mentalism

THE TELEPATH AND THE CONJUROR

☆☆☆

The Oberons, Marc and Emily, make for a very sweet double act. Their introduction in The Telepath and the Conjuror is a retelling of their meet-cute as cruise ship performers. The type of magic performed and their style of performance feels classily vintage, and the largely well executed reveals make for a successful magic show.

The Oberons’ areas of expertise are divided as per their show title, with Marc handing the conjuring and Emily the telepathy. Prior to their meeting, Emily evidently worked as a singer, and while musical analysis is outside the scope of this publication, she does sing at several points in this show. At times she essentially performs a live soundtrack to Marc’s conjuring act, which is a really lovely combination of their skills. A highlight in this is the bottle appearing routine that they perform together, with Emily singing her appreciation and approval of Marc’s provision of her favorite beverage. Much of the magic performed feels old fashioned, with props like floating wands and metal circles, and mentalism performed blindfolded with items from the audience. This is not necessarily a bad thing, the material performed suits the style of the performance.

Several audience participants are used in the act, often chosen from volunteers. Where random participants are selected, the Oberons ensure they give them easier tasks. They have a plentiful supply of volunteers to choose from, with a welcoming stage presence that makes all feel comfortable joining in. At the reviewed performance they had several younger participants, and one in particular accentuated the reveal of the trick she was involved in, with her involuntary gasp of amazement ensuring that the rest of the audience knew that the trick had been successful.

The Telepath and the Conjuror has its niche in those who appreciate the classics of magic, whether as a newcomer to the art form or as a fan looking to be reminded of the roots of the genre. The Oberons have a pleasantly romantic stage chemistry—a good sign for an offstage couple—and are lovely to watch. As both a throwback to a classier era of magic than is often seen at the Fringe, and as a general reminder that love is real, The Telepath and the Conjuror is an excellent choice.

THE REMARKABLE BEN HART

☆☆☆☆☆

The Fringe’s favorite oddity Ben Hart is back, with a show title that sounds egotistical even by magic standards, The Remarkable Ben Hart. At the reviewed show the wind may have threatened to blow down his circus tent, but Edinburgh was not deterred. Not a seat was left empty on that windy Monday evening. The enthusiasm was justified, as was Hart’s ego, as Hart turned out one of his signature perfect and inventive performances.

The way that Hart uses magic is creative in both emphasizing the visual beauty of his effects and in making them more magically impressive. The assembly of his cutlery effect in particular addresses potential moments when skepticism might creep in, making the reveal all the more impressive. His mentalist routine is notable as well. Hart primarily performs physical magic, where, by its nature, the audience can see the magic happening.  Hart’s usual performance style takes advantage of that innate feature to create stylish visuals on his stage. With mentalism that innate materiality is not necessarily there, but Hart’s staging and showmanship make the effect blend seamlessly in to the distinct iconography of Hart brand, creating visual appeal to magic that is performed in the mind.

Aside from creative, visually beautiful magic, Hart loves a theme, and The Remarkable Ben Hart does not disappoint. The theme is not in fact just that he’s uniquely remarkable, although the audience may find themselves agreeing with that sentiment as well by the end of the show. While it would be a shame to make available from the start what Hart works so hard to build up over the course of an hour, future audiences can be reassured that this renowned storyteller has not given up on that element of his craft.

Like all performers, and especially magicians, Hart has to deal with members of the public in his show. Hart expertly choreographs his audience participants to ensure that they can perform their roles while also giving the whole of the audience a view of the magic, a notable challenge for a magician performing in the round. As the reviewed show took place during stormy weather, Hart also had to contend with Mother Nature herself heckling him, with howling winds that threatened to bring down his tent. Hart’s response to the wind revealed the practiced professionalism of a performer who regularly works in tents in Edinburgh—this is undoubtedly not the first time he has had to deal with that particular interruption.

The Remarkable Ben Hart is well worth braving the Edinburgh weather. Hart is constantly innovating in the performance of his craft, making him an exciting performer to return to year after year. Rain, shine, or hurricane, Hart’s tent is the place to be.

