‘A Night of Variety 2’ is the second installment of a show by performer Raymond Truong. I did see the original ‘A Night of Variety’ during the previous magic festival, so I was keen to see more. This time around I attended the show with a friend and we were in for a treat! At the start of the show, Raymond mentions that the show is split into two parts: one part with close up magic featuring cards (and ‘old style’ card games like the 3 card monte) and the second part of the show which features Raymond’s fabulous juggling and physical comedy routine (which he performs as a character named ‘Copernicus’).

The friend attending the show with me was lucky to be selected to assist Raymond during his close up magic portion of the show – she seemed delighted as card magic was performed and even did well in following the Queen card during the 3 card monte. We were both impressed with this routine, and I enjoyed watching the reactions from my friend as she had the chance to experience the magic first hand. Raymond regularly checked in with the audience to ensure we were all having a good time.

During the second part of Raymond’s show, more assistants were plucked from the audience to assist in a very amusing magical coin routine. Portions of this routine had the entire audience erupting in laughter. Raymond is well known for his juggling, physical comedy and card shuffling / production routines that are all set to music and all those elements made up the second portion of his show.

If you ever have the chance to catch one of Raymond’s performances, I recommend it! I always walk away from his shows with a smile on my face, feeling very entertained.

Having seen many magic shows in my life already, I pay extra attention to the shows billed as ‘Experimental’ in the MMF programme. For this show I gathered a gaggle of lovely ladies and walked into the theatre truly not knowing what to expect. All I knew was that my curiosity was winning me over and I wanted to see what all the fuss was about.

With an enthralling storyline that draws her adult audience in, show host Lucy Darling (performed by Carisa Hendrix) enchanted everyone with her sassy songs and inimitable style. Charming in one moment, and playfully teasing the audience the next this show had me in stitches the entire time. I could hardly catch a breath before the next joke would just about knock me over! Quick witted, wickedly clever and simply gorgeous, Lucy had the audience in the palm of her hand many times. I’m sure she had plenty of admirers in the audience – Lucy certainly had no shortage of audience members willing to assist her when needed. Part magic show and part cabaret, this show is delightful in every way. I won’t spoil here exactly what the show includes, however there are several pieces of magic, plenty of comedy and circus skills thrown into the mix as well as a fantastic narrative / storyline. Lucy is a supreme storyteller and this show remains one of the highlights of my week. If you’re looking for a fun night out with ladies, friends (or foes!) then this is the show for you. Like a great cocktail, I wish I could experience this show again so I can’t recommend it enough!

‘The Ladies Guide to Deceit and Debauchery’ will draw you in with charm and grace and will then put a wide smile on your face. Plenty of ‘dirty martini’ and general drink analogies are referenced in the show and apply here too – as this is a show with sweet and salty elements, leaving a happy feeling within all attending the show.

Extra note: whilst unusual for children to be attending this show (due to timeslot and description), much of the show featured ‘adult humour’ (whilst not being too rude or explicit) and references to alcohol so attendees may like to keep this in mind.

Info and tickets: http://melbournemagicfestival.com/the-ladies-guide-to-deceit-and-debauchery/

 

Magician Daz Buckley has joined the MMF lineup this year from sunny Brisbane, QLD. Why someone would swap beautiful weather for cold Melbourne for two weeks is beyond me, however I was excited to see a performance from an interstate magician.

Daz warmly welcomed his audience (a mix of families and adults) and commenced magic routines that were set to music. These routines of classic magic were pleasant and elicited much applause from the audience. Whilst not everything seemed flow naturally during the show, Daz always communicated with his audience and ensured we were all having fun. A child was selected to learn some magic, and that routine was very entertaining. Daz’s performance featured gentle mentalism and plenty of classic magic that you’d expect to see during a magic show.

Despite a perhaps shaky start, Daz treated his audience well and ensured we all left the show smiling and feeling entertained. If you’ve never been to a magic show and perhaps want a ‘gentle’ show to start with, then this could be the show for you.

