Jo Clyne is a woman of many talents, among them: a teacher, holder of a doctorate and is ALSO a magician! In fact, Jo is performing in three different shows at the Melbourne Magic Festival this year (yes, you read that right – THREE SHOWS!) I sat down with this intriguing and multi faceted performer to learn more about her approach to magic and the three shows she’s involved in.

1. Describe your show/s in three words

As I have three shows playing at the festival this year, it is only fair that I allocate one word to each. The trick is to work out which show each applies to…
Pirate-Fairy (hyphenated words count as one). I haven’t met a kid year who doesn’t like either pirates or fairies.
Whimsical with a splattering of comedy (Sorry, I’m finding this one-word thing REALLY hard)
Chocolate laxative (I know that it is two words, but so much intrigue…)

2. You’ve previously had a show within the Melbourne Magic Festival aimed at adults / families, Unusual Objects, which you’re also performing at this festival for two shows only. Why should audiences / families and young people come and see your shows this year?
This year I am doing three shows with very different audiences in mind.

The Pirate-Fairy-Dinosaur-Rainbow Magic Show has been designed specifically for young audiences aged between 3 and 7 years. It is playing at the MC Showroom in Prahran right near a car parking station (for ease of transporting small people) and is 40 minutes in length, which I think is the optimal attention span for children in that age bracket. It’s also VERY interactive.

Unusual Objects is for fans of close-up magic, which is my absolute favourite type of illusion. It’s playing at the Laneway Theatre in Northcote, which is like stumbling into a Victorian era parlour. It’s not a kids show, but could be enjoyed by audiences aged 12+.

The Quack and the Charlatan is for history buffs, people who like weird facts and stories about the history of medicine. Think ‘Horrible Histories’, but with magic, and no singing…or dancing. It’s pitched at upper teens to adult audiences. Previous audiences have included a lot of retired pharmacists…

3. Do you have a favourite card? If so, what is it?
Every magician has a favourite card. But we generally don’t tell anybody what it is because it’s the one that appears most often in our effects. However, I can reveal that I am the Queen of Diamonds in the VERY special, VERY exclusive 2023 Melbourne Magic Festival deck of cards. There may be a few decks left if you still want to get one. Diamonds is my favourite suit, mostly because the red coordinates with my magic jacket.

4. What are you most looking forward to at the 2023 Melbourne Magic Festival?
The Melbourne Magic Festival is like the comedy festival for magicians. It’s a crazy two weeks with no sleep, featuring exciting magic-related emergencies such as what DO you do if your extremely secret magic prop accidentally corrodes your microphone receiver? (True story). It’s a way to show everyone what we do and why we love it.

5. Without giving too much away, are there any special guests we should keep an eye out for at your show?
My close-up show Unusual Objects features a weird purple creature that belonged to my friend’s child. She gave it me on the proviso that she never had to see it again.

In The Pirate-Fairy-Dinosaur-Rainbow Magic Show I am encouraging everybody to come dressed as something that features in the title (not limited to younger audience members). Bonus points if your costume includes EVERYTHING in the title.  I will be getting quite a few smaller audience members up on stage to help me out with the magic.

In The Quack and the Charlatan, I am collaborating again with Dr David Waldron, historian extraordinaire, as we concoct a history/magic show where truth is stranger than fiction.

Sounds like Jo has something for everyone to enjoy spread across her three shows – surely there will be a show to take your interest! See below for ticketing details:

For more information / tickets for Unusual Objects, click here
If The Pirate-Fairy-Dinosaur-Rainbow Magic Show is more your style, click here
For a magical delve into history with The Quack and the Charlatan, click here