THE ILLUSIONISTS – DIRECT FROM
BROADWAY. Executive and Creative Producer. Simon Painter. Executive Producers.
Tim Lawson. Andrew Spencer. Alexandra Hirst. Directed by Neil Dorward. Composer
and Musical director Evan Jolly. Lighting Designer. Paul Smith. Costume
designer. Angela Aaron. Canberra Theatre.
December 6-16 2018. Bookings 62752700
Reviewed by Peter Wilkins
If seeing is believing, then how
does one explain a young girl’s wide-eyed look of astonished disbelief as The
Inventor (Kevin James) turns a floating paper rose into a real long-stemmed
bright red rose before the young girl’s very eyes. Trickery or talent that
defies belief? Is it smoke and mirrors or the strange workings of our deceived
minds that can make The Mentalist (Chris Cox) read the mind of an utter
stranger with such uncanny accuracy and turbo charged delight at his success?
Or where do cards materialize in the astonishing sleight of hand of The
Manipulator (An Ha Lim)? If cameras do not lie on close up, how can he
transform the familiar images on a pack of cards into images of the various
Illusionists? What powerful sorcery does The Conjuress (Jinger Leigh)
possess to make a glowing ball suspend
and move in mid-air, or what magic does The Showman (Mark Kalin) employ to
bring The Conjuress to life within a boxed-in room, surveyed for evidence of
illusion by six random members of the audience?
Magic is in the air and illusion is its weaponry. More perilous is the
spectacular cross bow, fiery act of The Warrior (Robyn Sharpe), almost as
breathtaking as The Daredevil (Jonathan Goodwin’s heart-stopping escape from a
strait jacket while doused in fuel and on fire. Keeping the audience
entertained with camp banter and flame extinguishing fire eating danger is The
Trickster (Jeff Hobson), who completes this jaw dropping band of mind blowing
illusionists.
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| The Daredevil. Photo Mark Turner |
Young and old alike will marvel
at the sheer spectacle and phenomenal skill of their artistry, displayed with
the audacious, mischievous showmanship of the performers. Be amazed! Be very
amazed! Trickery and illusion is an art forged in the secret chamber of
constant practice. As one of the company
warns: “Children don’t try this at home.”
The age old secrets, freshly minted for our age of technical wizardry
still hold the wonder of the years when Harry Houdini invented his deadly art
of escapology. Nail-biting, edge of the seat anxiety takes its breathless grip
at the feats of danger, while relief accompanies the bewildering art of mind
reading or the Trickster’s comical banter. Some of the acts may seem familiar,
though no less puzzling, while new acts, slick as oil upon the watery surface
or dazzling as glittering quartzite in the sun transport audiences beyond the theatre
to a magical land of bewildering wonderment.
The Illusionists: Direct From Broadway serves up a feast of tricks and magical treats to satisfy every appetite for the incomprehensible and the awesome. Unforgettable and tantalizingly perplexing, this is a show for the whole family and an entertainment not to be missed!
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| The Inventor. Photo: Mark Turner |
