Ventriloquism used to be so popular it was even performed on the radio. Now it is a genre performers often shy away from. So, it is good that Nina Conti is breathing new life into ventriloquism with her blue comedy act.

That said, her full-length fringe show was really an enhanced version of the club act she has been doing for years. It certainly proved a crowd-pleaser on the night, but you wonder how far this formula can be pushed.

The obscene monkey apparently tells the rude gags while Conti the ventriloquist acts as his straight woman. Monkey hatches ambitions to have his own show, giving Conti the chance to play her father and mother and portray a sleazy woman on daytime chat show.

The funniest section came when Conti played a one-armed woman South African voodoo expert who had been magically cursed with the addition of a huge manhood which conversed with her and audience members. It sounds utterly obscene but was absolutely hilarious.

Conti wowed her audience and, despite her fluffing the odd line, you had to admire her enormous skill.