JAMES PHELAN: THE MAN WHO WAS MAGIC

☆☆☆☆

In the hierarchy of Fringe venues, James Phelan has undoubtedly earned the use of one of the best this year, with The Man Who Was Magic finding its home in the beautiful McEwan Hall. Phelan honors the venue with an equally beautiful magic show that makes great use of the space. With a well-balanced mix of hypnotic effects, mind reading, and magic, Phelan’s show is as ever the crowd pleaser, with a real heart to back up the tricks.

One of Phelan’s notable strengths as a performer is in his crowd work, and this was readily apparent at the reviewed show. With his quick wit and charm Phelan has an easy chemistry with everyone who he invites to get involved in the show. Participants are made to feel comfortable, and as Phelan keeps all the hard work for himself participation feels particularly unthreatening. McEwan Hall is a big room, but like every good host Phelan turns the space into a welcoming home.

The hypnotism and magic performed are all done with exceptional skill. At the reviewed performance there were a few noticeable teething issues—nothing out of the ordinary for the second day of the Fringe—but if there were any genuine problems with the tricks performed, Phelan played them off so well that the audience was left unsure if these were planned “mistakes” to set up the reveal, which is surely the truest tell of magical excellence. A crowd-pleasing highlight is Phelan’s ring trick, with a reveal that neatly ties in to the show’s theme of making the important things permanent, which in this case took the form of a permanent testament to the impermanent moment of the reveal.

That theme of creating permanence may initially seem at odds with the medium of live performance, a necessarily impermanent art. Phelan navigates this in part with the obvious, the gifting of souvenirs to his various participants, and in part in autobiographical storytelling and general inspiration. In a way his slick handling of early-Fringe issues contributed to the theme as well, with the temporary technological problems becoming surpassed by the permanent impression of controlled professionalism that he leaves on the audience. Phelan even refreshes a form of final reveal that in other hands feels overused, breathing new life into this classic magical ending by imbuing it with new meaning.

Phelan, the Man Who Was Magic himself, is certainly one to see this year for anyone in need of an uplifting hour, which would probably be just about everyone this year. His show is one of those impermanent things that is worth being made permanent, whether in reviews, in the futures of those who he takes the time to inspire, or even just in the memories of everyone in his audiences.

JOSH STALEY: FOOL ME ONCE

☆☆☆☆

If the complicated role of a magician could be distilled to just one core job, it would definitely be to fool their audience. The stated premise of Josh Staley’s Fool Me Once is thus in a way the first time of the evening that he fulfills his core duties—he does, in the end, fool his audience more than once. It’s a simple premise and Staley uses it effectively.

Staley uses both sleight of hand magic and mentalism to fool the audience. An early highlight is his coin routine. In fact, at the reviewed show, as he completed this routine a member of the audience audibly whispered to her friends, “I love the coins”, a sentiment that, at that point, was surely shared by everyone else watching, and which Staley confirmed that he shared as well. Staley also read several minds, both from written prompts and from words that existed solely in the minds of his audience members.

Audience participation in Fool Me Once is used thoughtfully and effectively. Several participants are able to get involved from their seats, including for an exciting finale to the above-mentioned beloved coin routine that sees a magical element happen in the hands of an audience member. When audience participants get more involved, whether in coming onstage to have a turn at presenting a reveal or even just completing an impressive shuffle, Staley celebrates their achievements and makes sure they get applause for their contribution to his show.

It’s not always a good sign when the magician has to deal with significant numbers of audience member mistakes and interruptions, but at the reviewed show Staley dealt with several such matters with exemplary professionalism. An early example saw a participant helping Staley with a card trick misunderstand his instructions to hide her chosen card in the deck, instead hiding it under his box of props. On discovering this miscommunication Staley recovered the effect with a joke and a well performed bit of sleight of hand. Staley also had to contend with a gaggle of chatty youngsters, and managed to shut down their side conversations with quick good humor.

