Cameron Gibson

1 HOUR OF INSANE MAGIC

☆☆☆☆☆

It’s easy to dismiss a group magic act as an excuse for the performers to do less work, but 1 Hour of Insane Magic isn’t just a 3-for-1 special. Cameron Gibson, Elliot Bibby, and Luke Osey do each get their moment in the spotlight over the proscribed 1 hour of (insane) magic, but the emphasis is very much on taking advantage of having three magicians in one show to perform tricks and showcase camaraderie in ways they wouldn’t be able to do in their solo shows. From the outside at least, it looks like even more work than three solo shows, but it’s worth it. They’ve created something truly special, and the data backs this up: they have a consistent and ongoing record of sellout shows across three years of the Fringe.

One of the elements that makes Insane Magic not just entertaining but interesting viewing is their approach to rehabilitating historic magic effects for the modern era. Their recreation of the “sawing a woman in half” trick is a great example of this, and requires help from the fourth Insane Magician, Laura Susana Tapia, who takes on the role of being sawn in half. While in the past this role would have been described as an “assistant”, Tapia’s role is emphasized to be that of a magician—she is, after all, doing the hard work of the effect. The performers takes the time to point out that historical conceptions of magic as a primarily male field weren’t because women were excluded from the stage, but because their hard work wasn’t acknowledged as “real” magic. Insane Magic honors the history of their profession and also honors Tapia’s role in the routine, with the men playing the role of her assistants for the effect. And it’s not just lip service for the one section, the men take turns playing “glamorous assistant” to each other over the whole show, demonstrating that the magician and assistant roles are as gender neutral here as they always should have been.

The type and amount of audience participation in Insane Magic is also a key draw for their audiences. The Insane Magicians involve many audience members in their act, and make sure to involve kids as often as is feasible. At the reviewed show the young participants were exceptionally enthusiastic to play their parts, and even to take on light responsibilities to contribute to the act. The one mildly alarming audience participant role is chosen from a pool of adult volunteers, ensuring a reassuring degree of safety and consent.

Those who make a habit of asking strangers at the Fringe what magic shows they’d recommend and why may pick up on a third factor that audiences especially appreciate about Insane Magic. Gibson, Bibby, and Osey just come across as really good guys. Audiences want to spend an hour in their company, almost as much because of how they treat each other and their audiences as because of the magic. The impressive magic is served up alongside a healthy portion of good vibes. It’s an upbeat, energetic show and the Insane Magicians have managed to curate an exceptionally friendly and welcoming environment, from the soundscape as the audience filters in to be seated right through to the greetings and photo ops on the way out. Even hecklers are responded to with friendliness. It’s a “soft” strength but one of the strengths that noticeably sets Insane Magic apart.

Insane Magic as a unit is in its third year at the Fringe, and is on track to once again sell out their entire run. Their legion of fans does not just extend as far as the Edinburgh Fringe—audience reviews of their recent Adelaide Fringe run indicate that Insane Magic has managed to attract groupies who will travel halfway around the world just to catch their Australian debut. They are truly a global phenomenon. Anyone hoping to catch them at the Edinburgh Fringe would do well to buy their tickets quickly.

1 HOUR OF INSANE MAGIC AFTER DARK

☆☆☆☆

Billed as the adult version of the performers’ popular afternoon family show, 1 Hour of Insane Magic After Dark is proving equally popular with Fringe audiences. A significant part of the appeal is undoubtedly the opportunity to watch three beloved local showman let their dirty mouths run wild for an hour, but there is also plenty of perfectly performed magic and a couple of guest cabaret spots for variety.

The insane magicians take turns showcasing their tricks solo and in various configurations with each other.  Stunt magician Luke Osey performs the weirdest trick to open the show. It’s not so much a magic trick as it is an odd ability that he has cultivated for reasons known only to himself. Osey does frame his performance with magical jokes, giving it the aura of a trick, and employs a camera to ensure that everyone in the audience can see the action regardless of where they’re sitting.

Resident insane mentalist Cameron Gibson has been described on social media as an international sex symbol, and if anyone in the After Dark audience doesn’t agree with that the moment he steps in front of them in that magic outfit of his, they will have come around after watching him take control of everyone’s minds on stage throughout the evening. Gibson successfully reads audience minds in various configurations using “two truths and a lie” prompts, a clever use of time to allow successive reveals to build in impact.

