5 Stars

CHRIS COOK: HEIST

☆☆☆☆☆

Watching magician Chris Cook stroll around his stage at the Voodoo Rooms, strum on his guitar and make sarcastic little asides to the audience, you would be forgiven for thinking “oh, so this is his screw around show.” After all, Cook is upfront about having another show, at a non-Free Fringe venue, that he not only put on last year as well but has been touing in the meantime. It’s fair for him to balance that out with a less high pressure, less intense show. Well, maybe Heist is Chris Cook’s screw around show. But for this infuriatingly skillful magician, even his screwing around culminates in a clever, dramatic, and really damn enjoyable performance.

The premise of Heist is that we are going to accomplish one together. Cook collects ideas from the audience about what tropes are necessary in any form of heist based fiction (or fact), like a goal, a crew, etc. He receives some entertaining joke answers, but for the most part the audience understands the mission, and Cook easily guides them where not. He then matches different magic tricks to the different suggestions, effortlessly creating the structure not only of a successful heist, but of a well developed and engrossing magic show.

Among the tricks Cook integrates in Heist are some briliantly dexterous sleight of hand pickpocketing, card tricks (would it be a magic show without one?), and mentalism effects. There isn’t an inherant consistency with the type of tricks used, but they are adeptly integrated into the theme of a heist. Not only that, but where the underlying methodologies may not be original, the way Cook presents his tricks makes it seem like they are. This show will be enjoyable to anyone and everyone, but in particular if you have seen a lot of magic shows, Cook’s unusual presentation is a breath of fresh air.

The most powerful skill Cook brings to the stage is not his well crafted premises or even his flawless technique. It is his easy, perfect connection to his audience. It’s hard to pin down exactly what Cook is doing that gives him such likable stage presense. Likely part self aware mockery, part confidence, but mostly just that he seems like he is having so much fun on stage, and you in the audience desperately want to be along for the ride. Heist is a delightful and diverting hour of undeniably masterous magic.

CHRIS COOK: FAKE

☆☆☆☆☆

Who is going to believe a magician? Everything they do and say is fake, after all. Well, audiences of Chris Cook’s Fake need not fear, we did some fact checking, and the story he weaves has truth to it. How much, only Cook could say. It’s up to you if you believe him, and it’s also up to you if it matters. At one point of Fake, Cook quotes Kipling’s “it’s pretty, but is it Art?”. While this line could inspire an enire Fringe worth of shows and never come to any conclusion about the parameters in which we can define art, here at World Magic Review we just go ahead and executively decide that magic shows are indeed art. And Cook’s Fake is not only pretty, not only art, but is in fact a triumph of magical storytelling.

The storyline of Fake is to follow the history of early 20th century art forger Han van Meegeren, who found success forging works of art masters, most notably Vermeer. Within this story, the audience of Fake not only learns a little something about art history, but experiences skillful magic along the way. The test of a solid narrative magic show is how each element would hold up if the other was eliminated. Without magic, Fake is a TED Talk about van Meegeren and the William Ellsworth Robinson, a magician who used falsehood not only in his act but as part of his entire public persona. Cook’s delivery just on these historical truths is strong enough that yes, it could stand as an entirely magicless show.

Then on the other side, without the history of these figures, Cook would be forced to be successful on the strength of his adeptability in creative magic effects and skillful sleight of hand, something attendees of his past shows will know he is more than capable of. During Fake, Cook incorporates a brief linking rings trick, then quickly segues it into something much more personal and compelling to the audience. Later, he successfully performs a memorable bullet catch (believe us, this is exactly what happens. Chris Cook catches a bullet live inside an Edinburgh venue. The participant can even show you the bullet!)

While both the storytelling and the magic of Fake are independantly strong enough to be successful even were they alone, the marriage of the two facets together are the true hallmark of a Cook performance. Cook not only shows off his almost annoying skill at sleight of hand, but he is first in class at making the audience care. And not only care for frivolous, ‘fake’ reasons that only stand up to scrutiny within the confines of his venue, but for actual reasons that we can connect to at personal and visceral levels, whether we were a participant in a trick or just a viewer.

Speaking of participation, this aspect is at a lower level than many magic show or even at Cook’s own historical leve. However, he maintains his ability to interact with his audience in a genuinely respectful way, only targeting people who are comfortable being involved, and only showing them encouragement and support as they step out of their comfort zones to join him.

Fake is not just a magic show but an exploration of magic as an artform. Along the way, attendees get to see some legitimately impressive magic tricks and learn a bit about the art world and Cook’s investigation of it – captivating, engrossing, and maybe just a little fake.

TOM BRACE: THE TOM BRACE MAGIC HOUR

☆☆☆☆☆

Fringe regular Tom Brace has been performing for Edinburgh audiences for a whole ten years. This year, in his new show The Tom Brace Magic Hour, all he wants to do is invite his audience over to play some games. They’re magical games, and the relationship is still very much magician-participant— Brace is always in control—but the atmosphere feels slightly more laid back. Brace presents the show like a television program, complete with a commercial break, for an exciting spin on his daily game night.

Brace explains early on that he is resorting to inviting his audience to his game night due to his family getting tired of him using his mentalist abilities to always win. What might not be the best experience in a family game night makes for an entertaining magic show. Brace excels at presenting his effects in theme, and The Magic Hour is no different, each routine feels perfectly in place with its game-style framing. Every prop and reveal feels game related. Of the many highlights, a standout piece is his version of Scrabble, which gets several audience members involved in a way that is random but allows for the most enthusiastic to nab their time in the spotlight, and contains a couple strong, increasingly complex reveals.

Brace uses audience participation in the typical magician fashion, and gets a good proportion of the audience involved. He is not out to embarrass anyone, and the audience gets to know this fairly quickly, so he gets plenty who are enthusiastic to be onstage with him. While the theme is game night, it’s a magical game night, so Brace takes any difficult or potentially embarrassing tasks for himself and ensures that his participants can join in in comfort.

It wouldn’t be a family game night without some measure of chaos, and at the reviewed show Brace’s audience participants don’t disappoint. Brace is excellent at navigating the chaos to allow unexpectedly funny moments to shine without letting rogue audience members derail the magic. Of particular note was the relationship he built with one especially enthusiastic young participant, who had an innate performer’s instinct and desire to entertain the audience he found himself in front of. Brace made sure to corral those instincts without discouraging him, and even gave this young audience member a trusted, important role later in the show. Brace’s ability to balance encouraging a young person’s creativity with ensuring that it did not disrupt his own show is admirable, and had all the makings of a positive core memory for the child in question.

The Tom Brace Magic Hour is part television show, part family game night, and all good fun. Brace celebrates his longevity at the Fringe with a party as much as a spectacle. The show is family friendly and Brace is great with kids, but as the audience left at the end, attendees of all ages and enthusiasm levels for magic could be heard exclaiming their wonder and delight with his performance. Brace has a demonstrably universal appeal, and his magic game night is one not to miss.

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.

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.