Produced, Directed and Performed by Michael Boyd
Assistant & Stage Management: Journey Malone
Lighting &Sound: Alex Fox. Dancers: Tegan Burns and Annelise Jenkins
Choreography by Matt Browning. Canberra Theatre Centre Playhouse 5th October 2025.
Reviewed by BILL STEPHENS.
For many years, illusionist Michael Boyd has been dazzling Canberra audiences with his glamorous extravaganzas. Particularly memorable among them being “Circus of Illusion”, “Cabaret de Paris” with Rhonda Burchmore, and last year’s “The Christmas Spectacular” with Prinnie Stevens.
All these presentations featured teams of spectacularly costumed dancers, thrilling sight acts, and of course Michael Boyd with his gasp-inducing illusions.
Nothing in the pre-publicity for “Mystique- A Journey Beyond Reality” suggested that this show would be anything less. However, as the capacity audience at the second of two Canberra performances was to discover, the full focus of “Mystique – A Journey Beyond Reality” was on Boyd himself, supported by just two hard-working dancers, Tegan Burns and Annelise Jenkins, and amiable assistant, Journey Malone, who also did double duty manning the well-stocked merchandise stall.
Boyd is a world class illusionist, and a busy entrepreneur, who has set himself a high standard with his superbly presented productions. Certainly, his illusions were as mystifying and stylishly presented as always, but the promised new Scorpion and double levitation illusions were not among them, and for many in the audience, most of the others were familiar from earlier shows.
Even so, there was pleasure to be taken from experiencing them again through the eyes of those in the audience being mystified for the first time, especially the two young audience volunteers. One dubbed “The incredible James”, who couldn’t believe what his out-of-control hands were doing, and seven-year-old Chloe, whose eyes shone with wonderment at the story of how Boyd learnt his craft from his grandfather, then again, as she was assisting him with the levitating table act his grandfather had taught him.
In addition to expertly performing in, and assisting Journey Malone with the illusions, particularly the beautifully staged “Ballerina in a Music Box” presentation, dancers Tegan and Annelise were kept busy with multiple costume changes and doing their best to provide colour and movement between the illusions with routines choreographed by Matt Browning for larger troupes but which tended to become tedious when performed by just two dancers, despite their expertise.
Even with an impressive light and sound presentation by Alex Fox, this edition of “Mystique – A Journey Beyond Reality”, despite the efforts of all concerned, fell below the expectations of a Michael Boyd Production.
All images supplied.
This review also published in AUSTRALIAN ARTS REVIEW. www.artsreview.com.au