🍷🍷🍷🍷 🍷 – 5 out of 5 glasses of fine claret! (Or coconut juice for Monkey!)

[Oh.. 🍷… they’re our ‘bohemian’ version of Stars! ⭐️]

Nina’s C*nti Cabaret

Venue 302. McEwan Hall at Underbelly, Bristo Square

Nina Conti is an all-round talent. She looks great, sounds great and her improv skills are second to none.

She sounds remarkable – this is ventriloquism after all – whether as a squawky American woman, a grumpy Scotsman, a posh dowager character… or a Monkey! And she sings very well too. And although she hilariously works with members of the public on stage with her ventriloquist masks, she is never cruelly manipulative, which is the mark of a real pro, as is her remarkable talent for improvisation. Her early career as a classically trained actor, before she was influenced by the late, great Ken Campbell to become a ventriloquist, is obvious here.

Her house band are also on the money, doubling up as stage hands on occasion. And her guest stars, which change every night, were also top notch tonight. I was particularly impressed with the young comedian Frankie Thompson who is hard to describe. Her act included being a tiny Tory, remixing a musical version of ‘Masterchef’ and getting most of the audience of the massive hall dancing tenderly with their partners. It was a unique and strangely moving experience for a comedy show.

And of course, Ninas’ ‘co-presenter’ for most of the show is the Monkey, who is hilarious. Nina breaks convention by allowing Monkey to dream of travel… to Nina’s left hand… and the dream of “Fresh fingers”!

As a fringe veteran I can tell you it’s a unique hour of originality and invention. C*nti’s Cabaret is classic quality.