Kevin Quantum’s show was the last show I selected for my weekend jaunt at Adelaide Fringe. I noticed that he had a few magic shows listed in the program and hadn’t heard of him before, so thought I’d attend and see what all the fuss was about.

Clearly a popular man, Kevin Quantum’s show was sold out. People were even trying to sit on the stairs and aisles in order to see his show. Kevin is from Scotland, and his background is that he has a PHD is Physics and went on a reality TV show where he had to learn a new skill (magic) and present his new skill to a panel who’d then decide if he was a bonafide magician or not. Turns out he’s quite talented at magic so he has seemingly put other credentials on hold to tour his show – and what a show it was!

Charming and affable, Kevin Quantum was quick to show the audience some magic to get everyone excited and to prove to the audience that he really is magical. I loved the structure of his show, which he named “Countdown”. During this structure, each magic effect would be timed and for each successive trick a minute would be shaved off  – leaving a solid minute (or less!) for his finale.  This structure served two purposes well: it ensured that different styles of magic would be on display AND that the audience would stick around until the end to see if Kevin could pull off his desired finale. Despite his timing deadline, Kevin managed to thrill the audience with various pieces of magic, sought help from various audience members and ensured that the audience followed him along his magical adventure. The show included plenty of comedy alongside some truly amazing moments. My favourite moment was magic with sand (in a set that looked like it belonged in a Chemistry lab). I literally could not believe my eyes during that routine – it’s still hard to make sense of exactly what I saw!

Kevin Quantum presented more than one show during his time at Adelaide Fringe, so if he appears at a festival or theatre near you then please go along and see one of his shows. His presentation is unique and his magic is impressive.