5 Stars

RENZ NOVANI: SHAKESPEARE: MASTER OF THE MIND

☆☆☆☆☆

Magician and mentalist Lorenzo ‘Renz’ Novani has crafted a new show that has a bit of something for everyone. Shakespeare: Master of the Mind has the flawless mentalism that Novani is perhaps best known for, augmented with magic and storytelling that keeps the audience entertained while he educates them about Shakespeare. At the Fringe there’s a decent chance that the average audience will know Shakespeare better than the general public, which is to Novani’s benefit as the audience is extra locked in for him. But there’s no need to come with any special knowledge, Novani will provide it.

The magic and mentalist effects performed are perfectly themed to Shakespeare’s works. An early magical highlight is themed on Romeo and Juliet, featuring Novani revealing the connection between two strangers in just a few minutes—luckily a little bit longer than it took for that famous couple to decide that they had their own special connection as that ended poorly. Novani’s effect has a much nicer conclusion, with the participants’ connection being demonstrated through cards, touch, and books. The mentalism is equally flawless and perfectly themed. A slight but clever variation in the timing of a classic magician’s prop for prophecy, the infamous sealed envelope to be opened and read at the performer’s prompting, makes this format feel unusually impressive.

With a very full room at the reviewed show, Novani has ample choice of participants to help him make the magic happen. There are several moments when the entire audience can get involved in the selection process, via Novani’s funny Shakespeare inspired prompts. Audience participants always have the greatest potential to provide an impromptu test of a magician’s improvisation skills, and Novani passes his handily, clarifying any misunderstood instructions with charm and good humor.

Novani may be the artist onstage but Shakespeare’s presence is felt at every turn. The audience will probably learn new things about this famous playwright, and will definitely at least gain a new appreciation of his work and life. It’s a loving tribute that will probably speak most to Shakespeare fans but is easily accessible for those who are less familiar with his work as well. A Fringe regular, at Novani’s reviewed second night of his show he managed to acquire a sizable crowd and earn an enthusiastic standing ovation. The quality that earns him both the audience and their applause is evident to all who are lucky enough to witness him work. Shakespeare: Master of the Mind is a beautiful masterpiece of a magic show and tribute act.

DAVID ALNWICK: OCCULT ILLUSIONIST

☆☆☆☆☆

Busiest magic bee David Alnwick’s midafternoon show Occult Illusionist is as popular as is the norm for him, even on the reviewed weekday afternoon. His fans travelled from as far away as Los Angeles, to visit Edinburgh but also with the specific intention of seeing Alnwick perform. It’s a different kind of show even by the standards of the eclectic range of talent that Alnwick always brings to the Fringe. Here he explores the junction and overlap between magic and mysticism, throughout history and even into the modern era and his own life.

In a show that’s relatively light on distinct magic routines it’s key that the magic included is performed perfectly, and luckily Alnwick handily delivers. One of the more interesting pieces gets the whole audience involved in the set up. It’s notable because this whole-audience involvement element isn’t just set up for an effect, but a genuinely fun and interesting exercise in itself. Each audience member can get something out of the process, in a way that manages to feel personalized even with Alnwick guiding the entire group through the process at once. In the end the output produced is used in a mentalist effect, with dramatic and accurate results. This underlines the “set up” process and makes it feel especially magical and memorable without overshadowing it; both pieces of the puzzle feel key to Alnwick’s point.

In a ritual magic performance participating might feel a little more intimidating, but not so with Alnwick. A veteran magician, he openly values his participants and makes sure they know that he’s on their side. When prompts may make audience members uncomfortable Alnwick gives a clear alternative that would allow them to avoid the discomfort without drawing attention to themselves.

While Alnwick’s Banshee Labyrinth shows have historically been fairly frightening, Occult Illusionist has a calmer, more spiritualist-adjacent energy. Alnwick wants to talk about life, death, and belief, through a magical lens and is appropriately respectful in how he approaches these topics. While naturally the information he chooses to share reflects his own perspective, he does by and large stick to sharing historical examples of the topics that he discusses. It’s a fascinating look at this aspect of the history of magic, from a magician who seems to have thought about it a lot.

Occult Illusionist is ideal for the magic fan looking to dive a little deeper into the backstory of this performance art. Audience members leave with a new appreciation for magicians and even some of their more popular props—and of course for Alnwick himself, who has once again reached into his seemingly endless collection of magical skill sets to create another unusual show.

