Kevin Quantum

KEVIN QUANTUM: INVISIBLE FORCE

☆☆☆

Fringe regular and favorite Kevin Quantum has clearly built a strong reputation, if the sold out Invisible Force on a Monday evening is anything to go by. He may be family friendly with the kind of arguably educational billing of being both a scientist and a magician that attracts young families, but it’s worth noting that the reviewed show had a decent mix of ages, with plenty of groups of adults of varied ages enjoying the show. Invisible Force is conceptually very interesting, and Quantum is an able and engaging performer.

As with many magic shows, Quantum invites many audience members to the stage. He is by and large a welcoming presence, rewarding most of his participants with biscuits. This is in keeping with the science theme; in the best, kindest way he is here reminiscent of a scientist training their beloved mice through a maze. Quantum’s long term fans may know that he loves a boogie, but it may be worthwhile for him to have a bit more respect for his participants who don’t. At the reviewed show watching him pressure his first participant of the evening into dancing was uncomfortable viewing. The moment could have at least been tied in thematically with a discussion of the invisible forces at play in a dynamic of unequal power, but the opportunity was missed.

There are a few other missed thematic moments in the show, which feels like a shame for such an interesting concept. The thematic elements of some routines feel fairly straightforward, so it feels reasonable that they are performed without explicit elaboration, like a participant’s emotional connection to a lost object leading it back to her, or a participant’s demonstrable connection with Quantum allowing them to subconsciously coordinate certain factors. On the other hand, Quantum’s magical illustration of quantum physics could do with a touch more tie-in, to allow those in the audience coming in with less physics knowledge to fully appreciate the parallel. Quantum is known for bringing an entirely new concept-driven show to every Fringe, which is certainly admirable in its own right, but the reviewed Invisible Forces may leave some audience members hoping that someday he returns to the concept introduced here with further insight and elaboration. 

As a magician-science hybrid, Quantum makes great use of the props of both his passions in the effects that he performs, often leading to visually spectacular results. A highlight is his use of a glittering chain that behaves in a beautiful, fascinatingly unexpected way. Quantum’s own driving force is, as he describes it, enabling his audience to experience wonder, and he is adept at using both science and magic to achieve this.

Quantum is a regular and strong performer, and his many fans certainly won’t leave Invisible Forces disappointed. Some may find it the most interesting work he’s brought to the Fringe in recent years. However, it does feel like the concept work of the show could be slightly augmented to give it a more cohesive feel, plus the reviewed show had a participant issue that, to be fair to Quantum, may have been a one-off. Quantum is always one to watch, and if anything, the ambition evident in the structuring of Invisible Forces is a fascinating glimpse into what makes Quantum himself tick— a sub-theme of the show. It will almost definitely leave audiences curious and excited to see what he comes up with next year.

KEVIN QUANTUM: UNBELIEVABLE MAGIC FOR NON-BELIEVERS

☆☆☆☆

As the only magician-scientist hybrid performing in Edinburgh (perhaps in the world) it makes sense that Kevin Quantum dedicates his latest Fringe show to those who appreciate magic as a mechanical phenomenon that can be explained in rational terms. In Unbelievable Magic for Non-Believers, Quantum demonstrates a series of tricks and routines that are naturally designed to flummox those looking for their rational explanation, and uses real life examples to show that the natural search for rationality in the irrational isn’t just for magic shows.

Quantum is a skilled magician and several of the routines he performs in Unbelievable Magic are particularly creative. His opening routine with a breakfast theme is especially fun to watch—who doesn’t love breakfast for dinner? Quantum’s performance of a well known effect that usually uses two people but here only uses one and a video camera is also interestingly innovative, and all the more impressive for it. Such fascinating magic also highlight another way that non-believers can enjoy magic without committing to becoming believers. When performed with the skill and creativity of a magician like Quantum, magic can be appreciated as a beautiful and funny art form regardless of the audience’s belief in it.

Real life intrudes on the magic in a couple of instances in Unbelievable Magic. The first is the previously mentioned examples of real life phenomena in which it is human nature to search for a rational explanation to an irrational world. While Quantum understandably skates around the sociological and political implications of this element of the show, which would probably take a whole different show to fully unpack, it’s clear enough to feel timely. The second element of reality comes in the form of Quantum’s science demonstration, a regular and exciting feature of his shows. Quantum leans in to the visually exciting parts of physics. Quantum’s demonstration of the properties of his Tesla coil mirrors his use of magic. While there is, again, a rational explanation, the effects can also be appreciated simply for their beauty.