The reviewed show of Fool Me Once was nearly if not entirely sold out, on a Saturday evening in Adelaide at a prime time slot with plenty of competition. It’s no surprise, it’s a well staged show and Staley is a charming performer. If any tickets remain for the rest of his Fringe run future audiences will surely have to hurry to nab them.

2 RUBY KNOCKERS, 1 JADED DICK

☆☆☆

Of the professions in which mentalist powers would be most useful in daily life, private detective must be high on the list. The character Dirk Darrow brings that fantasy to life in 2 Ruby Knockers, 1 Jaded Dick. The show had the feel of a comedic one man play with magical elements, certainly a welcome creative angle on the magic scene. It may not be flawless, but it’s undoubtedly a good time.

2 Ruby Knockers is framed as an investigation by Darrow into a series of crimes committed in his vicinity. The overlap in skill set required in creating an effective mystery and performing magic is not insignificant, there’s an element of misdirection required in both. The mystery of 2 Ruby Knockers is both effective and a lot of fun, full of plot twists and surprises. In that respect it’s a fitting tribute to a beloved genre and demonstrative of a level of magic-adjacent skill.

Throughout the investigation, Darrow uses both plenty of intentionally bad jokes and various magical techniques to advance the plot. The magic may seem fairly basic to regular magic show attendees, but it’s performed effectively and deployed sensibly throughout the narrative. As the audience filters in, they see cards on several of the seats to fill in with personal information for Darrow to later magically discover. This segment fits well with the plot and proves entertaining for the audience. A storytelling sequence using a deck of cards is a particular highlight. If some of the bits seem a little forced, it’s easy to forgive—there’s not a whole lot of variety in a standard deck—and it’s a creative use of a classic prop.

As in most magic shows, Darrow frequently utilizes his audience’s assistance. Most of the participation is relaxed, and done without even requiring the participant to go onstage. The occasional audience member is called on to participate a little more significantly in the show, but Darrow chooses well and guides them effectively in fulfilling their roles as he requires them. However, he does occasionally seem to falter when his audience does something unexpected, particularly noticeable at the reviewed show when he receives a funny heckle, although also evident in a couple other instances. Heckling is an often unfortunate aspect of live performance, but in the realm of heckling a funny heckle is the best option. Darrow may benefit from working on reacting more gracefully to interruptions and irregularities—unfortunately he’s in a profession where such a skill is necessary.

2 Ruby Knockers, 1 Jaded Dick appeals primarily as a comedy for those who adore puns. While there may be other performers at this year’s festival who perform magic more slickly and with more creativity in the crafting of their effects, 2 Ruby Knockers has value as a magic show in demonstrating a different type of creativity in presentation. The audience at the reviewed show certainly loved Darrow. His humor and overall performance style is pretty specific, and the right audience seems to have found him.

CHRISTIAN LAVEY: ENCHANTING MINDS – A NIGHT OF MAGIC AND MINDREADING

☆☆☆

Hailing all the way from Luxembourg, Christian Lavey presents his Adelaide Fringe debut Enchanting Minds—A Night of Magic and Mindreading in a pleasantly cool room conveniently in the center of town. As far as show structure goes, Lavey keeps it simple and straightforward. With his engaging stage presence and well performed mentalism, it is certainly an entertaining evening.

The magic that Lavey presents is a series of his favorite tricks, organized neatly to provide an escalating degree of impressive reveals. As a non-native speaker of English, one trick involving a reveal of reciting non-linear lists of numbers stands out as especially well performed. The reveal itself is of course innately impressive, but as any language learner will know, listing random numbers in a non-native language is a particularly difficult skill to master. It is commendable that Lavey not only chose to include this trick in his first Adelaide fringe show, but also that at the reviewed show he presented the reveal without a hitch.

The success of this trick was not a unique feature, Lavey’s magic is well performed throughout. His sock card trick was a highlight, with a fun reveal that neatly led in to the next effect in a slick transition. The venue is relatively intimate and Lavey gets the majority of the audience involved in his show. The majority of the participation is completed while staying seated, saving time to pack in more magic and keeping the level of participation required fairly relaxed. Lavey is welcoming to everyone who gets involved in his show, whether from their seats or with him on stage.

