- Radio Times
- Review by:
- Mark Braxton
This outside-the-box doc follows comedian and ventriloquist Nina Conti on a most peculiar pilgrimage. We backtrack to when she was bequeathed a chest of dummies by her former mentor and lover Ken Campbell after his death in 2008. But now she has reached a crossroads in her career. So she takes her felt-and-fur friends — some cute, others creepy — to a special convention in Kentucky.
At the Vent Haven gathering we see astonishing examples of “distant voice” expertise, and Nina — daughter of Tom Conti — even uses her props to voice deeply personal confessions.
The film seems unsure of what it wants to be — it’s certainly disturbing at times — but you will learn what bifurcation means.
About this programme
The comedienne explores the reasons she became a ventriloquist and reveals the secrets of the art, demonstrating the various voices and characters of her puppets. She discusses how actor Ken Campbell got her started in the profession when she was an aspiring actress and set her on the path to becoming a sell-out act in Britain and abroad.
Cast and crew
Crew
- Director
- Nina Conti
- Executive Producer
- Christopher Guest
- Producer
- Nina Conti
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