Magicians Josh Staley and Lawson Reeves are the ‘Comic Conjurors’ and ‘Despicable’ isn’t the first show they have performed as a duo, however it’s the first show of theirs that I’ve been able to attend so I was super excited to see the show. Both Josh and Lawson are skilled at comedy and magic in equal measure which made their show even more hilarious than I expected. At various points in the show, it seemed like each performer was trying to ‘win’ over audience members while trying to silence their counterpart, which led to plenty of laughs and witty remarks.

This magic show is unlike many others I’ve seen, which is refreshing (given the amount of magic I see on a regular basis). If you’re ever fortunate to see a show by the comic conjurors, you’ll know what I’m talking about – examples include a ‘mini game show’ and using a variety of household items to facilitate magic. The comic conjurors know how to use the audience to their own advantage, at times during the show leaving each other on stage alone while their counterpart was backstage preparing further mysteries. Personal show highlights were a particularly nail biting video (and accompanying performance) and the fantastic game show, during which I was lucky enough to be on Lawson’s team. Lawson was very encouraging during the various challenges, so that helped me to feel at ease. That game show remains one of my fondest festival memories so far!

Overall I’m not sure which person the show title was referring to, however I found these magicians to be delightful, charming and mischievous. I’m gutted that this show was on an extremely short festival run of 2 shows, however I encourage you all to be on the lookout for future shows by the comic conjurors – Josh Staley and Lawson Reeves.