NORVIL AND JOSEPHINE: RABBITS OUT OF THE HAT

☆☆☆☆☆

As the audience filters in to Norvil and Josephine’s venue for Rabbits out of the Hat, their first glimpse is of the wonderfully vintage vaudeville stylings of the stage and costumes. Josephine is on hand to welcome everyone in, chit chatting with the early arrivals while the rest make their way up the stairs. There’s definitely a hearty substance to the show once it gets going, but the stylish backdrop remains, and both sets off that substantive element and even becomes integral to how to unfolds.

Rabbits out of the Hat is firmly and unapologetically a children’s show, geared toward the younger age range even by those standards. The magic is nevertheless creative and impressive by any standards. With two performers there’s more range in what can be done and how it can be presented, which Norvil and Josephine take full advantage of. Even an effect as basic as the linking rings is given a vintage vaudevillian rejuvenation, and becomes hilarious and exciting in their hands. Their big illusion routines are particular highlights, with the presentation shifting in a way that feels natural over the course of the show to bring the themes to life.

With two performers there’s not as much of a need for audience participation. It’s sprinkled in at appropriate moments, with opportunities for both children and adults to get involved. With an audience that skews younger, Norvil and Josephine occasionally have to deal with the unfiltered heckling of children, as at the reviewed performance that featured a young child shouting out her strong preference for Josephine. Norvil and Josephine acknowledged such interruptions when they could without breaking character, and luckily the children’s adults were on hand to get them to save their voices for the times when the performers invited vocalization.

The wholesome theme of being yourself is notable, both for being a great message for children and for how it’s realized over the course of the show. This is a uniquely magical story, it not only makes perfect use of magic in how it’s told, it feels like the performers chose magic to tell it with intention as it’s the right medium for their message. Norvil and Josephine acknowledge the gendered past of magic while forging an egalitarian path forward. It’s a timely message for the art form, which is certainly getting increasingly better, but still has plenty of room for growth. There are other timely implications as well to a story about women’s rights and particularly how they benefit any gender—the adults may pick up on this close-to-the-surface subtext but making it explicit would probably crowd a show that is already brimful with magic and story elements.

Norvil and Josephine: Rabbits out of the Hat demonstrates perfection in both children’s entertainment and magical innovation. At a magic review publication the focus is of course on the magic, but there are also other adjacent art forms on display here, chiefly singing, dancing, and acrobatics, that enhance the performance. It’s ideal both for families with children looking for wholesome entertainment and grown ups with an interest in seeing another facet of modern, exciting magic.

ARRON JONES: #1 GREATEST HIT ROCK’N’ROLL MAGIC SHOW

☆☆☆☆☆

Every so often, even the greats get it wrong. Arron Jones was unfortunate enough to fall victim to a rare blunder when he took to the Britain’s Got Talent stage, and in his new Fringe show #1 Greatest Hit Rock’n’Roll Magic Show he’s showing everyone at the biggest arts festival in the world just how easily he would have won the day if he had stayed on BGT. Jones’s inventive magic is always popular, and Greatest Hit is no exception, with a completely full audience at the reviewed sunny Sunday show.

Jones earns the title of the Rockstar Magician by creating a genre-bending show that is a perfect mix of music and magic. It’s accessible enough that even those whose preferences lean heavily towards just one of those genres will have plenty to enjoy. The attention to detail is flawless. Everything in this show is glittery and/or covered in animal print for a cohesive visual experience, including Jones himself, who is easily the best dressed magician at the Fringe. The use of the video screen in the venue enhances the act as well, whether in introducing the show or simply displaying Jones himself gyrating across the screen.

It’s a visually very flashy show, and luckily there is substantive magic to back it up. Jones’s attempts to create a chart-topping magic trick leads him down a winding path, and the audience is along for the ride, with Jones demonstrating a series of effects in his signature Rock’n’Roll meets wholesomely British style. A dramatic card finding routine is an early crowd pleaser, featuring the catchiest reveal ever performed.

There is naturally an element of audience participation, although as this show mixes both magic and music performance elements it’s not as significant as magic fans may expect. Those who do join look generally quite pleased to get a closer look at the excitingly dressed Jones, and they don’t have to worry about attracting much more attention than they would from the audience, with Jones attracting so much attention himself. At the reviewed show Jones also had to deal with some unplanned participation in the form of an audience member’s phone ringing, which he dealt with handily and hilariously. If anyone else had forgotten to put their phones on silent before this incident, they probably did immediately after.

