Presented byMagical Entertainment
@ Gluttony – Carry On
THURSDAY 15th March (until March 18)
Deep within Rymill Park, in a place called ‘Gluttony’ stands the Carry on Theatre, a seemingly average tent with suitcases and luggage adorning its outer walls. Surrounded by trees, whose far reaching branches (lit up with colourful fairy lights) create a mystical and slightly haunting effect. The Carry on Theatre is a charming place and the perfect location for a magic show.
A Modern Deception: More diabolical magic combines comedy with magic to create a hilarious – and awe inspiring – show which will tickle your funny bone and leave you wondering how they hell they do it. In the lead up to the show I honestly had no idea what to expect, but with a word like ‘diabolical’ in its title I should have known I was in for one interesting night. As I entered the tent my eyes fell upon the random assortment of objects placed on the simple wooden stage. There was a sketch pad, a child’s ball and a mysterious silver box dangling from the ceiling on stage left – all seemingly normal objects, until the performers got hold of them that is. Bring your childlike curiosity and sit back and relax as performers Vyom Sharma, Luke Hocking and Alex de la Rambelje take you on fast paced, high energy journey into the realm of impossibilities. From card tricks to disappearing money and more, prepare to be amazed as you witness some truly diabolical magic.
Luke, Vyom and Alex are three guys who are clearly passionate about what they do; rather than bombard the audience with tacky tricks using semi hidden devices, the guys combine fast paced, fluid movements with wise cracking scripting to create some of the greatest illusions I have ever seen. It didn’t seem to matter how focussed I thought I was or how hard I watched their every move the guys always found a way to shock and amaze me. Even when they were filming their movements on camera (and projecting it onto a large screen located centre stage) I still failed to fault their techniques.
Watching Alex, Luke and Vyom perform was like watching lifelong friends catch up for a drink; they obviously enjoy performing together and this on stage chemistry created a palpable feeling which seemed to echo around the tent. Their energy was contagious and the room buzzed with a sense of excitement and anticipation which only served to fuel the performance. Each man had their own unique approach to performing which allowed their individual personalities to shine through and their ability to laugh at themselves (as well as each other) complimented the comedic scripting perfectly and created a relaxed atmosphere in which the audience could lose themselves.
There were also plenty of opportunities to get involved in the action and this, for me, was the standout feature of this show. Whether you’re helping with a magic trick on stage or simply shouting out items in an improvised question and answer session, the high level of audience interaction helped to maintain audience interest and engulfs you in the excitement of the show. I was so eager to join in the fun I found myself sitting up straight in my chair (like an eager school child) every time they called for a volunteer, silently praying they would choose me. The guys seemed to focus their attention on rows closest to the stage when choosing volunteers so if you want to increase your chances of getting involved try to secure yourself a front row seat (like I did). If you are lucky enough to get chosen you may even come away with a souvenir to help you remember the night (thanks for the card Vyom!).
Just as good magicians never reveal their secrets, a good reviewer never spills the beans (sorry readers) – You’ll just have to see it for yourself, but hurry, the final day is March 18! From its comedic opening introduction (courtesy of ‘The Voiceover Guy’) to its jaw dropping finale A Modern Deception had me hooked. If you are ready to (re) discover the wonder of magic than this show is for you, a truly magical performance.
