gave them half masks and turned the whole stage into a hilarious impromptu dance sequence. The audience roared with laughter at the spectacle of seven people having great fun not realising that, without drawing attention to herself, Conti was playing all seven parts.

No mean feat that’s why Conti has made ventriloquism cool again.

Concert Hall, Brighton Dome   15th October 2016

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