Quantum often gets audience members involved in his show, and often in doing simple tasks from their seats. On the one occasion that he asks slightly more of his audience participant, and teases them a bit more, Quantum makes sure to find a volunteer rather than a randomly selected participant, a great way to ensure happy, active participation.

Creating magic designed to seduce non-believers into believing is a fairly common theme for magicians. Unbelievable Magic for Non-Believers is certainly an entertaining take on that classic, with Quantum’s particular blend of magic and reality adding an interesting perspective. Despite the title it is well worth a watch for believers and non-believers alike.

KEVIN QUANTUM: ANTI-GRAVITY

☆☆☆☆

One of Kevin Quantum’s most frequently used pull quotes is that he’s “like a sexy Doctor Who”, which takes a lot of pressure off anyone else who writes a review of his shows. No one could possibly top that (although one must ask, is Doctor Who not a sexy Doctor Who?) Opinions of his looks aside, the Doctor Who comparison is fitting, especially with this year‘s show Anti-Gravity. The lightly educational and plentifully magical show is reminiscent of classic Who-niverse creations, which balanced child friendly history and science with science fiction to make learning fun for its target audience of young viewers. Although in Quantum’s case, the mixing is science with magic.

It will come as no surprise that Anti-Gravity has a focus on levitations in all their forms, it is after all an accurately titled show. Quantum comes out for a pre-show segment that perfectly encapsulates the scientific and magical themes of the show, with demonstrations of Bernoulli’s principle using both science and magic. The levitations build in scale until a final trick that is both completely expected given the theme of the show and also something of a surprise simply as it’s not a type of magic that is often performed.

With Anti-Gravity, Quantum is not just looking to inspire future magicians in his audience, but future creators of all types. Over the course of the show Quantum demonstrates how close an unexplained science experiment feels to magic, blurring the lines between what is currently possible and not yet discovered or invented. It’s the kind of inspirational message best delivered by a hybrid scientist-magician.

There’s a mix of audience types and ages at Quantum’s show that reflects the universality of his appeal. There are plenty of families with young children, but also lots of childless adult couples and adult group attendants. While the inspiring message may land best with the youngsters, the unusual magic performed will be appreciated by all, even the most seasoned magic fans.

More information about Anti-Gravity and its performances can be found here.

KEVIN QUANTUM: MOMENTUM

☆☆☆☆

Crowd pleaser Kevin Quantum is back, this Fringe down one healthy leg. Quantum injured his Achilles’ tendon shortly before the Fringe, but in true performer style is nonetheless onstage every afternoon this month, in a big plastic boot and zippered trousers so he can show it off. He has titled and themed his show on Momentum this year, both in terms of science and the course of life itself. It’s fittingly enough considering that he is visibly pushing himself forward at every show, maintaining the momentum of his career and art form in spite of his injury.

Momentum is a family show, and Quantum makes sure to get the younger audience members involved as often as is appropriate—even if that means asking children to volunteer the grown up they’re with to join Quantum onstage. However, Quantum gets as many children as possible involved in the actual magic, even running through the audience on his injured leg to perform pieces of close up magic to various children in their seats. A live stream makes sure that the entire audience is involved, but the chosen children get a special experience.

Unfortunately Quantum had a few angle issues with his live stream at the reviewed performance, both in the crowd sequence and a later bit themed on the Bermuda Triangle. It’s a tricky business performing for both the audience at large and maintaining the participant experience, and while at times Quantum deliberately plays on this to great effect, there are other instances where a prop appears slightly early, or a word card is seen from the wrong angle, that look a little less than perfect. However, it’s a nitpick in an overall entertaining show. The overwhelming majority of Quantum’s magic goes perfectly to plan.

Quantum’s background is in physics, and it’s his fascination with the patterns of a Newton’s Cradle that bookends the show. Magicians often end their performance with a dangerous stunt, and Quantum’s involves a giant flaming Newton’s Cradle. It’s a beautiful piece of equipment even regardless of the stunt, the flaming cannon balls are gorgeously hypnotic. The fact that Quantum manages to pull off the stunt with an injured foot is even more impressive.

