World Magic Review celebrated 10 years of magic reviewing this year (although the first bit was under a different name – extra points to whoever can find that piece of trivia!). In the spirit of magic through the decade, here is excerpt from 10 5-star reviews since 2014.
For a tone so steeped in the air of mystery, Mr Cloud does not pretend to be psychic. Rather, he is upfront about the psychological background of the techniques he uses. He perhaps leaves out mentions of old-school mentalist trickery employed, but we are all here to be entertained. There is a certain thrill to being left bewildered, and Mr Cloud knows where to draw the line between explaining how he’s reading participants lies and leaving bits up the the audience’s baffled imaginations. The combination between his skill at mentalism and his clever wit and showmanship make The Forensic Mind Reader a brilliant and utterly enjoyable experience.
This is a mind-reading show, so requires audience interaction in order to exist. But while a less polished performer could lose the ambience here with the awkwardness of audience members, Smith expertly keeps it in hand. While seeing other people being made to participate is always inherently funny, Smith keeps it utterly respectful and never embarrasses his participants, which maintains the air of elegance that permeates the show.
While the majority of Cook’s show does focus on sleight of hand, he does veer briefly into mentalism in an unexpectedly heartwarming final segment. His more serious themes are predominantly present as an undercurrent for the rest of the show, but here they take centre stage. Cook captivates the audience with his tricks and wit, and then uses that control over his viewers to instill his message of hope and motivation.
In spite of its stated conclusions that magic is simply another distraction, the effectiveness of The Chore of Enchantment is evidence in support of magic’s usefulness as a tool for performers to address real world issues.
It’s very, very hard to weave magic tricks into a compelling, coherent story, or at least is must be because it’s very, very rare to see it done well. This is one of those rare times. Both The Vanishing Man and The Extinction Event would be excellent examples of great theatre even without the magic, even on just the strength of their stories, but the physical element of illusions puts them onto a whole new level.
The title Watch Closely sounds at first like the issuing of a challenge. Watch closely, because the magician is here to trick you- will you be able to catch him? But that is not actually anything close to the sentiment of Reid’s show. Reid does not present magic as a challenge to be beat. His performance is uncommonly personal, with almost all effects tying into the narrative Reid weaves about his family, his childhood, memories about both his upbringing and more recent experiences that stayed close to his heart.
Nightmare Magic is as much a one man play as it is a magic show, and he easily holds his audience’s attention without it. As much as Alnwick establishes that he doesn’t need magic to be an effective performer, being a magician he did of course create a show that uses magic to bring his stories to life. His variety of mentalist and sleight of hand tricks are performed perfectly. Between the perfection of his execution and the well thought out props, the magic blends seamlessly into the plot of the show.
Ava and Beaux each charm the audience in their own way. Ava has her hilarious stream of stories that keep the audience laughing while marveling at her tricks, while Beaux’s unfettered delight at finding herself in the audience’s presence immediately wins us over, in spite of the warnings. Neither one makes her audience participants feel unsafe in her presence; while Beaux is less predictable any potential for destruction is focused on her own props.
Hart tells stunningly beautiful stories through stunningly beautiful sleights. From transforming a simple cloth into airborne moths, shocking the audience with his capacity for pain, and performing the impossible with something as simple as sand, Hart captivates the audience with his skill and storytelling. To again mention the physical surroundings, it is a choice of surprising bravery to have a magician perform in a room literally ringed with mirrors. If at times this boldness betrays him, it is to no real detriment to the overall show, for the force of his personability keeps his audience thoroughly on his side and hypnotized by the magic unfolding in front of them.
As per usual in Heat’s Fringe offerings, magic does not make up a huge proportion of the show. Heat is a comedy magician who gives equal weight to both the comedy and the magic. The magic is remarkably slick, even if there are members of the audience who have seen Heat perform the same tricks before it’s by and large impossible to spot the moment that the deception is achieved. Those who take part in especially novel effects may find themselves quizzed by other members of the audience after the show, as they simply can’t believe that the participants are not stooges.
Magnum Opus is many things, but a show for introverts it is not. Magician Luka, either though good fortune or force of personality, commands an audience of participants eager and willing to engage in every trick of magic and of witticism that he has to offer.
There are three parts to Magnum Opus, depending on how much you should be looking to pay for your magical diversion of the night. For the full experience, you get a half hour close-up magic show, followed by two hours with which to eat your three-course dinner upstairs at the Social American Tavern, and finally the main event of an hour long mentalist experience. If you’re looking to be a bit more budget friendly, you can skip the first two parts, but we cannot in good conscience imply they are missable.
The close up magic show provides audiences with their first experience of Luka’s very dry, sarcastic millennial humor. While this may not be for everyone – indeed over the course of the show reviewed it seemed to take some audience members a moment to catch up- it is generally well received. In terms of the magic, it is clear Luka is a master of technical skill. His sleight of hand is flawless, always a feat made more impressive in intimate settings where audience members are mere inches away, squinting intently at hands and pockets. Due to the smaller number of attendees, Luka can make each of his card and coin tricks far more personal than you would suspect, engaging in direct conversation to weave his effects within.
As this is a magic review and not a culinary one, we will not linger over the meal bridging the gap between magic shows, other than to say Social American Tavern provides a well matched ambiance to the mood of an evening of magical performance, delicious food, and magic-themed cocktails.
The main event, the mentalism performance, truly showcases Luka’s particular brand of showmanship. His takes on classic mentalism effects bewilder the audience and are somewhat made bawdy by Luka’s banter. Definitely not a magic show to be bringing kids to, but that seems to be the point. Due to his chosen methodology of selecting participants, which comes with an unusual twist, it is likely that every performance will be notably unique in the communal atmosphere of the attendees. Sure, all will likely see a nail gun, balloons, books and rings do things we never thought they could. But Luka provides his audience with the opportunity to even steal the show somewhat, making everyone leave feeling like they’ve met their fellow audience members for far more than 60 minutes.
Magnum Opus is a well curated dinner theatre experience. If you are looking for a lively, engaging night out (and you have a slightly dirty sense of humor), look no further. Luka leads his crowd through a delightful experience of all different types of magical diversions.
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