Those who are considering seeing Jones’s #1 Greatest Hit Rock’n’Roll Magic Show are probably already the intended target audience who would get the most enjoyment out of it; the experience of the show is what would be expected from the advertising. It’s a perfect blend of music and magic, delivered by the Fringe’s only rockstar magician. Come witness the superstar himself.

STUART LIGHTBODY: THE MAGIC EYE

☆☆☆☆☆

Edinburgh’s newest cult leader Stuart Lightbody is very popular. At the reviewed show and/or recruitment event The Magic Eye, the room was completely full, with people even standing at the back for the entire hour to witness the magic and join up. Lightbody may not have the power of some of the better known cult leaders, but he’s almost certainly more entertaining.

Like any good cult leader, Lightbody displays an increasingly dramatic series of miracles before he asks the audience to pledge their loyalty. Lightbody’s card tricks are always a highlight, with his quick hands and impressive shuffles. Here he puts many of the most impressive of these tricks in the hands of his audience, both making the reveals all the more impressive and binding his new acolytes in the ritual of his magic. While Lightbody is always the leader, the Magic Eye is an empowering organization, and Lightbody celebrates the magic that the audience performs under his stewardship.

As both a magic show and a cult induction there is naturally a significant amount of audience participation in The Magic Eye. Lightbody’s dominant yet welcoming presence makes this a fun event to take part in. Many audience participants are just called upon to examine or choose props and then hold them for Lightbody to work his magic on. The few with more involved roles get clear instructions from Lightbody and are rewarded for their work with the experience of magic happening in their hands or right in front of them.

Lightbody’s commitment to the cult bit is truly impressive. He manages to fold all the usual Fringe bits in to the theme, from crowd control to requesting word of mouth recommendations, and even to the obligatory PBH Free Fringe bucket speech. The tricks and stunts are perfectly performed, as is his custom, and also here perfectly aligned with his goal of Edinburgh-wide domination. Meeting in the basement of a takeaway on a busy road adds to the ambiance as well, the hustle and bustle that filters in to the room provides contrast to the religious concentration of the audience as they watch Lightbody work.

Cults may have a bad reputation, but that’s just from people who haven’t yet seen and joined Lightbody’s Magic Eye. It’s the only cult worth joining, and Lightbody’s magic is always worth seeing too.

CHARLIE CAPER: MAGICAL

☆☆☆☆☆

Ever the street performer, Charlie Caper knows how to get his audience hooked quickly. At the reviewed show of his street magic spectacular Magical, Caper was repeatedly interrupted by a Furby he’d brought along from his other show as a flyering aid. Caught without a screwdriver, he proceeded to hack in to the Furby on his computer to get it to stop talking. While that didn’t end up being the most impressive part of the show, it was an incredible first impression, getting the audience on his side pretty much instantly.

Caper’s street magic skills are unmatched. He even performs coin magic with a very large coin for good visibility, making sure that the whole audience can see the effect. While street performance audiences might wander away halfway through, that’s slightly more difficult from the basement of an Edinburgh venue, and Caper structures his show with build and motifs to reward the audience for their fidelity. His bowtie is a perfect example. It might disappear and reappear at random moments—even those who have seen Caper before and therefore expect this running gag may struggle to spot it going—and Caper makes sure to include miniature bowties on various props.

Audience participation is always a chaos factor, and magicians often get the best and the worst of it. Caper was lucky at the reviewed show to get an adorable young boy as a participant for his cup and balls routine. The magician-participant relationship started strong, with Caper jokingly suggesting a few obvious misdirection tactics, and the participant yelling cheerfully for the whole audience to hear, “you can’t trick me!” Naturally Caper proceeded to blow his tiny mind, and the minds of a good few older members of the audience along with it. The participant’s full-body expressions of amazement were visible from the back of the large room.

No Caper show would feel complete without at least one robot. The Magical audience is treated to several, including getting a glimpse of a larger one that features prominently in his other show. Caper has produced many robots over the years, and the audience is treated to a routine from a returning favorite, Caper’s mini-me who performs magic with him. Caper’s little assistant is always a highlight.

Magical is both a perfect exemplar of street magic and a wholesome treatise on living life more magically. Caper closes on an inspiring note, encouraging the audience to romanticize life even when it doesn’t perfectly resemble a fairy tale. Caper’s Magical is a reset and reminder of exactly how good magic can be in the right hands.

