Chris Cook

CHRIS COOK: FAKE

☆☆☆☆☆

If anyone is most qualified to tell the world not to believe everything they see, it would probably be a magician. That’s what Chris Cook would like the audiences for his new show Fake to believe, at least. A Fringe veteran and mainstay, Cook is notable for creating an all new show at each Fringe, making him exciting to see every year. Fake is no different in that respect. Cook squeezes even more in than usual this year yet his hour long show flies by.

Despite his trademark approach of illustrating his points with a relatively minimal amount of magic, Cook’s excellence in magic is crucial as ever, and he does not disappoint. Even those who have seen Cook perform a few of his favorites in prior years would have trouble spotting the exact moment when the magic happens, and there is magic that is new to him this year too. A returning favorite is Cook’s take on the linking rings trick, but here he also demonstrates the classic. Cook’s returning fans may be surprised to even see this prop sitting on his stage as they walk in. They will be reassured as he performs—Cook’s magic remains as creative as ever.

The theme of artistic fraud for a magic show could go in so many different directions. Cook keeps his story straight by mostly sticking to art history, with a few relevant diversions, telling the tale of the art fraud perpetrated by a specific forger. One of the main differences between art fraud and magic is that magic audiences expect and welcome deceit. Where the purchaser of a fraudulent work of art might feel ripped off, the magic audience that is deceived has gotten their money’s worth. That is to say, to those who don’t know art history, Cook’s entire art history tale could be made up, for all they know. Cook demonstrates to the audience that he is not a reliable source of information—entirely appropriately for a magician—and thus shows them the modern relevance of discussing historic fraud. ‘Fake news’ may be a modern buzzword, but humans have had limited knowledge and attention since probably forever. It’s not a new problem and no one is immune, not even art experts, magic fans, or magicians. For humanity, falling for misdirection (whether it’s magic, art fraud, or fake news) is a feature, not a bug. After Cook’s show his audience will have had an entertaining demonstration of just how easily they are fooled. Maybe he won’t fix the culture wars in one Fringe, but raising awareness of the flawed innate tendency to believe that one’s own view is the only true objective one chips away at what fuels them. Cook is once again making the world a better place, one audience at a time.

With his lightly magical approach, the audience is slightly more safe from being called upon to join in the act than they may be at the average magic show, but participation is still an element. At the reviewed show Cook made some great picks for his participants. One in particular helped him with imagined props, getting in to the fun and enhancing the sequence. Ever the professional, Cook ably balanced giving his participant his due with making sure the show stayed on track.

Cook is a master of crafting perfectly themed magic and storytelling shows. Fake is exactly that, a magically told story, with the chance to look at some art on the way. Cook’s final message is uplifting, for those who look to art for meaning in these troubled times. And either way, the show will make the audience think. For a bit of magic, a bit of storytelling, and a lot of heart, Cook’s Fake is the show to see.

CHRIS COOK: THE ART OF TAKING PART

☆☆☆☆☆

Last year, Chris Cook celebrated ten years of performing at the Fringe. This year, promotion for his new show The Art of Taking Part sounds almost like an abdication of his role as a magician, giving the show over to the audience to provide entertainment for each other. In practice this is not the case. The audience does not need to fear that they are being put on the spot to create the show for their peers, Cook’s guiding hand ensures that the show stays magically on course.

On the rainy weekday evening that this show was reviewed, the fact that Cook managed to get any audience at all was very impressive. Those that were there were the ones who really wanted to experience the show, which was actually perfect for the type of performance that it is. Every participant that Cook brought to the stage was enthusiastic in taking on their roles. There is an element of random selection as well, and for two of the elements requiring a very minor bit of physical skill Cook had the misfortune of selecting one of the most physically incapable people in the room, possibly in the world—this reviewer. Even then, Cook managed to keep the show on track with kindness and professionalism.

To celebrate The Art of Taking Part, Cook regularly rewards his participants for joining him on stage. This is not achieved just through physical gifts, although those do appear on occasion, but Cook also places emphasis on tricks that happen in his participants’ hands, or that center the participant as the one taking credit for the magic part of the segment. One trick in particular sees a volunteer member of the audience take over the role of the central performer, and at the reviewed show she really got in to it, fully appreciating her share of the spotlight. Nevertheless it is clear that Cook is pulling the magical strings, there are plenty of skilled reveals over the course of the show.

