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Many magicians start their shows by discussing their discovery of magic as a child, to prime their audience to experience a similar childlike sense of wonder. Perhaps it is Edward Hilsum’s youthful face that allows him to use this tactic so compellingly in Silver, or maybe he really is just something special.

Similarly, audience members at magic shows expect that they might be called upon to take part, but few are asked to do as much as Hilsum’s first participant. Rather than simply using this participant in her usual role as the “eyes of the audience”, Hilsum asks her to take a more active role in apparently performing the magic alongside him, making coins and eggs appear in her own hands. As it is of course really Hilsum doing all of the work, the experience is just as magical for his participant as it is for the rest of the audience.

The performance stumbles momentarily with an effect using an audience participant’s jacket that was perhaps poorly chosen. Hilsum seems to acknowledge this, explaining it away as a section that he came up with at the last minute to fill time. However, this is forgotten almost immediately as Hilsum performs a trick so seemingly impossible and unique that it has the audience members still debating it hours after the end of the show.

A recurring motif of the show is coins. Hilsum’s tale of childhood magic centers on a coin given to him by a magician, and he ends the show with a coin trick of his own—the titular “Silver”. The magic is great on it’s own, but Hilsum’s coin choreography in between making them disappear and reappear is equally impressive, as he is incredibly adept at flipping and manipulating his coins with just one hand.

It is at this point that the audience might realize one of the most unusual aspects of Hilsum’s performance. He managed to put together an entire magic show without any card tricks and without any integration of mentalism, and did not even make a fuss over this break with convention. Hilsum’s creativity serves to make his show even more impressive in hindsight, and Silver is a well worth watching magical experience.

More information on Edward Hilsum and his performance dates can be found here.