Nina Conti: The Dating Show
Richmond Theatre From February 28 to March 28, you can still tour
Rating: 
Ventriloquism, like many of the other acts in showbiz until Nina Conti arrived, was dead. Lord Charles, Orville the Duck, Nookie Bear… names to make you shudder, gathering dust in a long-forgotten corner of showbiz.
In 2010, Conti switched from stand-up to comedy and with the help of the Monkey (foul-mouthed monkey), he reinvented the genre.
Monkey is the dark sidekick to Conti’s sweet presence, constantly scolded for filthy asides and audience abuse.
Ventriloquism was as dead as most of its acts until Nina Conti (above) came along and single-handedly reinvented the genre
Conti has created a new formula that allows volunteers to wear masks, which Conti connects via a cable. This turns them into human-dummies.
As she turns them into bewildered American tourists or Scottish harridans, the slightest gesture or eye flicker is enough to make her grab their shoulders.
Next, things become more complex. Then things get complicated. First Conti appears on the stage wearing a huge Monkey suit. Next, he interviews speed daters in the crowd. Each one is sent off with a series of expletives.
Conti, boiling in her suit, emerges from the closet as she, setting up a date with a girl aged 16 and a boy of 16.
To make matters more excruciating, she summons the poor lad’s parents and the four of them have an awkward sing-song.
It’s comedy gold, but when you factor in Conti’s wizardry at mimicking all four voices while improvising a song, it’s off the scale.
The Dating Show may not produce any matches but it’s the perfect post-pandemic pick-me-up. Nobody complains about wearing a mask.