Over the course of the show, The Art of Taking Part is revealed to be as much a manifesto on the nature of magic as an art form as it is the title of the show—the necessity of interaction with the audience is one of the key aspects of magic that sets it apart from most other performance arts. Cook devotes his show in part to celebrating this feature of magic, which gives the performer a unique ability to connect directly with members of the audience on a personal level. Arguably this facet is the crucial factor that has enabled Cook to create ten years of Fringe shows that are slowly but surely making the world a better place. At the same time, it’s a deeply silly show that gives the audience a chance to embrace the fun of magic, often in their own hands.

Cook’s habitual emphasis on guiding his audience toward self improvement is still very much present this year; regular fans will not be disappointed. For the perfect blend of seriousness and silliness The Art of Taking Part is the place to be.

More information on The Art of Taking Part and its performance dates can be found here.

CHRIS COOK: JAZZ MAGIC

☆☆☆☆

Of all the shows to describe as a “hidden gem” it may seem oddest when applied to one of Fringe institution Chris Cook’s ventures, but that is the lasting impression of his later evening show Jazz Magic. Cook has cultivated this aura of secrecy, even going so far as to list the show as “cabaret” so it shows up as a different color than the other magic shows in the PBH’s famous blue book. It’s not really a show, more like Cook’s office hours. While he appears delighted that people show up, the audience gets the impression that he would be equally content to sit alone in the air conditioned basement, drinking tea and practicing tricks by himself if no one visited.

As a non-show, Cook makes minimal plans for the hour and is open to suggestions from the audience. Each show becomes a personal experience for the exact audience that is in that evening. Introverts would be advised to bring their preferred dominant extrovert friend who would feel comfortable making requests, but even when the group is uncertain Cook runs through some of his best smaller-magic tricks that don’t often make it in to the scripted show. Cook is a multitalented showman who could undoubtedly perform an entire hour of card tricks, or make it through the whole hour with no card tricks, or, if the audience asks nicely, even do a handstand or some juggling. The options are endless.

It can be to tell when the magician is genuinely performing their new or unusual tricks for those who have seen that magician fairly frequently. At the reviewed Jazz Magic Cook did indeed perform tricks that he hasn’t been seen to perform before, and even that those who see a lot of magic shows may not have ever seen any magician perform before. It helps that the venue is pretty magical as well.  An unexpected magical moment occurred when Cook broke a wine glass and then fixed it with a few magical hand gestures—no one other than the venue staff knew that the wine glasses had screw-on bases (or did they?)

Cook impressively received a “keep it Fringe” grant to help fund his scripted show, but Jazz Magic feels even more Fringe. No where else but the PBH would a performer be able to essentially hold office hours every day for a whole month to try out new and in-progress magic tricks on a fresh audience every evening.  Audience members may find it helpful to bring suggestions, whether vague or specific, and perhaps a vibrator and a hat if they are so inclined. Cook will take it from there.

More information on Jazz Magic and its performance dates can be found here.

CHRIS COOK: ARROWS

☆☆☆☆☆

Chris Cook has been a Fringe institution for a full decade, and celebrated this milestone with a one night only show Arrows in his home, the Voodoo Rooms. Arrows contained all the classic Cookery his fans have come to love, but as much as it’s a celebration of Cook’s full body of work, as the title suggests there’s one stunt effect in particular that’s highlighted as exceptional. It was both a celebration and genuine entertainment from a superstar performer, and for one Monday evening in August it was the place to be in Edinburgh. 

Arrows was as much a personal celebration for Cook as it was a show for the audience, which came through in several ways that only made the whole event more enjoyable. The audience itself was fantastic, with the majority consisting of personal friends and family or fans who were all immediately 100% behind everything that Cook said and did onstage. Cook even invited his girlfriend to join him onstage for an adorable final segment, and she briefly upstaged him with her perfect comic timing, getting one of the biggest laughs of the evening. 

The magic involved was mostly familiar favorites, cleverly put together to form a cohesive theme around the titular arrow sequence. The jazz magic style of the first few tricks seamlessly blended with the more structured arrow-based second half. A highlight was a card corner trick that Cook performed with one of the Voodoo Rooms staff, who seemed incredibly excited to be included onstage. 