Quantum is one of the established big names in all-ages magic at the Fringe, and he proves his reputation every year. Momentum looks like it’s going to be another in his long list of sellout Fringe shows, and deservedly so. Momentum is a solid hour of amazement.

KEVIN QUANTUM: DARK MATTER

☆☆☆☆

Local magic celebrity Kevin Quantum made a splash right before this Sunday afternoon showing of Dark Matter, coming in to the audience to take photos with a few of the families in his front row. Cameras came out up and down the audience as people tried to catch paparazzi shots of Quantum.

It’s unclear just how much of his sold out crowd is there due to his run on Britain’s Got Talent, but he plays a clip of some of his judgement in Dark Matter. The comment made by one judge that Quantum is “like a sexy Doctor Who” is played a few times, and to be fair it is difficult to imagine ever receiving a more flattering compliment. Quantum’s audition took place shortly before lockdown shut everything down, and that theme of returning to new opportunities threads through the show.

Dark Matter is an afternoon show, attracting plenty of families, and Quantum is great with the kids in his audience. One section of the show sees Quantum running up and down the aisle with a pack of cards and other close up props, finding a few lucky children to perform for right in front of their seats. He is followed by a cameraman, projecting the magic to a large screen at the front of the theater, so while the children in question get a special experience no one is left out.

However the indisputable highlight of the reviewed show has to be one of Quantum’s older audience participants, Sandy, who joined him onstage for a series of card tricks. The audience got to watch a lovely bromance blossom between Sandy and Quantum, as they laughed and danced together. Sandy was the kind of visibly delighted, down for anything participant that magicians must dream of. Regardless of how many times members of the audience may have seen this particular card trick performed at other magic shows, Sandy made the experience of it at Quantum’s show memorable.

Quantum’s blend of science and magic is always a cross-generation hit. He discusses at the end of the show that he and his young daughter created a magic education YouTube series over lockdown that is now turning in to a magical education video series for use in schools—a project that sounds like a perfect fit for Quantum’s range of skills. While the specific magic of his relationship with audience participants may change from day to day, Quantum is, as ever, a hit of the family-friendly Fringe program.

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

MAGICFEST OPENING NIGHT CHRISTMAS GALA

☆☆☆

Despite the name, the MagicFest Opening Night Christmas Gala wasn’t necessarily the most Christmassy of experiences. But festivity aside, if one was in search for an eclectic display of extraordinary magic, the show definitely met those expectations.

Kevin Quantum was the perfect compere, putting the audience at ease from the start with slick card tricks and groovy dancing. Quantum’s expertise shone when a particularly difficult child participant threatened to derail the show. The way in which Quantum humoured the child whilst telling a completely different story to the audience was something only the best in the business could pull off. Quantum’s love for magic and the acts was admirable and ensured the audience was as excited as he was for each set.

The first act, Matthew Dowden, performed an array of traditional magic tricks that were well executed. Simple tricks that would have been less exciting had Dowden performed them himself were elevated by the use of audience participants. Particularly memorable was the gobsmacked look on a skeptical child’s face after they were left on stage to perform a trick’s finale alone – a bold risk that only a confident magician would be willing to take.

The highlight of the night was Young Magician of the Year 2019, Adam Black. The only act to tell a story through his tricks, he ensured that his set was cohesive rather than simply a demonstration of impressive magic. Black is a natural on the stage and his passion for magic shone brightly throughout. Black has a quality that is hard to put your finger on. He simply does something a little bit different, something a little bit special. He performed tricks that you had never seen before, and even if you had seen others do the tricks previously, the way he performed them was ingenious.

Powerful Chloe Crawford added an element of danger to the evening with a couple of gruesome tricks that the audience could only watch through their fingers. Crawford’s stage presence was especially notable, allowing her to perform her entire routine without uttering a single word. Particularly remarkable was the way in which, in total silence, she gained the trust of her participants and convinced them to join her in taking dangerous risks on stage. With a silent set, however, people watch Crawford’s expressions intently. She would do well to maintain her calm and confident expression even when things may not be going fully to plan, as with talent like hers, she will surely always skillfully resolve any issues- as she did on the night.

Your deepest darkest thoughts are not safe with concluding act, Colin Cloud, around! Cloud’s mind reading skills are simply unbelievable – he drew out numerous pieces of detailed information from various audience members with such pace that the audience did not even have time to applaud his efforts. Instead, they could only sit in a stunned silence. What makes Cloud’s performance most impressive is the sheer volume of information he extracts from the room in such a short amount of time – and the way he does it too, through taste and smell, is cunning.

Overall, the MagicFest Opening Night Christmas Gala was a thrilling evening of diverse acts. This diversity was, however, perhaps to the detriment of the show, which ultimately lacked cohesion under a common theme. But although lacking in that particular Christmas magic, it nonetheless satisfied the cravings of magic enthusiasts.

KEVIN QUANTUM: NEON FUTURE

☆☆☆☆

It is rare that a show literally starts with a bang.  It is unclear whether Kevin Quantum decided to use explosives in Neon Future specifically for this purpose or whether the bombs came to mind first, but he took full advantage of the opportunity that their involvement afforded him for an exceptionally exciting introduction.

The explosives set the tone for the show.  Quantum’s theme matches his title—the future—and from there his show explodes in all directions, encompassing everything from personal musings into the possibilities of a robotically enhanced humanity, the dialectic debate of destiny versus free will, The Matrix… and more typically magical pretensions to genuine clairvoyance.

Quantum is fantastically committed to this theme, altering every trick he performs to fit it.  A highlight in this respect is his version of the oldest trick in the world, which in Quantum’s world becomes a miniature futuristic teleportation device.  Quantum’s explanation of the history of the trick detracts from the moment ever so slightly, taking the audience out of the moment, but in fairness this is in keeping with the capricious nature of the flow that Quantum cultivates.

The audience has a high proportion of children, and Quantum is excellent in working with them.  He makes a point to involve them in the show, often selecting his participants entirely from the children of the audience, and tries to involve as many of the enthusiastic volunteers as is feasible.  On the other hand, there are points in the show where it is best to minimize child involvement, especially the sections involving the explosives, and Quantum makes the responsible decision to choose adult participants at these times.

Neon Future often feels like it is going in every direction, all at once, so it is impressive that Quantum makes it feel like a cohesive show.  This is perhaps in part him embracing that his early evening time slot and nominally semi-educational theme means that he might regularly attract a younger audience, and tailoring his act to suit those tastes.  And even adults can appreciate the childlike joy of watching things go boom.

 

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

THE MIRACLE OF CHRISTMAS FUTURE

☆☆☆

The Miracle of Christmas Future set out a promising premise, advertised as futuristic magic performed by Charlie Caper, with his amazing robots, and Kevin Quantum, whose performances frequently incorporate his love of science.  They easily deliver on this.  While the show was not flawless, it had many magical and scientific highlights.

The most overtly futuristic element of the show is Quantum and Caper’s third performance partner, the artificial intelligence named Bob.  Bob primarily functioned as an emcee for the human magicians, occasionally also rating their performances, and even taking her turn at performing a magic trick.  While she was not convincing enough to make any reviewer or magician fear that they might soon be replaced by robots, her recurring participation in the show alluded to these exciting potentials for the future of AI.

This left the majority of the magic performed in Quantum and Caper’s able hands.  An unexpectedly lovely highlight was Caper reading a sad Christmas story while performing complementary magic.  This was an odd tonal choice, as it briefly brought the otherwise cheerful Christmas mood down several notches.  The apparently random tone shift only highlighted the disjointed nature of the show as a whole, as aside from Bob’s work as a show runner there was little binding the elements performed together.  This particular moment demonstrated that even that futuristic theme occasionally wavered.  However, the beauty of Caper’s performance made its inclusion worthwhile.

The disjointed feel of the show did not just come from the lack of consistent use of theme, but also from the way that Caper and Quantum rarely actually performed together, instead taking turns with their tricks.  This was a shame, as while no pairing could match the perfect connection between Caper and his robots, Quantum and Caper appeared to work well together when they did interact on stage.

Audience participation often seems to be one of the more challenging aspects of magic performance from the perspective of the watching members of the audience, as the wrong randomly chosen individual might not act according to the magician’s plan.  This looked to be the case in Quantum and Caper’s final performance of this run when two children got a little too competitive with their onstage task.  Quantum and Caper dealt this turn of events with professional aplomb.  Quantum was especially impressive in his handling of the unrulier child.

The futuristic theme of The Miracle of Christmas Future comes naturally to both Caper and Quantum.  It could perhaps even be the theme of each one of their individual magical careers.  Watching them collaborate in sharing that passion with the audience was the most magical part of the evening.

 

More information on MagicFest can be found here

KEVIN QUANTUM: VANISHING POINT

☆☆☆☆

Kevin Quantum studied physics before he became a magician, and in Vanishing Point he explores the magical niche that he has created by combining his passion for both subjects. The stage is physically dominated by an enormous harmonic pendulum of his own creation that both starts and ends the show. Watching this pendulum in motion at the start of the show is a lovely meditative highlight. In between showing off his pendulum, Quantum performs his array of magic tricks with the theme of making things vanish.

One of Quantum’s primary sub-themes is the Bermuda triangle, famous for making ships, planes, and people mysteriously disappear. Quantum spends a fair amount of time setting up this theme, telling the audience about some of the better known anecdotes and even playing an audio clip from a plane right before it went missing in the triangle. His method of incorporating the theme into his magic tricks is appropriately cheeky for a magic show.

Loss of privacy and the increasing power of technology over humanity, another one of Quantum’s sub-themes, is much more timely, and potentially much more interesting. This time his cheeky nod to theme in the subsequent magic tricks is more of a build up to the big finish—it may feel underwhelming at first, but by the end of the show it proves fittingly impactful. Quantum circles back to his gigantic gadget, using the meditative qualities of his harmonic pendulum to make his point about the importance of living in the moment.

The foundation of Vanishing Point is in hybrids, as Quantum describes himself as a hybrid scientist-magician, and incorporates both magic tricks and scientific demonstrations into this show. Quantum takes this a step further in blending the tone of the show. It is both fun and lighthearted in turns and a bit more serious in others, but does not fully commit to either approach. The lighthearted bits at the beginning still have the dark undertones of death from the Bermuda triangle theme, and the delivery of the sincere message at the end still feels more like a stunt than a moral. This is not detrimental to the overall effect of the show, and feels on brand for Quantum, who has built his magical persona on hybridization.

Vanishing Point is creatively themed and well put together, and well performed in Quantum’s distinctive style. The creative emphasis is decidedly on the theme and non-magical props rather than the tricks themselves, but given the multi-faceted nature of the show this is not too noticeable. Vanishing Point is well worth a visit for those looking for see magic tricks presented in an inventively scientific format.

 

Kevin Quantum can be found at Underbelly Bristo Square during the 2018 Edinburgh Fringe at 18:45 from August 12-20, 22-26

More information on Kevin Quantum and his performance dates can be found here

KEVIN QUANTUM: AND FOR MY NEXT TRICK

 

☆☆☆

In And For My Next Trick, Kevin Quantum fully embraces the silly side of magic.  The slightest notion of a theme gives the show some structure, while allowing Quantum to perform a wide range of varying tricks.  Quantum takes advantage of this freedom to show off an impressive breadth of versatility for an hour long show.

Early in the show, Quantum performs a well-judged card trick.  Quantum’s audience is just big enough that the people at the back might have had trouble seeing a playing card, but Quantum made sure to use a heavily marked card for the duration of the trick to avoid any such difficulties.  Quantum performs this trick with dexterity and poise, demonstrating his skill in classic sleight of hand.

Quantum gets into more story-based magic as well, with a magical attraction themed segment featuring a mock date with an audience participant.  In such a trick the choice of participant is key, as they have a slightly more involved role than just picking a card, and Quantum chose perfectly.  His participant appeared delighted to have her turn on stage, which made that part of the show even more delightful to watch.  The theme led Quantum into a performance that was at times more comedy-based than magic, but this was no disadvantage as he entertained the audience throughout.

Performing can be unpredictable, and Quantum is adept at handling potentially challenging variables.  Quantum has a good rapport with his audience.  If he teases the participants who he brings on stage he comes across as friendly rather than antagonistic.  Additional disturbances arose on this evening with equipment difficulties and an unusually noisy fan, but Quantum dismissed these with a smile and a joke, and did not allow them to have any detrimental effect on his performance.

Quantum uses And For My Next Trick to bring the audience on a quick journey through the more playful parts of his repertoire.  Quantum seems to be having as much fun on stage as the audience is having watching him, which makes him all the more enjoyable to watch.

 

Kevin Quantum can be found at Gilded Balloon Teviot during the 2018 Edinburgh Fringe at 21:30 from August 9-20, 22-26

More information on Kevin Quantum and his performance dates can be found here