Nina Conti: Whose Face Is It Anyway?. McEwan Hall at Underbelly Bristo Square Review
Written by Brian Keachie for Theatre & Tonic
If you’ve seen Nina Conti on TV or social media, you’ll know exactly what to expect—sharp wit, fearless audience interaction, and, of course, that infamous monkey.
The McEwan Hall was buzzing with anticipation, and the atmosphere was electric. Nina opened with a relaxed, informal chat, quickly seizing every opportunity to deliver the hilarity we’d all come for.
Within minutes, the room was in stitches—often at the expense of willing audience members, but that’s the joy of live, unpredictable theatre.
Then came the legendary “Mask – Whose Face Is It Anyway?” segment. Volunteers—bravely dubbed “culprits”—embraced the madness, thrown into bizarre, ever-escalating scenarios that had no telling where they’d end up. The result? Comedy gold.
If I had one small observation, it would be the segment where audience members queued to speak to the Psychiatrist Monkey. For me—and judging by the murmurs, for others too—it didn’t quite land, perhaps due to weaker contributions from those on stage.
That aside, this was an absolutely brilliant night of adult comedy: bold, clever, and side-splitting from start to finish.
Nina Conti: Whose Face Is It Anyway? plays at McEwan Hall at Underbelly, Bristo Square until 15 August.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
