Showing @ Royal Lyceum Theate, Edinburgh, Fri 28 Jun only
As Louis Letterier’s Hollywood smash Now You See Me, about a group of conjurers who pull off bank heists, currently draws audiences into cinemas, the Edinburgh International Magic Festival has kicked off in Scotland’s capital. Now in it’s fourth year, the event plays host to magicians and illusionists from around the globe, in a number of venues around the city until the fifth of July. Beginning the proceedings is the Opening Night Gala, showcasing some of the events that make up this eye-fooling and brain-bending jubilee.
The evening is ably compèred by The Colour Ham, who combine a light-hearted and child-friendly style of comedy with audience participation and one impressive display of mindreading. After getting psyched up by the meaty entertainers, the first of the acts is Morgan & West; a pair of vaudevillian magicians with a touch of whimsy about them, speaking together in crisply enunciated Victorian accents. Performing sleight-of-hand card tricks and deconstructing one stunt to the audience, they balance this with jovial and humorous patter that plays on their anachronistic characters.
They’re followed by award winning Portuguese duo Ta Na Manga who combine their display of magic with a subdued theatrical narrative. With one of the pair narrating, the other acts out his words, conjuring a variety of objects that are threaded together by the loose storyline. The final performer before the interval is Piff the Magic Dragon and his magic Chihuahua Mr Piffles. Piff, resplendent in a full body dragon costume, has a very droll and dry style of comedy. Only performing the single trick, it’s his sarcastic and deprecating manner, (in stark contrast to his colourful outfit) which creates his appeal.
The second half is begun by Frenchman Jérôme Helfenstein, who performs a beguiling display of shadow puppetry and sleight-of-hand. Using images projected onto a screen, Helfenstein interacts with them creating mesmerising and emotive visuals. Next is Tony Roberts, an Australian escapologist whose comedy banter borders on vulgarity. Performing the straightjacket escape, he suspends himself upside-down in the classic but strenuous exploit. Finishing the night is the striking Charlie Mag, who fuses together contemporary music and a cyber-punk style jacket with technically precise trickery. Pulling live doves out of nowhere and turning sand into goldfish, his superb showmanship and mastery of traditional phantasm results in a mind-boggling and entrancing routine. With the festival just begun, there’s a whole week of hocus-pocus tomfoolery with which to be immersed.
Click here for more information about the Edinburgh International Magic Festival.
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