Nina Conti at the Richmond Theatre review: virtuoso ventriloquist delivers unique night

Nina Conti - (stevebest.com)

I thought I'd seen enough masks to last me a lifetime during the pandemic. But ventriloquist Nina Conti makes a persuasive case for bringing them back. At least bringing back the ingenious latex face coverings that she uses to exquisite effect turning people into human puppets in her latest show, Whose Face Is It Anyway?

Cartoonish masks covering the lower half of audience members' faces and featuring jaws controlled by a wired hand-held pump have been used by various performers over the years, such as fellow contemporary vent act Paul Zerdin, but here they are the entire evening, with the virtuoso star conjuring up spontaneous scenarios and comical conversations.