ELLIOT BIBBY: ABRACADADA

☆☆☆☆

In the opening moments of Abracadada, a family friendly show that attracts all ages, Elliot Bibby explicitly welcomes adults with kids to enter and exit the show as often as needed to cater to the little ones. He’s family friendly on both an artistic level and on a human level. The show itself is themed on childhood, from Bibby’s own childhood experiences through to his current experience as a father of two.

As the show progresses, it becomes clear that his opening remarks weren’t just empty words. Beyond the magic, the real factor that sets Bibby apart is in how he interacts with his audience. At the reviewed show Bibby had two very enthusiastic young siblings in his front row, heckling him in that adorable but still potentially disruptive way that kids do. Bibby made sure to get them both involved at appropriate points in the show. His navigation of their interruptions revealed not just the unflappably professional demeanor that has made him such an in demand magician, but also a keen sense of the potential rivalries of sibling politics, which he navigated flawlessly in his responses to them.

Most of the tricks that Bibby performs might be familiar to magic fans, but they are well themed and perfectly performed. Those who have seen any particular trick and think they might know how it works won’t get confirmation from Bibby. A highlight draws inspiration from Bibby’s other Fringe venture, with a child-friendly makeover that results in one of the many particularly adorable audience participation moments of the show. His final reveal is also impressive, he may employ a classic magician closer but manages to use it in an unusually visual, thematic, and engaging way.

The Abracadada theme feels fairly light touch in that as much a description of Bibby’s life as a magician and father as it is a theme for the show, and is used to encompass incidents from his own childhood as well—not a critique so much as a comment on the type of show that Bibby is choosing to perform. That being said, the care and attention to detail in the props and presentation results in an especially cohesive show. Bibby is also in a position to uniquely embody his theme, showing off his dad skills as much as his magic skills in how he speaks to his audience.

As at the writing of this review, Bibby has been regularly selling out his Abracadada run and appears poised to continue to do so. It’s not just families with young kids in the audiences. Bibby is a Fringe regular, and particularly as this is his first solo show in a little while, it’s attracted his long time fans as well, who are committed to him regardless of the theme. Abracadada might be a different theme than they’re used to, but it is a beautiful little triumph of a show. Bibby’s old and new fans left his venue slightly more joyful for having experienced it.

KEVIN QUANTUM: INVISIBLE FORCE

☆☆☆

Fringe regular and favorite Kevin Quantum has clearly built a strong reputation, if the sold out Invisible Force on a Monday evening is anything to go by. He may be family friendly with the kind of arguably educational billing of being both a scientist and a magician that attracts young families, but it’s worth noting that the reviewed show had a decent mix of ages, with plenty of groups of adults of varied ages enjoying the show. Invisible Force is conceptually very interesting, and Quantum is an able and engaging performer.

As with many magic shows, Quantum invites many audience members to the stage. He is by and large a welcoming presence, rewarding most of his participants with biscuits. This is in keeping with the science theme; in the best, kindest way he is here reminiscent of a scientist training their beloved mice through a maze. Quantum’s long term fans may know that he loves a boogie, but it may be worthwhile for him to have a bit more respect for his participants who don’t. At the reviewed show watching him pressure his first participant of the evening into dancing was uncomfortable viewing. The moment could have at least been tied in thematically with a discussion of the invisible forces at play in a dynamic of unequal power, but the opportunity was missed.

There are a few other missed thematic moments in the show, which feels like a shame for such an interesting concept. The thematic elements of some routines feel fairly straightforward, so it feels reasonable that they are performed without explicit elaboration, like a participant’s emotional connection to a lost object leading it back to her, or a participant’s demonstrable connection with Quantum allowing them to subconsciously coordinate certain factors. On the other hand, Quantum’s magical illustration of quantum physics could do with a touch more tie-in, to allow those in the audience coming in with less physics knowledge to fully appreciate the parallel. Quantum is known for bringing an entirely new concept-driven show to every Fringe, which is certainly admirable in its own right, but the reviewed Invisible Forces may leave some audience members hoping that someday he returns to the concept introduced here with further insight and elaboration. 

As a magician-science hybrid, Quantum makes great use of the props of both his passions in the effects that he performs, often leading to visually spectacular results. A highlight is his use of a glittering chain that behaves in a beautiful, fascinatingly unexpected way. Quantum’s own driving force is, as he describes it, enabling his audience to experience wonder, and he is adept at using both science and magic to achieve this.