Sleight of hand artist Elliot Bibby performs a classic of card magic using his tongue, in fitting with the After Dark theme. At the reviewed show Bibby made particular friends with one of his primary audience participants, even sharing a beer. That participant was so impressed by the magic he got to see up close that after the card was located he bowed down to Bibby, in awe of Bibby’s magical skills.

The guest spots at the reviewed show went to the Edinburgh-famous Performing Nerd Tom Crosbie, and an Australian contortionist who performs as Sassy Limbs. They are a fantastic confirmation that the Insane Magicians are able to attract the best of the cabaret performers to join them onstage. While Crosbie is the more magic-adjacent, the contrast between the two of them and with the Insane Magicians themselves works perfectly in the fabric of the show.

Unfortunately the reviewed show came to an end with a lack of a bang. The Insane Magicians had planned to end the evening with a dangerous stunt that their fans may remember from last year, but an issue with the props made it too dangerous to perform. It was a surprisingly wholesome twist ending. In the capitalist nightmare of modern society the old adage that “the show must go on” is often cited to encourage dangerous behavior, but Insane Magic is about the bond between the performers as much as it is about the tricks themselves, and it’s lovely to see Gibson and Bibby correctly choose to value Osey’s safety over an exciting ending for their show. Those who remember last year’s Insane Magic can attest that when it is able to be executed it’s a very cool stunt to see, and it’s comforting to know that when we do see it, it’s being performed as safely as possible. 

With a little bit of everything and a lot of magic, 1 Hour of Insane Magic After Dark is both the perfect start to a night out and the perfect end to a day at the Fringe. It’s tempting to return multiple times to enjoy the boys and their guest stars. Regardless of how the show ends, they will ensure that everyone in the audience has an insane evening.

1 HOUR OF INSANE MAGIC

☆☆☆☆☆

In the crowded marketplace of Fringe magic the challenge of putting on a show is often acquiring an audience. Last year’s sellout sensation 1 Hour of Insane Magic does not have that problem, but there are extra challenges that come with success, in their case in performing a magic show to an audience on three sides. Fortunately the Insane Magicians—stunt magician Luke Osey, sleight of hand artist Elliot Bibby, and mentalist Cameron Gibson—were clever enough to put together a flash-free set, it’s an insanely magical show from every angle.

The highlight of watching a performance that contains a whole three magicians is, of course, watching them perform together. Right at the start the Insane Magicians pull an audience participant on stage for them to tag team with a bombardment of their varied magical skills. They take turns playing off each other and joining forces for their reveals. At times, even when just one is taking the lead of the segment, the other two are on hand in the traditional “glamorous assistant” role to ensure that the audience participants and main performer have everything they need to hand.

Gibson is the only one of the Insane Magicians to verbally admit to being a nerd, but it’s obvious to the audience that they are all nerds, and not just because they have chosen magic as a career. The Insane Magicians publicized this year’s show in part by showing off their big new illusion, a table for sawing someone in half. Not only have they gone to the trouble of resurrecting a classic of magic, but they also make it as historically accurate as possible with the help of their secret fourth Insane Magician, Erin McIntyre. In the modern era it can seem difficult to perform this type of magic in a way that doesn’t come across as misogynistic, but the Insane Magicians make it look easy.  They make it clear that in their version of the effect McIntyre is the primary performer and the others are simply her three glamorous assistants, helping her show off the skill that she mastered.

Bibby, Gibson, and Osey have had and continue to have separate careers outside of performing together, and throughout the show they pay tribute to the adventures that have brought them together and at times apart throughout their friendship. They illustrate the beauty of this Insane Magic era of their friendship with a lovely effect involving several audience participants joining in from their seats, giving enough input to make the trick extra astonishing while keeping the attention on the three insanely magical friends sharing the stage.

As with its previous Fringe outing, 1 Hour of Insane Magic has proved insanely popular. Anyone wanting to experience the show who does not have a ticket yet had better buy one quickly, as they regularly sell out over a week in advance. 1 Hour of Insane Magic is the most insane family friendly fun available this Fringe.

1 HOUR OF INSANE MAGIC

☆☆☆☆

 Barely a week in to their stay at Teviot, Elliot Bibby, Cameron Gibson, and Luke Osey are having a fantastic Fringe. They managed to sell over 50% of the tickets for their show 1 Hour of Insane Magic before the Fringe even started, and most recently confirmed that they’re now at over 75% sold out. They could have sat back and phoned it in for the rest of the month and called it a huge success. Luckily for their audiences they’ve chosen not to do that, they put together a great show and really seem to care about making it a great experience for every audience.

