The Spark Newspaper The University of Reading's community student-run newspaper
Thrill seekers, masterminds and theatre enthusiasts alike enjoyed an unforgettable magic show in the comfort of an esteemed West End Theatre this summer.
The Illusionists- transported to London straight from Broadway- featured seven state-of-the-art magicians in a two-part performance that takes viewers on a tour of the magicians’ specialist acts whilst using comedy, special effects and impressive tech displays to capture and sustain the audience’s attention.
First to perform was The Trickster (Paul Dabek), who adopted the role of show host and truly encapsulated the joy of the show, with his engagement with the audience being particularly impressive through the personalisation of his approach- which is clearly unique to each and every crowd. The entertainer also gave a fascinating display of shadowgraphy performed to Disney’s The Lion King’s “Circle of Life” which greatly pleased younger members of the audience.
Enzo Weyne then gave an equally intriguing performance as The Unforgettable- combining his French roots with sorcery in an extremely convincing transportation trick, before South Korean performer Yu Ho-Jin (also known as The Manipulator)- awarded Magician of the Year in 2014- led a perfectly polished sequence of card tricks delivered in the most sophisticated of manners whilst his polar opposite, Jonathon Goodwin (stage named The Daredevil)- famed for his death-defying stunts on this year’s Britain’s Got Talent competition- squeezed the stomachs of every audience member with his stupendous acts involving a scorpion and a tank of concrete. Even The Showman (aka. James More) boggled the minds of viewers through his gripping body detachment venture.
Following that by maintaining the show’s multicultural theme was American performer, Adam Trent (The Futurist), who gave audience members a true taste of the future with a series of dance-accompanied tech illusions that managed to capture the hearts, minds and belly laughs of all the spectators.
Finally, last to the stage was The Mentalist, Chris Cox, who stunned the participants of his mind-reading endeavors as he revealed the hometowns, car makes and even immediate thoughts of several audience members. Cox’s interesting costume change- triggering a howl of laughter from the crowd- was also the product of another unthinkable yet hilarious illusion performed during the show.
With its outstanding and highly unpredictable line-up of tricks, “The Illusionists” truly had viewers riveted from start to finish. Be sure to check out their website at: www.theillusionistslive.com.
