☆☆☆

Edinburgh regular Tim Licata can most often be found at his weekly engagement at The Joker and the Thief on Leith Walk. However, for the duration of the Fringe he is also more centrally located to put on a proper magic show, Absolutely Magic! right on Picardy Place. This is a fun range of magic and mentalism effects, from a fun and upbeat magician.

The magic may be recognizable but Licata’s performance of it is excellent. Even a fairly basic and well known effect like a rope trick is extra fun to watch in his hands. Licata excels and telling little stories as he performs, creating a narrative to enhance the physical magic that the audience watches him create. There’s a drama to the physicality of his performance as well—the rope trick may be a classic but rarely does a magician grapple with such a long length for the sake of this effect, Licata’s rope choreography elevates the trick.

At the reviewed show on a sunny midweek early evening, Licata still managed to pull in a large audience. A beloved local, his fanbase is evidently out in force to support and enjoy his Fringe run. It was a great ratio of audience for it to feel like Licata got a decent proportion involved while still allowing for shyer audience members to hide in the middles of the rows and backs of the audience if they so desired. That being said, participation was unintimidating and easy to undertake. One particular audience member was visibly keen to help out, and Licata made sure to let her have her desired moment in the spotlight.

Whereas Licata’s previous show leaned more heavily into storytelling, with magic designed to illustrate his story, this year’s is more formless. The theme is Licata performing great magic and creating a fun experience for his audience. It’s a great chance to see him perform longer-form pieces that might not suit the table magic that his fans are used to seeing him perform.

With a comfy venue and great energy, Absolutely Magic! is absolutely worth a visit. Licata consistently makes his audience laugh and gasp in almost equal measure. It’s impossible not to have a good time when Licata is performing.