DAVID ALNWICK: OBJECTIVELY THE BEST MAGICIAN

☆☆☆☆☆

Ask David Alnwick to describe himself, and for at least this Fringe he’ll say Objectively the Best Magician. “What can’t I do”, he exclaims after a particularly impressive (to himself) trick. The ego may in fact be justified. The trick is also genuinely impressive to people who aren’t Alnwick. Alnwick doesn’t try to convince the audience that he is Objectively the Best Magician, he knows who he is and inhabits that role completely, delivering a perfectly scripted, plotted, and performed comedy magic show.

The overwhelming impression that the audience gets from Objectively the Best Magician, aside from the magic, is the energy. Alnwick works hard with his three daily Fringe shows plus a roaming secret show, but the audience can’t tell from the high energy he exudes in this first one of the afternoon. That’s what the audience talks about as they leave the show. It’s not because the magic is underwhelming in any way—it’s perfect, but Edinburgh audiences have come to expect that—it’s that this Fringe veteran on his 15th year has perfected the vibe of his show to such an extent.

Alnwick does of course back up his reputation with perfectly performed magic. His card magic is always a highlight. Alnwick loses and finds several audience cards in increasingly impressive ways, showing off his fancy shuffling skills along the way. He also demonstrates a textbook mentalist escalation series of effects over the course of the show, culminating in a visually exciting reveal that proves his absolute mastery over everything that happens in his show.

A kind performer, Alnwick uses plenty of audience participants and treats them well. He’ll only make a slight bit of fun of his participants if they deserve it. At the reviewed show, a mid-show participant was slightly reluctant to take part, but was egged on and teased by her friends. Alnwick made a point to get said friends involved later in the show, not for anything extensive but for enough that the initial participant got back at them.  If his participants are kind to him, Alnwick will have their back. 

Whether or not Alnwick is truly Objectively the Best Magician is for every magic fan to decide for themselves. But he’s certainly a Fringe institution, particularly for his iconic brand of high energy comedy magic. Anyone who would seek to challenge his claim had better check out this show first.

MATT HALE: FUNBELIEVABLE! 90S REWIND

☆☆☆☆☆

Retro-fan hypnotist Matt Hale is back in Edinburgh, this time with Funbelievable! 90s Rewind, celebrating all things 90s. The care with which Hale balances the skill and structure of his show with leading the party is evident even before the show starts. Hale’s manager, revealed later to also be his wife, asks each group coming in to the venue how many they are, and then works with Gilded Balloon staff to get them seated to perfectly fill in every gap of the sold out room. Fringe seating at popular shows can often feel like a lawless game of speed and chance, so it’s a nice change of pace to be carefully slotted in to the right spot. Once Hale gets going, there’s no bad seat in the house.

Hale doesn’t even wait for the hypnotism to get the party started, bounding out on to the stage and getting the audience pumped up. That being said, like any reputable hypnotist, before inviting up his participants he makes sure to reassure everyone that hypnotism cannot be done against anyone’s will. This is by necessity a volunteer-only participation show, those who do not want to join in can simply stay in their seats. Hale makes sure to make his show feel like a safe place to experience hypnosis even before anyone volunteers for it.

The reviewed show was extremely busy (if not fully sold out) and Hale had no problem getting plenty of volunteers onstage. He even added an extra chair when more people wanted to come up than he had planned, ensuring that as many people as possible could experience hypnosis. Hypnotism is a tricky business, while everyone can be hypnotized there’s no one technique that will get to every single person, especially not in a stage performance. Like all hypnotists, Hale had a bit of an attrition rate, kindly escorting some of his participants back to the audience before getting in to the meat of the show. However, between Hale’s supportive pep talk and the hypnotic process itself he got great results. After the show his participants could be heard eagerly discussing their experiences, detailing how they felt both in control and unusually happy to follow Hale’s suggestions throughout the course of their time onstage.

As for those suggestions themselves, Hale follows through on his promise to not embarrass his participants. The prompts were uniformly 90s music themed, and everyone on the stage, as well as in the audience, was excited to hear each song. Hale curates a party atmosphere throughout the show. While he and the hypnotized volunteers lead the party, the entire audience gets to be involved in experiencing it.

