The Unfair Advantage – @sohoplace, London

Creator: Harry Milas

Harry Milas promises deception at its finest, and he more than delivers. In The Unfair Advantage, the Australian sleight-of-hand expert demonstrates astonishing feats of card control and memory, but what makes the evening so special is how it opens into something more poignant: a meditation on time, possibility, and the strange magic of learning.

The setup is already unlike any other West End experience. An audience of just 35 signs a confidentiality contract before entering the shadowy fifth floor of @sohoplace. The effect is instant intimacy. With no more than a metre between performer and spectator, there is nowhere to hide — and that is precisely the point. Milas thrives in this environment.

His movements are deliberate, his words precise, and yet there is a mischievous ease to his presence. He carries himself with a charming arrogance, teasing but never alienating. Even when faced with a crowd inclined toward polite silence rather than bold participation, he calibrates the mood with assurance. In Milas’s hands, a small card table becomes a stage, one he dominates completely. Every shuffle, every flourish, every deal is executed with authority, drawing the audience into a dance of misdirection they cannot escape.

However, what begins as a technical masterclass soon shifts into something more resonant. Milas’s demonstrations of card cheating techniques are mind-boggling in their dexterity, but it is his feats of memory that push the performance into the realm of the extraordinary. Rather than simply parading his abilities, he frames them as examples of what is possible when one commits to practice, patience, and curiosity. The refrain “the time will pass anyway” becomes both a rallying cry and a gentle challenge: if time moves regardless, why not spend it learning something remarkable?

It is in this exploration of memory that the show deepens. Milas presents recall not as a trick of capacity, but as a practice of presence. To remember is to have paid attention in the first place, to have slowed down long enough for detail to take root. This philosophy carries a nostalgic weight, reminding the audience of the wonder of early learning, a time when the act of remembering felt expansive and filled with promise. The emotion in the room, sometimes brimming with optimism, sometimes a little choked with sadness, is always palpably felt. This is a testament to Milas’ robust control of his words and his exceptional talent for performance. 

The tension between secrecy and revelation is beautifully handled. Though spectators are granted privileged access to the techniques of card cheating, Milas ensures that mystery remains intact. Knowledge here does not diminish awe; it deepens it. The result is an evening that is endlessly entertaining but also may have the potential to change your life. 

Runs until 11 October 2025