Quantum is a regular and strong performer, and his many fans certainly won’t leave Invisible Forces disappointed. Some may find it the most interesting work he’s brought to the Fringe in recent years. However, it does feel like the concept work of the show could be slightly augmented to give it a more cohesive feel, plus the reviewed show had a participant issue that, to be fair to Quantum, may have been a one-off. Quantum is always one to watch, and if anything, the ambition evident in the structuring of Invisible Forces is a fascinating glimpse into what makes Quantum himself tick— a sub-theme of the show. It will almost definitely leave audiences curious and excited to see what he comes up with next year.

THE DUO: A THREE PERSON MAGIC SHOW

☆☆☆☆☆

Fringe newcomers Jacob Greenwald, Dan Winter, and Charlie Phillips, are together The Duo: A Three Person Magic Show. If the show title indicates that it will be a wacky experience, the three person duo over-delivers. With the scripted conversations between the three performers that reveal plot, background, and character, it feels a little more like a piece of theater than the average Fringe magic show, but the focus on and quantity of magic reminds the audience of the genre they’re at. The Duo delivers on all fronts, with excellence in magic and a genuinely engaging character-driven story with a conclusion that feels as much like a play as it does like a magic show.

All three members of the duo perform their magic perfectly, as and when required. An early highlight is a card adding trick that most magic fans will think they have seen before, with a twist that may seem simple in its description but that sets Greenwald apart and keeps audiences guessing. If some of the other tricks might seem more familiar, the creative and stylish performance nevertheless ensures that the audience has a new appreciation for them.

Greenwald, Winter, and Phillips use most of the audience as participants over the course of the show, an unusually high proportion of participation even by magic standards. Luckily they are welcoming to their participants, and instruct them clearly as to how to complete their roles in the show with minimal error. The magicians have that professional eye for selecting audience members who can handle the attention for more involved roles, and stick to simpler, seat-based participation for the rest.

As much as The Duo is a magic show and kind of a play, it’s also at least as much about comedy. All three performers have flawless comic timing, whether in their performance with each other on stage or in their interactions with the audience, both as individuals and a collective. And while all three undoubtedly have incredible stage chemistry, they use their performative chemistry hilariously to develop their characters and keep the audience laughing.

The Duo: A Three Person Magic Show is the type of outstanding show that isn’t just incredibly worthwhile for its own sake, but also unavoidably will raise their audiences’ expectations for every magic show they see after it. It’s a difficult one to discuss with anyone who hasn’t seen it, as it seems a shame to reveal much detail when every moment is so well thought through for the impact that it will have on the audience as they watch it, and the careful build toward the final moments. This is a true gem of a show, and will undoubtedly sell out the run as its Edinburgh reputation grows. It’s well worth getting in while you can.

1 HOUR OF INSANE MAGIC

☆☆☆☆☆

The Fringe’s favorite magic supergroup Insane Magic is back, with their tactically titled show 1 Hour of Insane Magic. The title might stay the same, but the content gets reworked each year, and this year really is bigger than ever. Cameron Gibson, Luke Osey, and Elliot Bibby might each get their turn in the spotlight, but the best parts of the show are the ones where they appear onstage together, and they know it, spending more time than ever together this year.

With each performer representing their specialty—mentalism, stunt magic, and sleight of hand—plus the big illusion work that the performers demonstrate together, Insane Magic has something for everyone. While it is first and foremost an entertaining experience for the average Fringe audience, it is also rapidly becoming an exemplar-level primer on excellently performed magic for enthusiasts. A particular highlight is their levitation act, which brings personality, originality, and levity to a classic effect.

With their huge venue that regularly sells out, Insane Magic’s challenges when it comes to audience management are a little bit different. Participants are chosen from volunteers, which is particularly helpful when they might find themselves in front of hundreds of people, a task that not all people would be up for. And just when the audience might think that Insane Magic has become the victim of its own success, with audiences so large that not everyone can see some of the physically smaller effects, they reveal a new livestream camera system that ensures that the action is visible to all. The camera work is skillfully done by Insane Magic’s assistant, Laura Susana Tapia, who isn’t just the assistant for one of the biggest illusions but also assists in general throughout the show. That being said, as discussed below, the Insane Magicians also take a turn at some of the classically assistant roles, and can also be seen assisting each other throughout the show.

