Nina Conti (unedited – 070309)
Posted by jameskettle on March 9, 2009
Nina Conti’s part of a double act. She couldn’t be more different from her partner, Monk, though – she’s friendly, gentle and eager to please, while he’s lazy, violently bad-tempered and fond of shouting out crude sexual insults onstage. He’s also a felt monkey, which means ventriloquist Conti is the one who has to be held responsible for his actions. Much of her act involves largely unsuccessful attempts to maintain a sense of decorum and curb Monk’s worst excesses, and it often feels like she’s using the puppet to vent the darker, less acceptable parts of her own personality. She’s the prim, timid one who’s filled with inhibitions, while he couldn’t give a toss about anything or anyone. As a result there’s tension, unpredictability, and the kind of satisfyingly big laughs that make the pair of them a dependable treat for audiences. Anyone who’s felt the urge to shout rude words at inappropriate moments will enjoy Conti’s innocently scandalised face as Monk lets fly with the expletives.
