British comedian and ventriloquist Nina Conti is a festival favourite at any comedy festival around the world. Loved by hard core comedy patrons, she is also an excellent comedian to introduce newbies to. Winning the prestigious Barry Award in 2008, she’s also graced our TV screens in shows like Black Books and Family Tree. Conti’s 2015 show In Your Face combines the stress of improv and the mystery of ventriloquism to form a truly exceptional and unique comedy experience.
A stage strewn with a guitar, masks hanging off mic stands and an inflatable banana, Conti dazzles the packed out room at the Melbourne Town Hall with her big yet nervous smile and her classic straw tote bag. Out pops Conti’s puppet Monk and they start chatting with the audience, poking fun at their various occupations while Monk chastises late comers with his cynical humour and crass language. You can feel a palpable sigh of relief from the front row audience members as she leaves them alone to introduce her show.
At first, you can’t stop watching Conti because you’re trying figure out how she talks without moving her lips, but you eventually get engrossed in her and Monk’s dynamic. His rude temperament contrasts with her friendly yet slightly nervous nature. He makes the audience snort, giggle and clap with his self-referential quips about being a puppet. Monk insults Conti when he doesn’t get what he wants and she responds with a panicked laugh.
Just when the audience members in the front row start to feel at ease, Conti invites the ones she and Monk talked with at the start of the show to join her on stage. She turns them into puppets by putting a mask on them. Using a stick attached to the mask, Conti makes the jaws of the masks move, giving her human puppets distinct voices and characters. From a TV producer to a homewares buyer with a phobia of spiders, her puppets leave the crowd breathless from laughter. The crowd favourite featured two 15 year old girls, both called Fernoula, whose real name Conti could not pronounce. Conti encourages them to play her guitar and accordion and makes up a song on the spot that both astounds and induces hysterics.
What makes Conti’s show so different is it’s not about her at all; it’s about her great characters and her interactions with the human puppets. In fact, we barely know anything about Conti throughout the show, other than she is an excellent ventriloquist and delights in making her audience shriek with laughter. You’re almost forgiven for forgetting she is there at times, because her characters are so unique yet well-crafted. It’s amazing when you realise how easily she coordinates the hilarious voices and the jaw movements of her human puppets, especially when there’s more than one audience member on the stage with her.
One of the funniest shows at this year’s festival, In Your Face is so good you might even contemplate going every night as Conti promises each show will be different. Grab a seat close to the stage if you want a chance at being a puppet. Or not. Either way, you are guaranteed a truly hilarious and magical night.
4.5 stars of 5
In Your Face
Nina Conti
Melbourne Town Hall
Melbourne International Comedy Festival
www.comedyfestival.com.au
March 25 – April 19
