Show Details
Nina Conti: Evolution
Show type: Edinburgh Fringe 2008
Starring Comic:
Nina Conti

Nina Conti: Evolution


+
Description

The world's first homo-erectus ventriloquist, and a talking monkey, explain evolution. Thankfully, in the interest of entertainment, they've included songs, jokes, and gratuitous nudity.

Winner of the prestigious Barry award 2008.

Director: Sean Foley

+
Reviews

Original Review:

Show Rating:Nina Conti: Evolution rated 3/5

For all the foul-mouthed puppetry, Nina Conti’s show is, at heart, as warmly old-fashioned as ventriloquism itself. There’s self-deprecating banter, old-school double-act backchat, a music-hall duet – plus the big, spectacular finish.

On top of this, she’s added an ambitious – probably over-ambitious – plot, a knowing, deconstructionist attitude and a few raunchy gags. There’s a second-act wobble, when the jokes and the concept don’t really do her justice, but overall this is a hugely entertaining and inventive hour.

The starting point is that Conti is presenting a serious lecture about evolution to mark 150 years since the publication of The Origin Of Species. That, at least, is the excuse for her to get Monkey out again, swearing and generally being offensive, while Conti giggles with embarrassments. The naturalness of the interaction is as brilliantly credible as always, and testament to her skills as ventriloquist, actor and comic.

Often Monk’s comedy contribution is to say little more than ‘fuck you, bitch,’ to his winsome controller; but his bluntness gets the laughs as much as the knowing gags about the relationship between creator and createe.

This leads the show from the Darwinian to the Freudian, as Conti takes to the couch to examine her potentially schizophrenic psyche, that channels all her evil through her puppet. Conti’s dad, Tom, also makes an appearance, in latex and video form, to help investigate her hang-ups, in a clever and funny sequence.

After this comes the dodgy patch, when the double-act is split up for the sake of their sanity. Conti embraces her sleazy side by becoming a pole dancer – with a rather ropey script - while Monk takes on all manner of degrading jobs, such as the predictably unsuitable children’s entertainer. Again, the gags fail him.

However, all is put right in a funny finale, surely the most impressive on the Fringe, which gives a new angle on Conti and Monk’s relationship and draws the show to a satisfying conclusion. It truly is Monkey magic…

Reviewed by: Steve Bennett
+
Comments

An act I've always put off seeing - and now I wonder why. The show started late but despite the fact that we'd queued in the rain for an extra ten minutes it didn't matter. The show begins as an exploration of darwinism with monkey Nina's alarmingly profane puppet as the missing link. Then moves on to some psychoanalysis of the monkey as Nina's id and then climaxes in a costume change the boggles the eyes. Throughout the show Nina seems to be having a good time and that comes across , quickly warming a sodden audience. The best vents will always force you to remember that they are doing all the voices and this show has that in spades. Its not quite as slick as some Americans David Strassman comes to mind it has an originality and sense of fun there more mannered shows lackrnThere is a constant review of the gig by monkey that sums up the few dips in quality far better than I could - I suppose a ventriloquist has to be more self aware than most. This doesn't get to the five star mark but it isn't that far off. If the whole show had reached the same heights as Nina using her father as a dummy to work monkey it would be into 6 star territory. Well worth a visit

Andy, August 2008

Have your say:
:
:
:
 
+
This comic also appears in: