magic

PETE HEAT: HUGE

☆☆☆☆☆

Pete Heat is as Huge as advertised. He absolutely towers over the audience, even in a Fringe venue without a raised platform, and is at least a head taller than every participant who joins him on stage. The title Huge is more descriptive of Heat than of anything that actually happens in the show, which is fitting for a performance that is fantastically weird and surreal (and even at times magical).

There is not a whole lot of magic actually performed in Huge. Heat is a comedy magician, but has reversed the usual proportion of comedy magic. Instead of telling a few jokes in between performing magic, he performs a few magic tricks in between telling jokes and the odd story. If it does occasionally come across as more of a stand up comedy show than a magic show, it definitely feels like the kind of stand up that could only have been written by a career magician. That being said, Heat is careful to cushion his comedy in enough magic that it doesn’t really feel like he’s completely lying about the genre of his act—it’s as if he carefully calculated exactly how many magic tricks he needs per hour to maintain the facade of magic.  The audience is too busy laughing to notice the lack of magic, although it might not be the right show for those looking for a trick a minute. 

The magic that Heat does perform is all perfect; with the little there is in the show, there’s no room for him to hide if anything doesn’t go to plan. Heat gets the whole audience involved in a way that genuinely feels unique. He states that the numbers and symbols on playing cards don’t really mean anything anymore, they’re far removed from the deeply meaningful symbolism of their ancestors, the tarot deck (this theory is not historically accurate, but an intriguing connection to attempt). Heat makes them interesting again by handing out blank cards and having the audience collectively create their own deck, which he then performs magic with. The delayed reveal is worth the wait. Heat also notably performs a mentalist routine that is simultaneously the best and worst mentalist routine at this Fringe. It’s far from a traditional mentalist bit, but is the most flawless mentalism sequence imaginable for the superbly weird show that Heat has put together.

Heat’s post-show merchandise deserves a mention as well. Audience members have the opportunity to purchase a book that Heat put together in anticipation of a mid-show career change. If you follow the instructions this book is the only example of its genre that you really need.

Huge might be several steps removed from what might be reasonably expected of a magic show, but Heat has carved a weird little niche for himself in the Fringe magic ecosystem. Should the repetitiveness of traditional magic become wearying, Huge is the show to see for a reminder of the ingenuity and creativity that magicians are capable of. And with an easily accessible evening time slot at a central venue, there’s no reason not to go.

MAGICIAN TWINPOSSIBLE

☆☆☆

Despite the classic Edinburgh Fringe rainy weather on the reviewed date of Twinpossible, Kane and Abel managed to pull a large crowd at their Voodoo Rooms venue. They present varied takes on their favorite theme each Fringe. As twins and a double act, the jokes and patterns are right there, and they seize each and every one of them.

Kane and Abel are great entertainers, but on occasion fumbled some of their classic magic effects. They opened with a side-by-side card trick using the same participant that went off without a hitch but were slightly clumsy in their performance of the in-between magic to fill the set-up time. This set the tone for the show -they’re not perfect but there’s usually at least one good reveal. 

Both twins are friendly with the audience, acknowledging that participating in their show is a little bit stressful but making their participants feel welcome. They make a point to indicate the “final participant” so everyone knows when they can relax and stop avoiding eye contact with them. Kane and Abel are kind to the crowd. At the end of a classic trick involving an egg they hand the remains to a random individual as a gift. Body builders looking for some crunchy protein may want to keep an eye out for this moment. They are also not above a thirst trap—magic fans who are so inclined can look forward to at least one of them removing their trousers during the course of the show. Twinpossible truly contains something for everyone. 


There’s a subset of magic shows that are especially predictable. The audience knows they’ll be amazed and witness impossibilities, but they know exactly what those will be—the card will be found and the rings will join together. Kane and Abel lean in this experience with their twin theme, they make all the references to twin relationships and idiosyncrasies that the audience would expect. It’s a safe, comfortable way to experience magic. There’s plenty to challenge as well as amaze at the Fringe, but maybe sometimes on a rainy Sunday afternoon safety and comfort is exactly what Edinburgh audiences want.

SEANCE LIVE

☆☆☆

The newest entry in the time-honoured tradition of magicians debunking the methods of false spiritualists is Séance Live by Sam Lupton. In this interactive show, Lupton showcases staples of mediumship, but all with the caveat of his own disbelief and in the stated interest of encouraging skepticism among attendees.

Lupton is a charming and compelling performer, and it would be easy to believe that had he chosen to peruse mediumship as a career, he would have no shortage of devotees. He divides his show into two parts, one composed primarily of hot and cold reading audience members, and one more focused on spirit phenomena like slate writing and pendulum dowsing.

Lupton is conscientious enough to assure participants, in the first half of the show, that he has had no legitimate contact with loved ones on the ’other side’. In some ways, his ethical standards here are to his detriment. Professional fake mediums are often extremely creative and invasive in their zeal to uncover personal information on audience members that they can use for their readings. Likely due to the absence of this, Lupton’s ‘hits’ of information on audience members are sporadic and somewhat underwhelming. He does use the excuse of this being an educational experience, but that falls a bit flat considering what he is theoretically trying to achieve. If it is shocking perceptiveness that causes people to fall victim to fake mediums, a show debunking it should be able to reach equal levels of this otherworldly-but-not-really skill.

As mentioned, stage magicians criticizing the methodology of fake spiritualists is no new practice. It has gone on essentially as long as the two groups have coexisted. However, one thing magicians typically do not mention is that this debunking was done not just out of a sense of justice for the general public or a fight in the battle to be the most honest liar. It was also because magicians and mediums often do use the same tricks, and through this, mediums posed a risk to magicians’ control over their secrets.

This begets the unfortunately innate weakness in Lupton’s show – as a working magician, there is only so far he can lead the viewer without giving away useful skills he and other magicians use in their careers. He wholeheartedly states his own disbelief in the supernatural, and indeed presents this entire show in the theme of disproving the beliefs of others. However, many phenomena within the show are left underexplained or unexplained for the purposes of dramatic appeal.

Séance Live is a fun and intriguing way of engaging in the concept and methodology of fake mediumship. While it may not change your belief one way or another, it is a worthwhile experience and a great way to learn more about the history of spiritualism.

GRIFFIN AND JONES: A LIFE-CHANGING MAGIC SHOW!

☆☆☆☆

Magic is a truly versatile art. Depending on the magician, the audience, even the night performed, it can be lies that tell a truth, beauty through wonder, or even – just a bit of silliness. In this year’s Griffin and Jones contribution to the Edinburgh Fringe, ‘A Life-Changing Magic Show!’, we learn exactly what the two magicians are looking to accomplish (despite the title).

A Life-Changing Magic Show at times feels like it has a surprising lack of magic. Sure, we see the almost obligatory cards, torn newspaper, and chopped up piece of rope involved at one point or another. All the effects are performed well and engender the ideal amount of audience engagement. But the core of this show is Griffin and Jones’ idiotic-to-the-point-of-irresistible humor. Entire segments of time are devoted to just jokes, but told with such enthusiasm and conviction that the audience can barely even detect that something is missing from this magic show.

What is absolutely not missing is either extensive rehearsal, true chemistry, or some winning combination of the two. Griffin and Jones have been performing together for over a decade, so it would be concerning if the partnership weren’t working. But the very degree to which they play off each other in unshakeable comedic timing is something to be commended. In this show, they are doing exactly what they want to do, perfectly.

A Life-Changing Magic Show is clear about the message that it wants to share. Sometimes, pure silliness and stupidity can be the cathartic release needed to, yes, change your life. It can be just a moment of joy that shifts you into a new mindset. Even when Griffin and Jones quiet the tone of their show, they do it in a tongue-in-cheek fashion that doesn’t even allow themselves to take things too seriously. And if Griffin and Jones are having that much fun, how could the audience even not?

More information on Griffin and Jones can be found here.

ILLUSIONATI – A MAGICAL CONSPIRACY

☆☆

Welcome to Illusionati, the theatrical magic show about whether there is a secretive club of elite magicians controlling all who would dare to perform the art, you know, like the Magic Circle (just kidding). This concept is created by a magician by the name of The Great Baldini, and is performed with great enthusiasm even if not with great finesse.

The first part of The Great Baldini (henceforth referred to as Baldini)’s show sets a tone that the show may actually be theatre with some magic thrown in for garnish, which may not have been a bad idea going forward, although it was not the idea chosen. Over the hour we see Baldini vacillate between this former structure of basic tricks forced into the story he wants to tell, or at times, a story forced around a couple of genuinely new, creative trick presentations. These fresh presentations are delightful to see in an creative field so desperate for innovation. Unfortunately, in this show they seem under-developed, dragging on far beyond a reasonable audience member’s expected attention span, which dilutes the effect of the ultimate reveals.

Likewise on the theme of inconsistency, Baldini’s attempts at humor throw off any chance for the audience to be drawn into the show. He is too silly to take seriously, but not funny enough to be entertaining. At times this makes the experience of attending the show feel like watching a child perform magic. You nod and smile along encouragingly, but are mostly left wondering if it is all going to be over soon so you can stop performing back at them.

Similarly to that experience, there is no ill-will felt to the magician. Baldini seems like a legitimately amiable and well intended performer, with a perfectly good concept for a show, just one in need of a creative director and a more coherent vision of how he wants to tell the story.

More information on The Great Baldini can be found here.

ALEX KOUVATAS: MOVIE MAGIC

☆☆☆

Burritos, milkshakes, and magic are an unfortunately unusual combination. Each one of them is great on its own, but together? Unbeatable! The only place to experience this incredible trinity at the Fringe this year is at Alex Kouvatas’s show Movie Magic, in the basement of Burrito’n’Shake, handily located on a key tourist thoroughfare.

However, aside from providing a frankly iconic combination of refreshments, Kouvatas’s venue did not do him any favors. Staff crossed the stage with some regularity and the music from the restaurant was audible in the performance space. Such are often the trials of the newer PBH venues. The space has a great potential, and hopefully with a bit more experience of the benefits of hosting they will treat their performers with more respect.

Kouvatas was nevertheless unstoppable. Some of the more notable aspects of his performance actually did not include magic tricks. In the show reviewed he performed at times in two languages, neither of them his native language, to ensure that Italian-speaking members of the audience were included as well as the English-speaking majority. He went out of his way to get them involved in ways that were accessible to them. Kouvatas included all of the audience in his show. A participant in the show reviewed was especially enamored of his prop banana, reported to be “pleasingly soft and fun to play with”. While her delight with and repeated caressing of his banana did briefly distract Kouvatas, and indeed the entire audience, this only increased the audience’s engagement.

The magic was well performed and themed to the movies. Kouvatas brought along a special movie card deck, so audience members could choose the movies he themes his tricks on. A moment that feels especially on brand for a magician is when he uses a card trick to try to get one of his participants to fall in love with him. While the participant at the reviewed show did not leave her partner for him, it was a fun romcom take on the effect. That being said, if Kouvatas’s magic could use any advice, it might be on the timing. There was the occasional moment, for example with is escapology trick, where it felt like the timing wasn’t quite right—but this did not detract too much from the overall enjoyment of the audience.

His inclusivity of the whole audience sadly did not always have a positive effect. One participant got a little too enthusiastic and grabbed Kouvatas’s bottom to try to catch him out on a trick. He laughed it off, and even got the rest of the audience to laugh through the uncomfortable moment, an impressive testament to his professionalism despite overt and unacceptable (even if unmalicious) harassment.

While touching his bottom is not advised, Kouvatas’s delightful banana is freely given to a chosen participant, just one of the many reasons why Movie Magic is worth a visit. Kouvatas is an inventive and engaging performer who will get the whole audience involved in the show.

More information on Alex Kouvatas can be found here.

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.

YOUNG AND MOXIE

☆☆☆

Putting on a show as a new magic duo and invoking the names of Penn and Teller in all your marketing is a bold move, even by magician standards. It’s impossible to imagine anyone living up to a straight comparison to the stage chemistry of one of the most famous magic partnerships alive. Nevertheless, seasoned magician Cameron Young and Moxie Jillette, daughter of the Penn half of the esteemed pair, make this attempt together as Young and Moxie.

Young and Moxie take an appropriately sneaky approach to getting around this potential issue. They take full advantage of Moxie’s famous parent in their marketing—which can’t be faulted, the Fringe is a notoriously brutal market and it’s entirely reasonable to take advantage of every angle one has to get an audience—but then are quick to frame it as more of a magical apprenticeship for the younger Moxie than a traditional partnership. And if it does feel a bit like a partnership of convenience, they do have a better stage chemistry than might be expected of a pair that did their rehearsing over Zoom.

Most of the stage time is given to Young, the teacher in this scenario, although in contrast to his regular Fringe solo shows his work is peppered with Moxie’s snarky commentary. Young’s tricks are performed with his usual precision. He warms up the crowd with his favorite, predictive magic, and gets everyone thinking through his selection process so the whole audience feels involved.

Maybe it’s just that Fringe audiences are more accustomed to Young’s approach, but Moxie’s take on both magic and performing feel especially exciting. Her version of a classic effect, performed in front of the audience but really just for one person, breathes new life into a tired prop. Her running commentary on Young and his magic is hilarious and apt; her insightful perspective on magic makes the entire production that little bit more interesting. If magic shows had live commentators like sporting matches Moxie would be a perfect fit for the role. While she’s great when speaking to others, whether exchanging banter with Young or vibing with her audience participants, like many younger magicians Moxie comes across as slightly nervous in her monologues. The prevalence of this shortcoming amongst younger magicians would indicate that it is best remedied by the experience that she is currently building.

Young and Moxie is a worthwhile hour of a show, for both performers and even for the spark of their stage chemistry. However, both Young and Moxie simply radiate too much Main Character Energy, in the best possible way for two magicians, for their paired show to feel like a sufficient experience of either of them. While Young’s many fans can also catch him solo at the Voodoo Rooms this year, Moxie’s only available as part of the duo for now. After a glimpse at her unique approach Fringe audiences will surely be equally excited to catch her solo if and when she feels ready.

More information on Young and Moxie can be found here.

JAMIE LEONARD: FOCUS POCUS

☆☆☆

Jamie Leonard is a tough Fringe act to catch. Over the past couple of years he has put on mini runs (by Fringe standards) of just a day or two. Undoubtedly by the time this review is online he will have once again vanished for the year like the proverbial elephant. While the magic might not have been flawless, Leonard is a charming performer and well worth an hour of the audience’s time.

Focus Pocus included a good mix of magic styles, there was something for everyone over the course of an hour. As the audience members entered the venue Leonard asked them to write a random word on a blank card, and the purpose of this was left a mystery for the majority of the show to great effect, with the timing of the reveal calling back to one of his early tricks and ensuring a positive last impression. Not all of the tricks went so well to plan, but Leonard only ran in to a couple of issues and was quick to salvage what he could. Focus Pocus is decidedly comedy magic, and that attitude of not taking himself too seriously served Leonard well when things didn’t go as perfectly as he might have hoped.

In a small venue early in the afternoon, Leonard found few volunteer participants, but enough to not have to resort to picking people at random. He establishes a strong rapport early on, and is mindful of the variety of age ranges in his audience. When his participants pick a naughty number for him to use for one of his tricks, he comments on it directly enough to get a laugh from the adults but obliquely enough that he hopefully didn’t prompt any awkward questions from the younger children.

Appropriately for a comedy magician, Leonard is a funny guy, with great comic timing, especially when joking with his audience. If the magic isn’t perfect yet it seems reasonable to attribute that to his youth, he doesn’t mention his age but joking about homework certainly makes him sound on the younger side. But it’s his calm attitude towards mistakes and distractions that comes across as the best sign for the future of his performance career; the ability to not let setbacks derail a performance is perhaps the most important quality in any performer. Fringe audiences may have to wait until next year to catch a glimpse of Leonard’s magic, but they won’t be disappointed by his performance—regardless of whether or not the tricks go right.

More information about Jamie Leonard can be found here.

SUHANI SHAH: SPELLBOUND

☆☆☆☆☆

A newcomer to the Edinburgh Fringe, Suhani Shah presents a semi-autobiographical show with Spellbound. While she does deservedly brag a bit—about winning over her parents’ approval to devote her life to magic at a young age, and managing to find daily audiences as a talented youngster—she’s relatively humble about her current renown in her home country. To imagine her place in India’s cultural consciousness, UK audiences might find it helpful to picture Derren Brown as a woman with about ten times the Instagram following.

Shah’s easy rapport with the audience emerges from the start. She has a personable stage presence, and audience volunteers respond to her like she’s an old friend. At the reviewed performance some may have been a little too friendly. One of her first participants in particular was eager to shoot his shot with her, apparently in front of his wife, and Shah integrated their banter as a running joke for the rest of the show. Shah asks for volunteers before picking on random individuals, and she has no lack; in the reviewed show she did not need to resort to pulling up the unwilling.

The actual mentalism that she performs is nothing short of flawless. The basis of many of her effects will be familiar to magic fans, but she adds her own twist. Shah tells the audience about her childhood pitching up in a venue for months at a time to perform, and rightly points out that the Edinburgh Fringe is her natural habitat. One of her well personalized effects is her retelling of how she convinced her parents to allow her to lead this life, a blindfolded trick using her father’s handkerchief and a piece of her mother’s chapati dough—or here, a bit of dough she brought along and an audience member’s handkerchief. She responds blind to prompts in varied ways, allowing for new reveals to the same trick.

While acknowledging that everything that she does is a learned trick, Shah does not shy away from doing her level best to convince her audience that she’s genuinely magical. In a clever bit of show planning, the most fun element of this comes after she winds up a more traditional mentalism routine, when the audience is expecting another set-up but instead gets the immediate gratification of more magic. She doesn’t reveal anything that could potentially cause embarrassment, and in fact tells a funny story about when she learned to avoid that, but the details she discusses are specific and personal enough to make it a highly memorable moment in the show.

By Shah’s account there are at least a couple of similarities between the Indian and the Edinburgh Fringe magic scenes. In both cases there are very few female magicians and even fewer mentalists. As far as this publication is aware, Shah herself is the only female mentalist at the Fringe this year—although we welcome correction if any other female mentalists at this year’s fringe would like to get in touch. Spellbound may be Shah’s way of introducing herself to Edinburgh but it feels like the launch of a new Fringe superstar. In that endeavor Shah can only be a success, everyone in her Spellbound audience will be eager to see more from her.

More information on Suhani Shah can be found here.