As Insane Magic progresses, one of the first things the audience may come to realize is that Osey, Bibby, and Gibson are all unapologetically nerds. If the magic itself wasn’t enough of an indication, their commitment to demonstrating certain effects with painstaking historical accuracy drives the point home. The audience also quickly realizes that they are equally unapologetically feminist, as they take the time to reframe the acts and labels of magical history to bring awareness to the historically under-recognized role of women in magic and ensure that they don’t make the same mistakes in their own work. These two factors combine wonderfully in what must be the best and nerdiest dance interlude in magic show history. Bibby, Gibson, and Osey may have mentioned lasers in their promotional materials, but the audience will still be unprepared for just how much fun this segment of the show is in reality. It exemplifies the factors that have made them so successful: visual, magical, and fun in equal measures, with their trademark dash of silliness. 

Insane Magic is truly a worldwide phenomenon. Their recent venture to the Adelaide Fringe saw them not only selling out shows half a world away from their home country, but also managing to become the third favorite Adelaide Fringe show in the audience review rankings. Their many fans know why. The magic is creative and perfectly performed, and their stage chemistry and kindness radiate through every point of the act. Popular Fringe acts do occasionally feel overhyped, but despite its reputation, Insane Magic feels, if anything, under-hyped. Magic tricks can be described and even replicated, but the wholesome energy that the performers manage to imbue in every moment of every show has to be experienced. Insane Magic regularly sells out their entire run and is on track to do so again, so anyone hoping to see it would do well to book their tickets quickly.

CALLUM MCCLURE: WON’T GET FOOLED AGAIN

☆☆☆

It’s rare and welcome that a magician comes to the Fringe with a show concept that feels so completely different that it almost calls for a new genre category to be added to the Edfringe website. For this accomplishment alone, Callum McClure’s Won’t Get Fooled Again’s combination of magic and computer programming is worth a watch. While magic is a common category at the Fringe, computer programming demonstrated as a performance art is rare, perhaps even unique. This was under appreciated on the rainy weekend that it was reviewed, the weather may have deterred Fringe audiences from venturing out for an unticketed show. McClure’s warm presence made the excursion worthwhile for those who made it in to his audience.

McClure blends magic and technology for all of his effects, even when he looks to the past for a brief interlude to give his computer a break. The bones of the effects he performs will be familiar to those who have seen a magic show before, but the inclusion of technology makes many of them feel new. McClure’s opening routine using a virtual assistant is the perfect way to set the scene, encouraging the audience to interact with his program the same way they would interact with a human performer.

Like all the best magicians, McClure makes participation in his show easy. Those required for an easy task might be chosen at random, but participation that requires a bit more involvement is on a voluntary basis. McClure has no problem getting volunteers at the reviewed show, those dedicated enough to brave the rain to see him were evidently enthusiastic.

In between the magic and computers, McClure makes the beginnings of a point about the use of technology, both the benefits it brings and what it takes away from society overall. This point feels like it could be developed further, McClure’s show and evident professional background give him an unusually strong foundation from which to comment on this.

The blend is not yet flawless, while the magic went to plan at the reviewed show, the computer programming had the occasional glitch. It is maybe even more impressive that a show that felt at times like a work in progress also felt like an incredibly worthwhile performance to see. McClure’s Won’t Get Fooled Again is only at the Edinburgh Fringe for a brief run this year, but hopefully he will have the chance to develop it and continue to perform it. It’s certainly an unusual entry into this Fringe’s roster.

CASPAR THOMAS: THE ART OF CLOSE-UP MAGIC (VOLUME 2)

☆☆☆

Fringe regular Caspar Thomas is back, this year in a beautiful venue overlooking one of Edinburgh’s most famous streets. It’s the perfect setting for his The Art of Close-Up Magic (Volume 2). Thomas is known for providing a solid routine of physical magic, and, true to form, does exactly that. The effects may be familiar to magic fans, but Thomas’s engaging demeanor and solid performance make it a fun way to spend an hour.

Thomas primarily works with cards, but also includes a fun, visual coin effect to start his show. The effects may be known enough that some of the sleights feel a little more obvious than would be ideal, but the audience is already enchanted with Thomas’s stage presence. His series of card effects are well performed and received, getting several audience members involved in the show. A highlight includes Thomas demonstrating a card trick with the help of a “pet”, whose brief appearance is appreciated by the audience. Thomas also includes an effect involving a book, which he reports to have received strong feedback on in previous years. While it doesn’t go perfectly to plan at the reviewed show, it’s a strong enough effect that even a reveal that isn’t quite perfect is still impressive.