Info and tickets: http://melbournemagicfestival.com/dazbuckleysbedazzled/

The show “This Is Magic” is performed by the magician who came up with the concept of and organised the very first Melbourne Magic Festival – magician Tim Ellis. Tim is well known in Melbourne and around the world for his magic and I was excited to see his show (as I had missed some of his previous solo shows).

Within this show, Tim performed many of his classic and acclaimed magic effects as well as including a few surprises along the way. A personal highlight for me was his performance of ‘Runaround Sue’ – a routine I have seen a handful of times, but I never tire of as it is light-hearted and clever. I also enjoyed that this show is particularly aimed at families. It brings a smile to my face to see families enjoying magic together. Tim ensured that some of his magical assistants from the audience were children, and when he asked for help there were plenty of little hands in the air. Tim is a polished performer and seamlessly transitioned from one piece of magic to the next, whether he used a professional assistant, a helper from the audience or different stage dimensions.

Given that Tim often travels abroad to perform and lecture, I encourage you all to catch one of his shows while you can.

Each year, the MMF includes a number of International magicians. Occasionally I will have heard the name of these magicians before, but usually I choose not to look them up or ‘research them’ prior to attending their shows. That way, each performance is a true surprise. This was definitely the case with Joshua Jay  – an affable American magician with a relaxed style and a lovely smile. What an incredible surprise his show was! This is by far the most difficult review to write as Joshua Jay’s show was so mind blowing that I have struggled to encapsulate what I experienced.

What I can tell you, is that the ‘usual’ magic “rules” and processes were shaken up and became topsy turvy when Joshua Jay is performing. Card effects were performed in reverse (seemingly altering the fabric of time) and ordinary items seemed to vanish faster than my brain could keep up. There were times when I wasn’t sure if what I was witnessing was actually happening in real time (there were plenty of moments where I had to pinch myself just to be sure I wasn’t dreaming). Joshua Jay is an engaging storyteller, and selected members of the audience to help him with various magical moments along the way. I was fortunate enough to witness some special magic up close and help him out, and he always made sure his audience helpers were at ease and thanked for their assistance. For me, Joshua’s show had recurring themes of coincidences and altering aspects of time. Naturally (and especially so when you’re having fun) the show and magic seemed to fly by and in no time the show was over. I left wanting to see more.

Promise me that if Joshua Jay ever returns to town that you see his show. Run, don’t walk to secure tickets – his show is simply unmissable.

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.

Nicholas J Johnson is known as ‘Australia’s honest con man’ and is billed as a liar, cheat and swindler. You’d think that a performer would take offense to such a description, however Nicholas seems pleased with this and presents his show with a friendly ‘professor-like’ demeanour.

Nicholas discusses the concepts of short (small) and long (big) cons during his show, utilising plenty of audience participation and humour along the way . Nicholas has perfected the art of ‘swindle with a smile’ as many of his helpers from the audience were smiling and laughing in disbelief once they’d discovered that Nicholas had silently cheated them out of the object they were told to hold onto. Despite the perhaps serious topic of cheats and scams, this was a light hearted and enjoyable show. If nothing else, make sure you attend the show to find out what’s within Nicholas’ mysterious briefcase I can tell you it is not his magical briefcase! You’ll have to watch the show to find out.

I’m not sure what I expected from this show, but I left feeling a little more educated, entertained and fascinated and no one can swindle me of that! The show runs until Saturday July 8th.
Info and Tickets: http://melbournemagicfestival.com/the-confidence-artist/

Regular monthly magic show ‘Top Hat Tuesdays’ in magical Fitzroy also joined the MMF spirit by hosting a show celebrating the festival in July.  A group of friends and I enjoyed the warm and friendly vibe in the theatre, as well as enjoying ‘mini previews’ of festival performer’s shows.

