Well, they say the The Melbourne Magic Festival attracts all different kinds of performers…..and in 2022 there’s a performer with a particularly Australian flair that is keen (as mustard!) to meet everyone – and his name is Davo. Armed with a beer can in one hand, and an Aussie flag in the other, I caught up with Davo for a yarn at the local pub.
Describe your show in 3 words: Magical bogan theatre
Tell us a little about yourself. Can bogans really do magic (or are they too lazy / distracted)?!
I’ve been on or near the magic my whole life. My sadly departed granddad was the local magician when I was a kid, the ‘Wizard of Woy Woy’ they called him. He taught me magic and how to spin a yarn, though he did tend to go on a bit when he’d had a beer or three. Also my Nan’s family had the Gypsy magic in them and that’s passed on to me. I’ll tell you a bit about it all in the show and why it’s been so important to the way I turned out.
I was gonna go pro when I was a young bloke but got distracted by the bright lights of Woy Woy (you know how it is)…it all went down the gurgler when the love of my life left. She seemed to think I was a bit of a dipstick after a couple of BS incidents. First I lost my job at KFC which totally wasn’t my fault, but she really turned when I was about to propose and the ring went for a bit of a wander. I found it again later but it was too late. So, I’m getting me life back on track and putting on the show. I’ve been doing the hard yakka getting it together in grandad’s shed which is chock-a-block with magic stuff, and I’ll be doing a routine Grandad taught me that won a trophy at the 1979 Central Coast Junior Magic Olympics. It’s gonna rock!
What is your goal?
I defo want to make my Grandad proud of me, but of course he’s dead so it will have to be post-humourously. I’m hoping my ex Rochelle-Chantelle will come see the show and maybe I can impress her enough to win her back. She loved it when I did the magic. I’m lost without her, she was my gardening angel. If I can get her back then everything will be sweet as! Baby if you are reading this come check out my show!
Who inspires you and why?
Grandad. He was an amazing magician. No gig was too small for him. He’d be doing kids parties in the morning, christenings in the afternoon and half time at the bingo in the evening. He never stopped working. Also I’m heaps into music, especially rock. I’ll be singing a song or two including one I was inspired to write for Rochelle-Chantelle about her work in the adult film industry.
Why should audiences come and see your show?
You like magic, right? Well my show is deadset not like any magic show you’ve seen before, it’s full of laughs and thrills. There’ll be depth defying tricks and some dangerous looking stuff, inventions of me own and classics of magic. There’ll be gnarly rock and roll and a chance for a singalong. I’ll tell you my story about love, family and hope. We’ll have a ton of fun and with any luck you might end up witnessing the greatest love story of all time. Or I might have a bit of a cry. Either way it’s gonna be a 100% fun time – everyone says so (well, all my mates at the pub do at least!)
Davo seems like a good bloke at heart, so he definitely deserves some home grown support! Get off the couch for a night and come to the big city and see a magic show like no other. There’s never been a bogan magic show at The Melbourne Magic Festival before! Come see Davo before he disappears back to Woy Woy (or the pub around the corner, who knows?!!) Catch “Life of Davo” from July 5th – 9th (9:15pm each night) at The Cardini Cabaret – Arrow Hub, 488 Swanston Street, Melbourne. Get your tickets here!
Tay Around Town 