Lavey is evidentially a skilled performer, the smooth delivery of both his routines and patter indicate a wealth of experience. However, as with every magic show, the audience participants are still a wildcard. At the reviewed show one in particular adds flair to the segment she participates in—a classic “dangerous item” routine. She eagerly inspected the items that Lavey uses, and, with equal eagerness, selected and deployed them, risking harming Lavey with each choice, all with zero hesitation. This was not due to indifference to Lavey’s potential harm, but, she explained, due to her trust that he knew what he was doing. Her contribution to the act made for an unusually wholesome take on this classic of magic.

Lavey successfully enchants the minds of the audience of Enchanting Minds. Perhaps the best measure of the success of a show is how the audience gossips amongst itself once they are out of earshot of the performer, and following the reviewed performance of Enchanting Minds audience members could be heard extremely pleased to have experienced such a well performed show to kickstart their evening. Despite the central location, the venue is tucked away a bit from the gardens that the Fringe revolves around, giving Enchanting Minds the feel of a hidden gem of a show. With its great tricks and Lavey’s skilled performance, it can only be a success.

REUBEN MORELAND: ABRACADABRA, B*TCH!

☆☆☆☆

It’s a satisfying moment in a book or movie when one of the characters says the title of the work in conversation. Audiences at magic shows don’t often get that particular moment of minor joy. Reuben Moreland, however, does things differently, leaping to the stage yelling, “Abracadabra, B*tch!” to kick off his highly energetic show. It’s a delightfully and consistently silly show, and a genuine pleasure to watch.

The magic that Moreland performs is remarkably well styled to his stage presence. If it could be said that there is a theme or story to the show, it’s relatively minimal—a running joke is used as a structure around which Moreland organizes the bulk of the content. This suits the type of comedy magic that he performs. It’s the personalization of the magic that is most impressive. Even the most ardent magic fan will take a moment to discern the bones of a familiar trick disguised so completely by the trappings of his performance.

Moreland set the tone early, with a series of magic tricks and jokes illustrating a hopefully completely imaginary disaster of a first date. This gets all the stereotypical props and classic self-deprecating magician humor out of the way early for those who turned up to see a magic show expecting such things. Later highlights include a signed card trick, featuring a reveal that Moreland had set up pretty much from the start of the show. This interweaving of effects and reveals is in itself a highlight. The attention to detail and exact timing pays off in the audience experience.

Like many magic shows, Abracadabra, B*tch! relies heavily on audience participation. Moreland does occasionally ask a bit more of his participants than most. At the reviewed show there was one significant participant who was chosen by Moreland apparently at random. Luckily Moreland appears to have mastered the most crucial mentalist trick any magician must learn: how to intuit, from the stage, which member of the audience will have fun playing along with his act. While Moreland’s choice to pick this particular participant at random was the right decision for his narrative, at other moments he opened the stage to volunteers, many of whom were eager to join in the fun.

At one point in the show, Moreland jokingly questions, “What kind of a person would actually buy a ticket to see a show called “Abracadabra, B*tch!”? The answer is, exactly the kind of person who would most enjoy the show. It’s very well named to let potential audiences know what they’re getting themselves in for when they purchase their ticket. For those to whom the title appeals, the silliness will be a delight.

LUKA: MAGNUM OPUS

☆☆☆☆

Magnum Opus is many things, but a show for introverts it is not. Magician Luka, either though good fortune or force of personality, commands an audience of participants eager and willing to engage in every trick of magic and of witticism that he has to offer.

There are three parts to Magnum Opus, depending on how much you should be looking to pay for your magical diversion of the night. For the full experience, you get a half hour close-up magic show, followed by two hours with which to eat your three-course dinner upstairs at the Social American Tavern, and finally the main event of an hour long mentalist experience. If you’re looking to be a bit more budget friendly, you can skip the first two parts, but we cannot in good conscience imply they are missable.