The lineup of the July show featured: ‘Dom and Dumber’ (Dom Chambers and Bayden Hammond), International magic star Simon Coronel, sassy mentalist and conjurewoman Cath Jamison, magical moviegoer Peter Nguyen, and the multi-talented Raymond Truong.

My personal highlights of this show were a particularly madcap and frantic magical ‘bomb diffusion’ scene from ‘Dom and Dumber’, Simon Coronel’s world class poker chip routine that drew gasps and plenty of disbelief from the audience (trust me – you want to see his poker chip magic at least once in your life!).

After interval, I especially enjoyed Peter Nguyen’s magic featuring cards with superheroes on them. I loved it how audience members would cheer when their favourite superhero was announced! It was a clever way to pique the audience’s interest, I mean who doesn’t love superheroes right?! The audience helper was a Spiderman fan, which made the routine even more enjoyable. Top Hat Tuesdays closed with the energetic and hilarious Raymond Truong, who ensured that everyone left the theatre with a wide smile.

Consistently a great value night out, Top Hat Tuesday runs on the first Tuesday of every month, so why not check it out sometime? Future show details can be found on the website: https://tophattuesdays.com/

Each year during the two week winter school holidays in Melbourne, the Northcote Town Hall plays host to the Melbourne Magic Festival (MMF). This year, the MMF is celebrating 10 years which is a wonderful achievement. Each magical week in the festival begins with a special Gala show. Earlier this week, a lovely friend and I were enthralled by the Stage Magic Gala. The Gala was hosted by the super friendly Nicholas J Johnson (also known as ‘the honest con man’) who introduced the acts of the evening and showed off some magic of his own. Nicholas is a man of many talents! I won’t go into too many fine details here, but as the name of the show suggests each performer presented their on style of stage magic – think large props, assistants helping and lots of comedy thrown into the mix.

While each performer was fantastic and thoroughly entertaining, there were a few standout performances that warrant further mentions. Show opening duo ‘Dom and Dumber’ (magicians Dom Chambers and Bayden Hammond) showed off not only their mystifying magic but also their trademark comedy style. Their bottle routine finished with a surprising twist that left the audience gasping.

I was particularly pleased to see international magician Simon Coronel back in town, bringing his stylish and though provoking magic to citizens of Melbourne. Simon performed an enjoyable light-hearted set involving a helper from the audience. Judging by the smile on the helper’s face and the laughs from the audience, everyone was ‘along for the ride’.

One thing that I find refreshing about magic is that no 2 shows (even of the same performer or show) are exactly the same. Young magician David Chandler took to the stage as his alter ego “The Storyteller”. Resplendent in his vest and coat, the Storyteller seems to live in a world of stories, and storybook characters. Referencing his show (featuring a magical mailbox) the Storyteller showed the audience his special magic wand and called for an assistant from the audience. Whilst I won’t spoil exactly what happened when the assistant waved the Storyteller’s wand, I will say that audience was thoroughly impressed with the magic within. David was able to invoke so much joy from the littlest of assistants, and in doing so fill the room with joy and wonder too. A very polished performer, I look forward to seeing David’s show at the MMF this year.

I enjoyed the fact that each performer in the gala had their own show on during the festival. It’s a great show to use as a ‘festival sampler’ – if you want to see more from a particular performer, it is easy to remember them and grab a flyer for their show. With only one Stage Gala (and one Close Up Gala) show per festival, I highly recommend booking a ticket early.

Note: I attended this event as a guest of the MMF

Hello readers, I know it has been a while between posts however with the Melbourne Magic Festival 2017 in full swing I have been watching plenty of magic shows and have been gathering much writing material. I have lots to tell you about and I do hope that you’ll be able to visit the Northcote Town Hall before the last day of the festival – Saturday July 15th. References herein to the Melbourne Magic Festival will be abbreviated to MMF. Hope you enjoy the mini reviews I have in store for you! This year I’ll be breaking my personal record and will be watching a total of 30 shows! So grab a drink and settle into my reviews.