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Victorian Theatre Presents: A
Night of Mystery - An Extraordinary Performance of Amazing Magic & Unusual
Phenomena!
The Fisher Theatre, Bungay
Saturday 7th November 2015
Reviewed by Steve Majes
This
was a very entertaining and magical show presented within the intimate
surroundings of the Fisher Theatre in Bungay. As you entered the theatre the
stage was set to the theme of a Victorian parlour with sounds of that era
setting the scene. The powerful voice of a Victorian Master of Ceremonies came
through the speakers describing those times and to introduce “The Victorian
Conjuror”. Chris North a well seasoned professional magician and stage performer
entered to good applause dressed as a Victorian gentleman with top hat and tail
suit. The magic started immediately with two large white handkerchiefs taken
from a display stand magically changing into walking sticks, I loved the gasp
from the audience as this happened followed by the applause. A large red
handkerchief was now vanished from Chris’s hands and to the audiences surprise
appeared back on the display stand along with the white handkerchiefs, this was
a great opening to the show and set the magical pace.
Chris really connected with the audience and had them joining in straight away,
a ladies finger ring was borrowed and destroyed only later to be found restored
within a set of wooden safety security boxes, much to the ladies relief. Chris
also presented a classic rising card routine using a very nice wooden houlette
and jumbo cards, these cards seemed small by comparison to the giant cards used
in a very entertaining find the ace routine later in the show. Chris presented
many magical effects from the Victorian era using patter and some effects set to
music which added a lovely variety to the show.
Joining Chris at various times during this performance was his very talented
wife Belinda, in Victorian dress Belinda presented several routines including a
set of pearls that vanished within a small bag to appear once again on a
jewellery display stand and a floating silver globe routine set to dreamlike
music of that time, Belinda presented and staged these effects extremely well
and added a Victorian feminine sensitivity to the show.
Stand out effects and routines in the show included a chilling murder mystery
routine, a comical yet amazing escape from shackles, an impossible book test
revealing a freely selected word from the works of Dickens that appeared
creepily between two Victorian writing slates, these having been held by a
member of the audience from the start and a dangerous routine using a metal
spike. The metal spike routine is not one that I personally like to watch but in
this case the humour Chris added really played well and I felt comfortable
watching. There were also various displays of unusual phenomena in the show
including a hand bell that rang while suspended from a rope, this being on the
command of a supposed deceased school teacher and the amazing finale to the show
which was the Victorian Spirit Cabinet. Chris, with Belinda acting as the
spiritual conduit, created ghostly and supernatural effects all while Belinda
was securely tied to a very high back chair within the spirit cabinet, this was
all viewed at close quarters by two gentlemen from the audience. One of these
gentlemen received a private seat in the spirit cabinet only to have some very
comical attention from the spirits played upon him. The cabinet routine ended
spectacularly with a borrowed jacket thrown over and into the cabinet and within
seconds the curtains were pulled back revealing Belinda now wearing the jacket
while she was still securely tied to the chair.
As an encore one of the smaller members of Chris’s family took to the stage. His
youngest son Tomos played the part of a Victorian workhouse boy and witnessed
the magical creation of snow. This was a magical finish to a well produced show
as Chris, Belinda and Tomos stepped forward to take their well deserved
applause.
©
Steve Majes, November 2015
Steve Majes is "The Tricky Twister" a full time
professional magician and expert balloon twister. A Member of The Magic Circle
and the actors' union Equity. Currently the holder of the Anglian Magic
Society's Close-up Magician of the Year title.
www.tricky-twister.co.uk