Hale’s latest hypno-party is a 90s soundtracked success. His track record of well attended party hypnoshows has earned him a loyal following, as evidenced by a packed full Sunday show. Hale performs worldwide and his fans can be found everywhere. Take a tour of the blue mountains in Australia and you may even find Hale fans on the bus with you, so eager to recommend him that they do the detective work through their emails to make sure they get the spelling of his name right. Whether his audience volunteers to be hypnotized and help him lead the party, or whether they prefer to enjoy the party from the audience seats, everyone at Hale’s Funbelievable! 90s Rewind will have a great time.

DAVID ALNWICK: THE DARE WITCH PROJECT

☆☆☆☆☆

David Alnwick has a habit of creating shows that are so unusual that they require a whole new category all to themselves in the Fringe listings. This year he has gone a step further in bringing a live found footage horror show, The Dare Witch Project. Naturally, as a debut, it’s completely unlike any of his previous shows. However, it still feels like a distinctly Alnwick show, it has his trademark perfection at every turn, from the plot to the magic and every step in between.

While The Dare Witch Project doesn’t feel like a typical magic show in any sense of the term, traditional or not, Alnwick is still a magician and uses magic to accentuate the show. The way that magic is used here is particularly creative, it doesn’t just illustrate the story but is an integral part in how it’s told and how the audience experiences it. With so few tricks they need to be perfect, and Alnwick is skilled enough that it’s no surprise they meet that requirement. Alnwick leans more on the cinematic cousins of magical misdirection to drive the show forward.

A Fringe veteran and legend with an especially versatile skill set, Alnwick has tons of fans in Edinburgh, who may not necessarily be fans of horror as a genre. It’s still worth at least considering attending The Dare Witch Project even if you are among them. It has the Alnwick hallmarks of excellence and originality that earned him such support, and Alnwick and the Voodoo Rooms staff helpfully lay out flyers on each chair that are the perfect size to cower behind when it gets too frightening. It’s not every day you get the opportunity to watch a new genre being born, not even at the Fringe.

The Dare Witch Project is an absolute must see for horror fans. It’s not just scary, there’s humor and nostalgia to lighten the mix, and the creative use of magic adds an extra level of interest. For horror fans it will be the perfect show.  For the rest, it’s exceptional enough to still be well worth seeing. 

AVA & BEAUX: TALES OF MAGIC

☆☆☆☆☆

Ava Beaux’s audiences get treated to two magicians for the price of one, with her split stage personas making their return to the Fringe stage.  And both are clearly very popular, the venue is completely packed full at the reviewed show on an Oasis weekend day.  Ava Beaux’s followers cannot be deterred. In Ava & Beaux: Tales of Magic her two sides might not always get along, but do manage to get their story told, trading off responsibilities for that task throughout the performance.

The audience meets Ava first, a perfectionist of a performer who is the verbal storyteller, and even gets a few magic tricks in to illustrate. The story gets a bit complicated, but Ava helpfully recaps at various junctures. This story provides the framework for both Ava and Beaux’s magic routines. A highlight from Ava’s performance is a restoration effect using a paper moon. The magic itself is performed well, and the act of tearing the paper releases a shimmer in the air, like a cloud of magic that forms around her. It’s especially appropriate for a sky-themed effect in Edinburgh, where even in the summer clouds often feature, although they are rarely as beautiful as on Ava’s stage.

The less inhibited Beaux also makes regular appearances. These parts of the show tend to feature a more physical performance, perhaps best typified by the section in which Beaux personifies the adorable main character of Ava’s magic story. Beaux leaves all manner of magical props that appear from her body all over the audience, getting everyone involved in the act. This both illustrates the story and injects a lovely playfulness in to the show.

Ava Beaux had managed to create and embody two distinct characters and give them a conflict and rapport that all feel real. As odd as it sounds, it almost feels like a shame that they can’t appear onstage at the same time. They seem like they’d make an excellent double act, they perfectly complement each other’s performance style.

Both Ava and Beaux invite audience participants to join in their magic. While both have different styles, they are both respectful in their own way. Notably, for one slightly messy effect Beaux makes sure to protect her participant’s property from contamination. At the reviewed show the participants were all eager to join either side of the performer onstage. One participant even accidentally played magician herself, magically producing an extra prop at the end of the trick that had been left behind on her person. Beaux was quick to give this new sidekick her due.

If the Fringe is known for both weirdness and magic, Ava Beaux is the perfect performer to see to get both in the schedule at once. Her beautiful show features an equally beautiful ending that is not to be missed. For a truly unique experience, Ava & Beaux’s Tales of Magic is the one to see.