Magic

Reviewer: Dave Cunningham Pete Firman professes to be a student as well as a practitioner of magic. This approach gives him the chance to put his own spin on established tricks, such as the ‘dancing table’ standard, and to pay tribute to his influences. In a charming move during Marvels, Firman performs a trick attributed to his uncle who, he claims, ...

Writer: Philipp Oberlohr Director: Margot Newkirk Grambow Reviewer: Richard Maguire There’s something for everybody at this year’s Vault Festival taking place under the arches at Waterloo: theatre, comedy, cabaret, music and dance.  Unfortunately, Das Fest, a mindreading show from Austria doesn’t seem to be for anybody.  Das Fest translates as The Party, but it’s not a party you’d want to ...

Reviewer: Lauren Humphreys The lure of the stage rather than the stethoscope has led trained doctor Aaron Calvert to Edinburgh for his second stint at the Fringe. Inspired as a child by feats of human strength and the US Intelligence services' selection process, Calvert presents a combination of psychology, hypnosis and 'telepathy' in Awaken. Calvert's show isn't exactly treading new ground. ...

Writers and performers: Griffin & Jones Reviewer: Glen Pearce In a crowded marketplace, it takes something special to make magicians stand out from the crowd. For every show-stopping Derren Brown there is a plethora of wannabe slight of hand artists that merge into one. Not so Griffin and Jones, self confessed pioneers of slapdash magic. While the duo may eschew ...

Reviewer: Matt Forrest Losing out to a three-legged dog in what is essentially a seaside talent show that just happens to be broadcast on television. That’s the story of Jamie Raven: a magician and illusionist who wowed audiences in the 2015 series of Britain’s Got Talent, only to be gazumped in the final by Matisse the Dog, whose owner rather ...

Reviewer: Harriet Mallion From the very second the doors open Mr Morgan and Mr West welcome you warmly into their parlour. A pair of marvellous time-travelling magicians, spectacular showmen, and certainly the “spiffing chaps” they claim to be. Parlour Tricks is a delight to audiences of all ages and truly does offer something for everyone. Rhys Morgan and Robert West lead the ...

Performers: Christopher Wayne &Mike Tyler Reviewer: Scott Matthewman What's the best way for a conjurer to show an audience that you've got nothing up your sleeves? One solution: lose the sleeves. Australian duo Christopher Wayne and Mike Tyler promise to take the concept to its extreme, by shedding all their clothes. And while they do eventually get naked, for most ...

Stage magic is making something of a comeback with shows coming up with ever more spectacular visual effects to wow their audiences. For Mike Tyler and Christopher Wayne, aka The Naked Magicians, though, the approach has been more back to basics, promising full frontal nudity with sleeves up and pants down. Glen Pearce sat down with the boys as they ...