Presented by Simon Coronel
Reviewed 3 March 2015
Every time I see an illusionist show I can’t help but think “what would this be like through the eyes of a child, or a peasant in dark-age England?”
It might be a strange thought, but I’m very interested in how our increased access to magic shows, and technologies that allow us to find out how a trick is done, has effected how we enjoy magic.
Simon Coronel knows well that there are people just as interested in how the trick works as there are those who simply want to suspend belief and have their minds blown. He breaks theatrical spectacle down into its smallest, simplest parts and messes with our perceptions of how illusions work to create Glitches in Reality. It is one-half magical education and one-half mind-boggling wizardry.
Coronel is an interesting performer in that he not just performs impressive feats, like turning a five dollar note into a fifty, or turning water into confetti, but also encourages audience members to question; to look beyond the veil, so to speak, into how and why we enjoy magic.
Despite the undeniable impressiveness of his acts, there are a few seams showing in this performance (Coronel repeatedly brushes them off as “opening night” problems). Coronel also seemed to lack a bit of energy, or perhaps simply confidence at the beginning of the show, leading to some lacklustre applauses.
However, after a few fanciful illusions and stories, the ball really gets rolling. I could sense every member of the crowd lighting up inside as he delved more and more into the “arcane”. I wouldn’t say Coronel was the strongest stage presence I’ve ever seen, but he definitely has the skill and technical know-how to pull of some seriously impressive tricks.
(Also, in my opinion, it’s much more fun to go in without caring too much about how the tricks are done. According to Coronel, this makes me a ‘type 2’ audience member. Magic is only magical if you don’t know how the person on stage pulls it off!)
Reviewed by James Rudd
Twitter: @james_wrr
Rating out of 5: 3
Venue: Gluttony – The Bally, Rymill Park/Murlawirrapurka, car East Tce & Rundle Rd
Season: 3 – 15 March 2015
Duration: 55 minutes
Tickets: $21 – $27
Bookings: Book through FringeTix online or at a FringeTix box office (booking fees apply)
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