Suhani Shah says that she has been called a magician, a mentalist, a psychic, a psychiatrist, and a madwoman. Whichever she may be, she is definitely an excellent performer.

The field of magic and mentalism tends to be male-dominated, so it’s refreshing to see Shah blowing away audiences in her act. What’s also special is her comedic flavour and the character she’s created. No serious, quiet, distant mentalists to be found here. Shah is warm, bubbly and quick-witted. Her improvisation skills must be commended, as she engages with a huge chunk of her audience one-on-one through her routine and skilfully volleys with us.

Her act is divided into a handful of illusions, woven together with a narrative about her journey into the world of magic and performance. The bits gradually build in complexity. So, you may start thinking that you have an inkling of how she is accomplishing the tricks only to gasp in shock, gaze in wonderment around the room. She reaches into her Indian cultural background and relays some Sanskrit shlokas (a verse form) and their explanations. The added touch of old videos of her performance as a seven-year-old in India in equal parts wows and endears her to the audience. If you are familiar with Indian celebrities, then the short compilation of her amazing some famous faces in India through the years – and the 5,000 performances she has put on worldwide so far – underscores her popularity.

The show is a great choice if you enjoy audience participation, but it is not required to relish the routine either. She balances her cheekiness well with consent and respect for the audience, making sure we are at all times comfortable. For this one hour, we are truly in the hands of a master mentalist and performer.

‘Spellbound 2.0‘ is on at Underbelly Bristo Square – Jersey until 25 August 2024 at 19.00