The world of illusion is presented by Simon Coronel in the opening night of his show Glitches in Reality.

Glitches in Reality blends illusion, theatre, comedy and music into an hour-long show, which sets out to challenge the audience’s perception of reality.As someone who loves illusion, this was one show I was particularly looking forward to, but unfortunately it didn’t live up to my probably very high expectations.

Simon’s passion for magic is clear from the start as he tells the crowd of his curiosity turned almost-obsession as a child and young adult which led him to becoming an illusionist himself. You can feel his excitement as he talks about this history of illusion and how mesmerised he was as a child.

It’s definitely worth checking out, especially if you are interested in seeing a bit of behind the scenes magic, although the illusion in parts wasn’t as impressive as I had expected.

Set in all black with a minimalist feel, the stage is what I would expect of an illusion show: it’s simple and allows the audience to remain focused on each trick.

The show was off to a good start with Simon’s blend of humour and illusion keeping the crowd entertained.

I was impressed when Simon showed the audience how he uses distraction, timing and the placing of his hands to essentially trick the audience into seeing something that isn’t happening.

These illusions and the explanation of how the mind is being tricked was intriguing for the most part, but didn’t keep me engaged for the entire show.

I felt the show became predictable, at times too educational and for me his humour began wearing off towards the end.

Some audience members, much to their delight, were brought up on stage to join in which added another dimension to the show.

For anyone in awe of illusion it’s a show worth seeing, and Simon’s passion for what he does is certainly evident, but for me a lacking stage presence and at times not so impressive tricks made it a bit of a struggle towards the end.

Simon is showing off his magic tricks until Sunday February 22^nd, for more details click here.

As I walked into a small room at the Noodle Palace, set up as an intimate theatre with an almost bare stage, I wasn’t sure what the next hour would bring. What exactly could be done on a small stage with just two stools and a few props nearby? I was pleasantly surprised with a dynamic hour of theatre, plenty of laughs and a story of money changing hands told by two engaging performers.

Short Change, a WA premiere, is well worth seeing. The audience watches the relationships and stories behind money changing hands as the performers provide a glimpse into each character’s life.

The short look at each character’s story is just long enough to keep the audience engaged before transitioning almost seamlessly into the next, and exploring the value of money and relationships in a new context.

Props and small costume changes were used to introduce new characters, but it was the performers great use of movement and sound which created the characters and told a story.

Timing was vital and used well throughout the production, with plenty of laughs coming from the crowd. Although at times there wasn’t a lot of depth to the story, the production upheld my attention throughout and was enjoyable to watch.

Bringing plenty of energy to the show, the performers brought life to each character. From two twenty-something girls who were giggling over dreams of wedding plans, to a couple of oldies bumping into each other on holiday, Short Change provides something that each viewer can relate to.

Short Change runs until Saturday February 7^th at the Noodle Palace, for more details click here.