Well known Melbourne magician Tim Ellis runs The Laneway Theatre, which is a wonderful little magic theatre tucked away in a laneway of inner city Melbourne. Of course, with Metropolitan Melbourne still being in lockdown, there are no physical visitors / audience members allowed in the theatre. Given this, Tim Ellis has provided a virtual weekly ‘Night At The Laneway Theatre’ show over zoom for audiences to enjoy and to spread entertainment and cheer during what has been a difficult time for many.

Recently, I attended one of these weekly shows, to see what all the fuss was about and I must say I was not disappointed! The audience members selected to leave their mics and videos on certainly put the ‘fun’ in front row! In regards to the magic itself much of it was surprising, eliciting gasps of surprise from audience members. During the show, there were some impressive predictions on display, plus some card magic that audience members could follow along with (which I particularly enjoyed). Some great close up effects were featured (and yes, they did appear up close despite viewing the show on a screen!) This was a very fun, light-hearted show, and one in which every person is given the chance to become a magician. Tim also included a poignant piece of storytelling magic which was enjoyable (as well as a surprise encore!) ‘A Night At The Laneway Theatre’ is a show that has it all. If you need further convincing, one young audience member repeatedly remarked “Best Magician EVER!” into the microphone at regular intervals during the show – you can’t get a better testament than that!

The show I attended even included a mini tour of The Laneway Theatre itself (complete with it’s own spooky corner, creepy entrance and special props here and there). Tim Ellis also included some nostalgic footage of his past escapes and televised magic shows which left an impression on him which was a nice touch.

VERDICT: With many surprises for lucky and unsuspecting audience volunteers, ‘A Night at The Laneway Theatre’ is a very entertaining show that is easy to enjoy and appeals to a wide range of ages. Highly recommended.

EDIT: There have been new show announcements! The next ‘Night at The Laneway Theatre’ will be on October 16th. There are also some special spooky shows planned. Please visit the link below for more information and a calendar of events at The Laneway Theatre:
https://thelanewaytheatre.com/