Like many magicians, Thomas uses audience participants for most of his effects. Participants are treated with kindness and only asked to complete simple tasks to aid in the magic. Most are able to participate from their seats, and when an audience member is called upon to join Thomas onstage, he’s appreciative and happy to share the spotlight.

In keeping with the aura of his venue, Thomas’s magic and presentation style feel like a well preserved piece of history. At a festival which tends to attract performers actively evolving the next era of magic, it’s helpful and welcome to have a well performed example of why this art form became popular in the first place. Audience members might easily imagine Thomas entertaining audiences hundreds of years ago in the same way that he entertains them today.

ANDREW FROST: JUST LET ME HAVE THIS

☆☆☆☆

Popular card magician Andrew Frost seldom uses other props, but in his new Fringe show Just Let Me Have This he breaks with tradition to briefly consult a dictionary. So, it’s fitting that as his audience filtered out, one woman could be heard saying to her friend, “I’m the definition of flabbergasted!”

Frost is a friendly stage presence from the moment that the audience enters, greeting folks as they come in and getting early arrivals to help with the set up for a trick while the rest make their way in. Like most magic shows Frost uses a significant portion of the audience in the act, and at the reviewed show his friendly demeanor is, at times, tested by the unexpected nature of these interactions. Luckily Frost is a true professional, remaining kind to his participants even when they mistakenly undercut the occasional reveal.

The magic that Frost performs is, as his fans will have come to expect, primarily card magic. It can be a challenge to make an hour of card magic feel varied enough to hold an audience’s attention, and even more so for an annual regular like Frost, but you wouldn’t know it to watch him perform. This year he does include a few other props, including a couple of books and even a mathematical prediction, which he performs with his usual skill. However, Frost evidently knows what his fans come back for, and the card tricks he performs are the clear highlights.

Frost also leans in to his storytelling talent this year, spending slightly more time telling the audience the stories from his life that augment the tricks. He is an entertaining speaker, frequently getting laughs as big as the applause for his magic. In a festival known for having possibly too many comedians, this may not be the factor that sets him apart, but it certainly increases his appeal.

If the sold out reviewed show is anything to go by, Frost’s previous ventures have cemented his status as the Fringe’s favorite card magician. In a way Just Let Me Have This is more of the same, with its perfect card magic to satisfy his fans and gain him more. It’s also different enough to make Frost a reliable performer to keep coming back to. Frost has become the must-see for card magic fans, and Just Let Me Have This will only help that reputation grow.

FORGET ABOUT ME

☆☆

Breaking up the magic fan’s usual Fringe schedule with something a bit different, Forget About Me is as much a horror play as it is a magic show. It’s also very funny. As the audience enters the theater space, Dylan Howells stands in a bathtub shrouded in a curtain—the perfect introduction to a show about a ghost in the bathroom. While it may not be as frightening as the more ardent horror fans might prefer, or have as much magic as fans of that art form might like, it’s an interesting blend of the two, helmed by a skilled performer who easily holds the audience’s attention.

Howells uses magic to illustrate his story to often good effect. There was a slightly sloppy moment at the reviewed show when Howells cleared away a few props in front of the audience, visibly snapping a string and challenging the audience’s suspension of disbelief. While the rest of the effects were performed well, when the magic is so sparse such a noticeable imperfection has a greater effect. On the other hand, the effect that Howells uses at the end is cleverly done to highlight and indeed augment the final plot reveal, in a particularly impressive use of magic.

As a mixed genre show, Howells asks for fairly minimal audience interaction. He requests a few pieces of input from the seats and doesn’t bring anyone onstage with him. Howells’s primary interaction is with his tech man and voice performer, and their stage chemistry is a highlight. Both have excellent comedic timing that they use to bring a welcome levity to the show.

While Forget About Me is horror, it’s structured to feel accessible to those who may not be as enthusiastic about being scared. The scary moments are well signposted, making mental preparation easier to do. The final plot twist may be easy to predict, even by viewers who don’t partake often with from the genre, which is perhaps unavoidable given the ubiquity of these tropes in popular culture. However, Howells’s use of magic makes it interesting again.