However, the main point of the show was the arrow bits themselves. Cook had performed this neoclassical take on a bullet catch in a few previous Fringes and it’s a fan favorite—it retains the show of physical invulnerability from Cook, the magician, but shares this experience with an audience participant, and adds an aspirational element that is focused on Cook and his participant but that the entire audience can get involved in. It’s intended as a challenge to the audience to take concrete steps towards following their dreams, but of course art is always open to interpretation. It can equally have an effect on audience members who have just taken a big step towards following a lifelong dream, and come in to the show doubting if they’ve made the correct decision. Watching a charismatic man in a stylish outfit do an impossible thing and then say it’s worthwhile to follow your dreams can be oddly comforting, and a great reminder to those who are already living out a childhood dream of how lucky they are to have been able to do so.

Arrows was the perfect celebration of Cook’s first ten years of Fringe performing. Here’s to many more.

CHRIS COOK ASKED A ROBOT TO WRITE HIM A FIVE-STAR SHOW AND THIS IS WHAT IT SAID

☆☆☆☆

In his 2023 Fringe show ‘Chris Cook Asked a Robot to Write Him a Five-Star Show and This Is What It Said’, magician Chris Cook toys with the idea of letting his show be born through requests to ChatGPT, a popular AI info generator. Never fear that your favourite magicians will be replaced by AI however, what ensues is the journey of Cook interacting with and responding to the suggestions rather than a thoughtless script provided by robot overlords.

The suggestions of effects provided to Cook by AI bring to attention exactly how formulaic magic shows can get when lacking a magician’s personal touch. From insistence for a revealed elephant (difficult to do in a Fringe venue hardly larger than an elephant itself) to a perfunctory “read a mind!”, ChatGPT clearly lacks the forethought and creativity that, fortunately, Cook is very capable of bringing. He attempts to respond to the best computer-generated ideas by nothing less than sourcing chemically disgusting candy in the hopes of opening his and his audience participants’ minds, and traveling through time.  

Cook is clearly aware that the factors that have historically elevated his shows are his confidence in forming classic magical effects around elements of modernity, and his mission of bringing out the best parts of humanity. The combination of these factors means that Cook’s shows almost always feel refreshing and authentic, and to fully hand over creation of a show to AI would seem to be sacrificing one of these aspects to the other. Instead, Cook creates a twist on this concept that makes this potential pitfall the very point of the entire exercise. He is a peerlessly skillful magician, not only in his relentless creativity but in his total technical competence in sleight of hand.

Ultimately, whether ChatGPT agrees or not, the most important part of technological progress is making sure that the world only becomes a better place for our children and generations to come, something Cook professes personal motivation for. And when it may seem like a cost of this progress could be a siloed perspective of only the base elements of magic, Cook reminds us that it is through connecting with our friends and loved ones and doubling down on our humanity that we are best able to take advantage of technological developments while never losing sight of the magic the world, and particularly Cook, is capable of.

CHRIS COOK: REFLECTIONS

☆☆☆☆☆

Chris Cook is a Free Fringe institution, now returned to his perennial late afternoon slot in the ballroom of the Voodoo Rooms, a PBH magic hub.  Like many of us, Cook has done some reflecting over the course of the pandemic.  Unlike most of us, he has transformed his ruminations in to a thoughtful and inspiring magic show, Reflections. 

For the repeat attendees in his audience the tricks and themes of Reflections may feel reminiscent of Cook’s past shows.  A few strong magical and emotional beats from 2017’s Control come through in particular.  Fans of Cook’s more meta work will also not be disappointed, as the show develops to touch on the unacknowledged energy that we share in in-person interaction through the lens of the relationship between a magician and their audience. 

The magic in Cook’s shows is always flawless.  A highlight of this year is a mentalist effect featuring a multicolored cube.  The first half of this is often performed in popular late-night mentalist acts, but here Cook adds a magic twist that keeps the audience on their toes.  The segment leading in to this, that began with a full audience participation, is a highlight as well.  This got several individuals fiercely competitive for the chance to join Cook onstage.  At the reviewed show Cook dealt with an unusually lively audience, but had little trouble maintaining control of the room. 

