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Magic after the World Cup
Marc Oberon at the Nottingham Arts Theatre
1st July 2006
Reviewed by Alec Powell
On
Saturday 1st July 2006, while the embers of England’s World Cup Campaign were
still glowing, an almost capacity crowd made their way to Nottingham Arts
Theatre for an evening of mystery with the City’s own international award
winning magician, Marc Oberon.
This is his second solo show at the venue and testimony to the success of the
first was the fact that many of the audience were returning to see his latest
offering. They were not disappointed as everyone’s spirits were lifted by this
talented and unassuming entertainer.
Opening with a wide range of magical effects, from silver spheres that floated,
disappeared, reappeared and multiplied, to amazing predictions and the location
of a whole handful of cards chosen by members of the audience. Marc floated a
lady in the air without any of the usual paraphernalia associated with
getting her into the air in the first place. She simply took off and floated.
The audience were stunned.
He went on to demonstrate some of the superb digital skill that has won him many
awards within the magic fraternity.
On several occasions Marc ventured into the realm of mind magic so popular at
the moment and left people wondering whether he really could tell what they were
thinking.
The first half closed with his fabulous lack light act The Wizard. Using ultra
violet lights, this is without doubt one of the best acts of its type ever
devised. It almost defies description as the surreal fluorescent Wizard performs
amazing effects, including his face cracking apart and spinning his entire body
in the air. This alone is a world class act and could easily have closed the
show but for technical reasons apparently had to be located where it was.
Marc continued the second half with another range of smaller miracles yet again
laced with his humorous and charming laid back style.
He stands in stark contrast to the brash and often offensive rash of young
magicians that are being beamed into our homes by the TV companies at the
moment.
The audience were enthralled throughout the show, never more so than when Marc’s
8 year old son Xavier took to the stage. This was not a token appearance. He
presented a magical interlude with his father and his cameo role was so well
performed the crowd gave him a rousing well deserved send off.
The show ended with Marc floating 10 feet above the stage covered by a cloth.
When that was ripped away he had vanished, only to re appear as the ‘monk’ who
had pulled away the cloth.
Marc was onstage throughout apart from two short interludes where an excellent
new Nottingham Juggler made his first stage appearance to great
acclaim from the audience.
It is to be hoped that Marc will present this show again after so much time and
effort has been put into creating it.
Remember the name Marc Oberon – if you see any event advertising that he is
appearing go and take a look, if you like magic you will love him.
I travelled 90 miles to see this show and it was worth every minute of the
journey, I am also glad that I could only hear the penalty shoot out on the
radio, watching it would have been too much for me.
© Alec Powell, August 2006