Howells is an engaging performer and Forget About Me is an interestingly constructed show. It may not be the tidiest blend of magic and horror, but Howells’s charm makes watching it an enjoyable experience. The reviewed show was early in the run and Howells will perhaps benefit from the chance to develop the show over the course of the Fringe. Howells’s creative approach to both magic and horror, not to mention his talent as a performer, makes Forget About Me worth seeing, particularly for fans of both genres.

TAIWAN SEASON: BIRTHDAY PARTY

☆☆☆☆

It’s not really a party if there’s no magician around. Lin Lu-Chieh has had plenty of experience providing the magic in other people’s parties, but this year at Taiwan Season: Birthday Party he is both the magic and the celebrant, throwing an exceptionally magical birthday party for himself and inviting the entire Edinburgh Fringe to celebrate with him.

Lu’s magic and routines are consistently and delightfully birthday party themed. Scottish audiences may even learn a little bit about Taiwanese culture, with one of Lu’s early routines showcasing a candy that he grew up eating at friends’ birthday parties. A later highlight is Lu’s celebratory take on a dangerous magic classic, making this usually serious effect feel unusually playful and fun.

Both magic and birthday parties often require more than one person for maximum effect, and Lu does indeed invite the occasional participant to join him onstage. An affable host, Lu makes them all feel welcome. At the reviewed show, it was notable that Lu attracted a particularly friendly audience. When one participant who had arrived alone was involved in an effect that she couldn’t witness due to her role in it, an audience member seated near her quickly filled her in once she returned to her seat, without disrupting the next routine. The fact that his audience was willing to pitch in is a testament to the type of people that he is attracting to his show.

Lu’s Birthday Party is undoubtedly a success, both as a party and as a show. With its early time slot, Lu wisely keeps it family friendly to maximize appeal. While he does indulge in the very occasional joke that is more aimed at children, Birthday Party is largely performed to appeal to adult audiences as well. If birthday parties are the individual’s annual celebration of themselves, the Fringe is undoubtedly the performing arts community’s equivalent. Lu’s Birthday Party Fringe show is the perfect way to mark both occasions, celebrating himself and the art of magic.

JUSTIN WILLMAN: ONE FOR THE AGES

☆☆☆☆

How much magic makes a magic show… a magic show? What percentage of focus on sleight of hand, trickery, or carefully designed deceit is enough to say, ‘this is a Magic Show’? At this publication, we will review even the tiniest amount, eager to engage with every performance that even touches the world of magic. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t a topic worth pondering. Justin Willman is, undeniably, a magician. In his show One For the Ages, you will find all the comfortable classics you yearn for – cards to pick from, a thing turned into another thing, a word plucked from the very recesses of your mind. If you’re looking for originality in your magic, this is not the place. But the focus of One For The Ages seems a bit different. It seems magic tricks may be the skeleton, but humanity the filling.

Willman radiates openness (ironic for a magician) and down-to-earthness. His banter with the audience is eagerly received because for a lack of a better word, it is simply so normal. Willman is a working magician with a Netflix show and multiple appearances on daytime televison. Show attendees can be sure that every word he says and every breath he takes have been rehearsed down to the second. But he still manages to make it not feel that way. He makes every joke feel organic, and weaves his storytelling so languorously that you legitimately forget to expect the magic trick that comes at the end of it.

If this is an impressive skill to witness, it is not his only one. Willman’s sleight of hand is cleanly done and his show designed with enough variety to stay interesting, while still focusing around a few central moments that set a good pace for the night. Even more impressive is his – skill? luck? with audience participants. Perhaps Milwaukee is just a city teeming with character, and Willman had a 100% chance of getting a star as he brought multiple people on the stage to take part on long effects. But experience does not back that up, and more likely the culprit is just his practiced hand at setting participants up to succeed. The two main participants at the show reviewed were darn near show stealers in their own right, particularly a young lady who may have skewed a little too close to curiously skeptical for Willman’s taste in the end.

While the show was certainly designed to be completely family friendly and was clearly mostly intended for the under 18 set, it still full of tongue in check risque jokes to keep the elders entertained. Willman also wisely includes nods to Milwaukee’s favourite magic son (he was here for a few years in his young adulthood! That’s close enough!), Harry Houdini. And ranging from extensive audience interaction, literally running around the venue, and just exuberant clownishness, Willman’s show really does encompass enough to keep anyone entertained.