Cook’s brand of emotive magic is invariably an absolute delight.  His late afternoon shows are an invitation to consider your life, regardless of the title (“Reflections” of course openly encourages this), while watching some magic and listening to some stories.  If you’re open to it this will be a comfort—a sort of guided meditation with plenty of jokes and a sprinkling of magic.  Cook is gradually making the world a better place one audience at a time.  While he talks about how his audience can show their appreciation for his magic tricks, this is his biggest effect and it’s a shame that there’s no defined moment for him to appreciate it. 

It’s difficult to review Cook without sounding like a member of his cult, and perhaps it only makes it worse to say that if you attend his shows you’ll understand.  That being said?  This is definitely one to see.  His always are. 

More information on Cook and his performance dates can be found here.

CHRIS COOK: CONSEQUENCES

☆☆☆☆☆

Chris Cook regularly tests the boundaries of what can be defined as a magic show, and Consequences, his new and most meta show, is no exception.  It is less of a “magic” show and more of an exploration of how magic shows, or at least Cook’s shows specifically, are made.  There might be the initial fear that, due to this subject matter, Consequences risks becoming self-absorbed and bogged down in the individual problems of this one performer.  Fortunately the other regular feature of Cook’s shows is his inspirational take on audience participation, at which he is almost uniquely effective—and in this Consequences is again no exception.

Those who have seen Cook previously might recognize many of the tricks used in Consequences as his dependable standbys.  This makes sense in the context of the show.  In a scene where he pretends to be performing at a children’s birthday party it makes sense to see him perform a card trick with an especially sweet ending.  In a show with an overarching theme of struggling to come up with new ideas this recycling of tricks is simultaneously cleverly immersive and cheekily self-referential.

Cook’s magical abilities are superb.  Perhaps in part because Consequences uses so many recycled tricks, Cook performs each one essentially flawlessly.  This is particularly important in a show such as Consequences, as a less skilled magician complaining about the trials of successful show-writing might come across as bitter and resentful.  Cook’s undeniable expertise bolsters Consequences’ implicit claims to genuine self reflection.

Many magic shows end with the magician revealing that they had predicted the audience’s behavior from the very beginning, turning the entire show into one big mentalist trick.  The ending of Consequences is almost exactly the opposite.  Cook attributes the success of his final magic trick to the power of a chosen audience member’s aspirations rather than his own skill, and his final “reveal” is nonsensically circular in a way that somehow still supports Cook’s ultimately inspirational message.

Consequences is an interestingly constructed and heartwarming magic show with a lot of character.  Cook’s onstage persona might be seen to struggle with creating an inventive new show, but the effectiveness of Consequences is evidence in support of Cook’s imaginative talents.

 

More information on Chris Cook and his performance dates can be found here.

CHRIS COOK: ENTROPY

☆☆☆☆☆

Chris Cook performs Entropy differently every evening, varying the show apparently largely based on whim.  This, he explains, is one of the reasons why he has chosen to call it Entropy—the universe’s tendency toward chaos, a fittingly playful anti-theme for this show.

Many of the tricks performed on the occasion of this review showcase Cook’s creative approach of magic.  He might start a routine card trick, but he doesn’t stop after finding his participant’s card, instead building a new trick from the remnants that would more commonly be discarded.  Magic fans will almost certainly see something new and different the first time that they watch Cook perform.  In Entropy, there is a decent chance that even those who have seen him frequently will get to do so as well.

Cook was unlucky in having an especially disruptive audience member, but he did not let her derail his show, instead allowing her to join him onstage and become a part of it.  When she takes up more of his time than planned, Cook ramps up his energy levels to deliver a speedily satisfying conclusion to the show at the last minute.  Cook sets a casual tone for this performance and looks like he is enjoying his time on stage, but when circumstances are less than perfect the audience gains a better appreciation for how hard he is working to curate this experience for them.

The degree of spontaneity in Cook’s performance of Entropy is evidence of his incredible skill as both a magician and a performer.  Cook has earned the calculated laziness of not carefully planning the flow of his show. He has perfected his individual routines and transition patter to the point that he can confidently use them to build the show that he wants to perform on the day.  Watching a performer with that much trust in his own abilities, clearly justified by his performance, is always going to be a pleasure.

Cook is unflappably charming and his magic technique is flawless.  The specifics of Entropy might change from one day to the next, and this is a point in its favor.  After seeing it once, the audience will want to return as soon as they can to find out what else Cook is capable of.

 

More information on Chris Cook and his performance dates can be found here.

