The June show of Top Hat Tuesdays is always extra special as it is their birthday show. In June, Top Hat Tuesdays turned 4 – which is a fantastic effort as it means the show has been running monthly for the past 4 years. The Top Hat Tuesdays team of Bayden Hammond, Dom Chambers, Siew-Li Hammond and myself (Tay) put in plenty of time and effort behind the scenes to ensure the show runs smoothly each month. Each year, the birthday show brings extra excitement and fun to the audience with ‘fan favourite’ magicians appearing and this show was no different. The man known as ‘Australia’s Honest Con Man’ – Nicholas J Johnson – hosted the show and opened the evening with a production of money inside a special box! That certainly grabbed the attention of the audience, and set the crazy pace of the evening to come.

        
The first magician to appear on stage was one of my personal favourites – Glenn Hamilton. It is rare to see Glenn perform at public events so I was super excited to see his hilarious brand of magic and to share his performance with my friends. It was perfect for Glenn to appear at the 4th birthday show, as he is usually performing at kids’ parties. Glenn appeared with 2 paper bags – one of which he used to magically make items appear and disappear from. Honestly after seeing so many items appear from his magical paper bag, I felt like I should really get my eyes checked! Those who have been lucky enough to see Glenn perform before will know that he performs a range of classic magic effects with plenty of vibrant humour. I was so happy and excited to see Glenn perform some of my personal favourite magic routines featuring magic rope and balloon puppies. Glenn is a crowd favourite, and by the end of his set I was clutching my sides as they hurt due to so much laughter. You should have heard the cheers and applause after his set! It was a great start to the birthday show.

Appearing next on the stage is the ‘Woman of Deception’ Cath Jamison. Cath’s magic performance was full of audience participation, and plenty of danger and mystery. Cath has such a strong rapport with her helpers and audience that brings an extra dimension to her dangerous card routine. With every witty comment and laugh, you don’t really want her act to end. I like a bit of danger with my magic, so I was thoroughly entertained and amused.
  

After interval, Melbourne’s magical gangster – Al Cappuccino- took to the stage in his trademark sharp suit with his gangster gun.Al knows how to make an entrance and to hold the attention of the audience. Al is suave and very much looks the part – even his accessories (whether it be a flower, cigarette or pool cue) are on point. Al performed some well themed magic effects, including a fascinating enchanted rope and billiard ball magic, all with some great facial expressions.

  
Prior to the final act of the evening, Nicholas J Johnson returned with multiplying eye balls (which was unexpected!) accompanied by an explanation of how the human brain is fooled and how the brain is stuck in the past which influences what you think. I liked this, as it brought a ‘sciencey’ feel to the show (and I personally find the human brain / mind to be a fascinating subject). This leads us to the final act for the birthday show: Elio Simonetti. Elio is a dynamic magician, who presents classic magic but with plenty of panache and flair. Elio showed the audience a magic newspaper, and moved onto dove magic and some magic with fire. Anyone who has seen one of Elio’s performances would know that he has to include doves (to much ‘ooohing and ahhhing’ of the audience of course). Elio enlisted the assistance of some (well trained) audience members to help him with some magic involving small hoops and a long rainbow scarf. Elio’s performance was full of enthusiasm (both from performer and audience) and smooth magic. It was a delight to watch Elio’s magic, and I hope to see more again soon.

In it seems like no time the birthday show came to an end, however I felt happy. I’m truly fortunate to assist with a magic show that has been running monthly for 4 years, and to share in so many wonderful magic moments with friends. The birthday show of Top Hat Tuesday is always a highlight in my calendar, so I hope you can add it to yours.

Verdict: The birthday show of Top Hat Tuesday shouldn’t be missed! Extra effort clearly goes into this show, and there are always giveaways. For the tickets and news of the next Top Hat Tuesday show, check out: https://tophattuesdays.com/