Nina Conti:Talk to the Hand (UK)

Editorial

When: Previews 25-28 Mar; Season 25 -18 Apr '10 (no show Mondays)
Times: Tue-Sat 8.15pm, Sun 7.15pm
Where: Melb Town Hall - Supper Room
90-120 Swanston Street, Melbourne
Tickets: Fri-Sat $33; Adult Tue/Wed/Thu/Sun $29; GP/Laugh Pack (except Sat) $27; Concession (except Sat) $25; Tightarse Tue $25.50; Previews $23
Bookings: Ticketmaster 1300-660-013

Nina Conti looks sweet. Don't be fooled. I saw her the year she won the Barry Award and she pranced around the stage like a drunken sailor on shore leave with a twelve inch puppet penis Velcro-ed to her crotch. The penis talked, by the way.

I laughed until I felt a little bit sick.

Conti may have inherited her weirdness from famous father, Tom. Or, she may have found it in a box of ventriloquist dummies. Whatever its origin, we can only be glad that she gave it a voice. This deceptively dirty damsel is little short of perfect.

Fans of Conti will be pleased to learn that the irascible “Monkey” remains on his mistress' hand. This year, expect new characters and, perhaps, some even slicker puppetry thanks to her collaborator and Spitting Image founder, Bill Dare.

Helen Razer, Citysearch

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