The youngest of the bunch, and apparently the physically invulnerable one, Osey has a formidable amount of magic experience for his age, primarily in creating and selling magic tricks. He’s still inventing, but as of last year is a performer as well. People who have come to the show for his promo photo in particular may be wanting and expecting him to willfully put his body in harm’s way, and he does not disappoint. Osey shoulders the weirdest and most painful looking tasks in the show with apparent ease.

The human embodiment of Kenergy-punk, Gibson is the resident Insane mentalist. Off-stage he is now also known for his magic shop and event space Wonder & Co. As someone who has gone above and beyond the usual call of magic in fulfilling his professional dreams recently, he’s perfectly suited to inspire the next generation, and in a memorable middle segment that’s exactly what he does. Audience members sitting next to the lucky child in question at the reviewed show were adorably distracted by her wonder and delight well into the following segment—the only good kind of audience distraction in performance art.

Bibby is famous within Edinburgh magic scene, he’s organized year-round magic showcases that have been gathering points for the city’s best magicians since before the pandemic, and in past Fringes he’s always seemed keen to hop in to magical supergroups. Throughout the show he’s frequently seen helping out his co-performers during their segments. He has the most classic magician role in the group, but is no less insane for it. A funny card trick sees him taking a creative approach to ensuring that his participants don’t interrupt him, offering them the kindness of a shared meat stick that prevents them from talking before his big reveal.

The Insane Magicians perform plenty of fantastic tricks in their time on stage, but the real magic is in taking their three strong solo acts and making them all work together—which is exactly what they did. The solo performances are interspersed with magic that brings all three of the magicians to the stage at once, which are easily the best parts of the show. Group magic acts have a general reputation for limiting what any one member can truly accomplish, but the simple solution that’s made this one so insanely good is the apparently genuine affection that the three magicians have for each other. It’s translated into the kind of stage chemistry that isn’t usually found outside of well-established double acts, an impressive feat for a trio that only started performing together earlier this year.

There are plenty of great reasons to see 1 Hour of Insane Magic. The pacing is perfect, the tricks all go right, they’re family friendly but universally enjoyable, audiences get to see three whole magicians for one ticket price, and the patter is all very funny. However, what sets them apart is how well their shared bond translates into stage chemistry. The Insane Magicians highlight that they have all had high profile international professional experiences, so while Edinburgh Fringe tickets may be going fast, but if an international tour isn’t in the works, it should be. Edinburghers had better act quick to catch them on home turf.

More information on 1 Hour of Insane Magic can be found here.

CAMERON GIBSON: MYSTERIES; AN HOUR OF IMPOSSIBILITIES

☆☆☆☆

If previous years’ trends are anything to go by, Fringe goers love watching a beautiful and stylish Scottish mentalist read people’s minds.  For all in search of this, Cameron Gibson is the mentalist to go to this year.  There is more to recommend him than just physical beauty—he is also a funny and compelling performer.  In his wordily titled Mysteries; An Hour of Impossibilities Gibson displays a well structured mentalist show. 

Gibson does not limit himself to mentalism, opting for a classic cup and ball to get the show going, to great success.  A few tipsy audience members who had wandered in apparently entirely aware of what they were getting themselves in for could be heard commenting that Mysteries; An Hour of Impossibilities was already the best show they had seen this year as Gibson set his cup and ball to the side.  The one slight hiccup came in his transition to the more mentalism-themed part of the show, when a supposedly suggestible participant was slightly less suggestible than expected, but Gibson did not miss a beat, and her initial hesitation only made the second step of Gibson’s work with her that much more impressive. 

However the main event is Gibson’s mind reading using personality questionnaires that he had asked the audience to fill in immediately on entering the venue.  The quasi-psychological twist of using personality tests rather than just random bits of information adds interest.  Gibson outlines the personality types of his participants based on their responses, in what he freely admits are horoscope-level generalizations, before accurately mind reading more specific details.  The range of information gleaned and individuals read made for an exciting final segment. 

With a convenient  pre-dinner time slot at the ever popular Voodoo Rooms Gibson is this year’s must-see for the Fringe’s mentalism fans.  An hour in his affable company will only leave audiences wanting more. 

More information on Cameron Gibson can be found here.