The close up magic show provides audiences with their first experience of Luka’s very dry, sarcastic millennial humor. While this may not be for everyone – indeed over the course of the show reviewed it seemed to take some audience members a moment to catch up- it is generally well received. In terms of the magic, it is clear Luka is a master of technical skill. His sleight of hand is flawless, always a feat made more impressive in intimate settings where audience members are mere inches away, squinting intently at hands and pockets. Due to the smaller number of attendees, Luka can make each of his card and coin tricks far more personal than you would suspect, engaging in direct conversation to weave his effects within.

As this is a magic review and not a culinary one, we will not linger over the meal bridging the gap between magic shows, other than to say Social American Tavern provides a well matched ambiance to the mood of an evening of magical performance, delicious food, and magic-themed cocktails.

The main event, the mentalism performance, truly showcases Luka’s particular brand of showmanship. His takes on classic mentalism effects bewilder the audience and are somewhat made bawdy by Luka’s banter.  Definitely not a magic show to be bringing kids to, but that seems to be the point. Due to his chosen methodology of selecting participants, which comes with an unusual twist, it is likely that every performance will be notably unique in the communal atmosphere of the attendees. Sure, all will likely see a nail gun, balloons, books and rings do things we never thought they could. But Luka provides his audience with the opportunity to even steal the show somewhat, making everyone leave feeling like they’ve met their fellow audience members for far more than 60 minutes.

Magnum Opus is a well curated dinner theatre experience. If you are looking for a lively, engaging night out (and you have a slightly dirty sense of humor), look no further. Luka leads his crowd through a delightful experience of all different types of magical diversions.

JAMES PHELAN: THE DREAMER – LIVE

☆☆☆☆☆

This year, James Phelan joins the extra daring magicians who have set their shows on round stages. As The Dreamer skews more toward mentalism and hypnotism, it may be a more achievable aesthetic decision than for a physical magic based show, but still demonstrates a deserved confidence in his skills. That being said, Phelan notably spends a relatively low proportion of his time actually on the stage. He instead fills his time pacing through the audience, trawling for participants to join the show and getting to know everyone who catches his eye. It’s a personal show, and in keeping with that theme, Phelan takes the time to get to know some of the members of his audience personally. However, curiosity about Phelan’s personal life is not the primary draw. His mentalist and hypnotist routines are interesting to watch and engagingly performed.

Straight from the start Phelan gets everyone involved in the magic, with a opening filmed mentalist effect that works on everyone who takes part. Phelan’s attractive and widespread advertising lured in audience members to the reviewed show who had not been to a magic show in their lives, and for them in particular, seeing the universal effect of this particular trick was absolutely mind blowing. Phelan also gets the whole audience involved in his hypnotism warm up exercises, which provide audience-wide entertainment regardless of whether those audience members ultimately participate in the hypnosis.

Both due to Phelan’s friendly performance persona and habit of centering the performance away from the stage, despite the sizable venue The Dreamer is not an intimidating show to participate in. The more involved participation points are in the hypnotism section of the show, and these are on an opt-in basis due to the nature of hypnotism as a practice. Audience members can be confident that if Phelan selects them at random they will not be asked to do anything too confusing to help him demonstrate his skills.

The foundation for The Dreamer is in Phelan’s parents’ IVF journey, in the early days of that science—appropriately enough for a magician, Phelan’s very existence is due to an impossibility becoming possible. While it is not an uncommon message for a magic show, Phelan thus has a personal stake in The Dreamer’s messaging that everyone watching it should follow their dreams regardless of how impossible they might seem. If it weren’t for his parents’ pursuit of their “impossible” dream, he would never exist to create the moments that bring his audiences together in the first place. Phelan’s effective use of hypnosis in particular drives the point home, playing with audience expectations of the movability of mental barriers.

Phelan makes great use of his status as both a magician and real life magic trick for his parents in the performance of The Dreamer. He’s the perfect performer to celebrate the achievability of the impossible. The focus is decidedly on the mind, this is not the right show to go to “see” magic on the stage, but for those who are interested in feeling it, and watching others feel its effects, The Dreamer is the place to be.

More information on The Dreamer and its performance dates can be found here.

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.