 

CHRIS COOK: CHANCE

☆☆☆☆☆

Chris Cook mentions in his show that this is his fifth year at the Fringe. Chance is undeniable proof that he’s not only not lost his charm, but is only getting better with experience. Cook is the model of a modern magician in his open affect and obvious affability. Not a magician here to trick you- well, yes, here to trick you, but not to taunt you with it. It’s clear that Cook sees his attendees not just as people for him to fool but as people to invite to an opportunity of wonder, to imagine a life with less repetitive drudgery and more delight.

It’s apparent immediately that Cook puts his volunteers at ease, an impressive feat when pulling them out of the safety and anonymity of the audience to stand on stage in front of everyone and do something they haven’t prepared for. But he instructs well, doesn’t mock, and is quick to make himself the butt of any joke before subjecting his volunteers to it. This has the secondary effect of endearing the rest of the audience to him (because who knows who could be next?) and, combined with his honest humor and breathless exuberance, creates a great atmosphere for the show.

Cook doesn’t shy away from anything that would make his magic relatable to his audience, and in Chance this involves political content. Implying a political stance in a magic show at the Fringe can be risky- your audience probably didn’t come expecting it the way they could for theatre or comedy, and it’s unlikely that at least some of them don’t strongly disagree with you. Due to a slight but noticeable muting of the audience’s good cheer surrounding his political content, it’s possible that this choice is occasionally having a real effect on Cook’s show. But a magician is not a vehicle for illusions, they should have principles and ultimately this political engagement is a daring and admirable choice. Cook proves that magic doesn’t have to be a frozen moment of late 19th/ early 20th century “golden age” that so many magicians like to hearken back to and romanticize, but instead can thrive as a sharp, to the point engagement with politics and his audience’s anxieties. Never faltering or losing a beat of his abounding charisma, Cook can dip into places more vulnerable, more uncertain, more real- and takes his audience with him.

Cook illustrates in Chance the breadth of possibilities of magic; the stories and situations and emotions that can engage with it. His magic enlivens his audience and makes them receptive to his finale- his encouragement and inspiration to breathe, to let their defenses fall, and to remember their basic human connection. Chance is not only a fantastic magic show to experience Cook’s impressive skills and great humor, but a reflection on our unbreakable capacity for wonder and hope, despite it all.

 

Chris Cook can be found at the Voodoo Rooms (Venue 68) during the 2018 Edinburgh Fringe at 15:10 from August 16-26

More information on Chris Cook and his performance dates can be found here

 

 

CHRIS COOK: CONCEALED

☆☆☆☆

Chris Cook is quite probably the hardest working magician at the Edinburgh Fringe. A consummate professional who holds his audience in his thrall during his stage show, in Concealed, Cook also proves that he has the personability necessary for a fantastic close-up performance.

Concealed’s venue is a tiny room in the basement of the Street bar. The scent of weed wafts gently down from above, and the decor includes disco balls, a cherub, ducks, and twee wallpaper. And in the middle of all this, Cook practically vibrates as he bounces endearingly from taking music requests, gulping down an espresso martini, and bantering with his audience with charming earnestness as he tries to fit everyone into the room.  The place is tiny but the show well attended- knowledge of Cook’s skill has spread by word of mouth and everyone is eager to see for themselves.

Cook performs the traditional, but he performs the traditional well. Even if you’re familiar with magic and you’ve seen the tricks he does before- and surely you have, as he does a rendition of the oldest trick in the world- nothing ever feels even remotely stale. He breathes exuberant almost to the point of manic energy into this intimate performance. Close up magic is a really fast way to separate the truly talented magicians from the deceptively clever showmen and Cook is, actually, both. Every trick is precise, and if it weren’t, we would never have been given the opportunity to realize. Every joke hits, and if it hadn’t, it would have been transformed into one that did. Cook is as quick on his feet as he is with his hands, and even though watching him work makes one exhausted for him, it’s also oddly exhilarating.

Concealed is a performance intentionally under-advertised, because at heart it’s just a guy, keen about magic, sharing it with a small and cheerful crowd. There’s no overarching theme, there’s no moral to no story, it’s a sparse show content in in its own purity, and a purely good show.

 

Chris Cook can be found at The Street (Venue 239) during the 2018 Edinburgh Fringe at 19:45 from August 15-25. 

More information on Chris Cook and his performance dates can be found here