Lazyweb: Fringe 2022 review

[lovingboth]

I saw a magician last night - Andrew McKinley. He remembered me when I saw him outside the venue flyering.

Apparently, I cost him a star in someone's review of last year's show because the reviewer was in the same day I was and I didn't hide that I knew exactly how he'd done all of his obviously (to me) entirely bought magic show. (It must have been at least a week into the Fringe when I saw him last year, but he still had the 'set list' taped to the front of the stage.)

It won't name me, but can anyone find a review of his show last year?

I can't. Even though it was, like this one, on the PBH Free Fringe and they don't get as many reviews as the paid-for Fringe does.

His show this year is a bit better. I know how I'd do the first trick - he's very specific in how he wants three audience members to go through a pad of paper to pick a 'random' page - but it looks good on stage.

The main trick is almost embarrassingly easy to spot though. After six or seven people are invited to write a word they connect with the title of the show, they're asked to fold it up in a very specific way and put it in a transparent box. That box is then handed to an audience member and at that point I notice that 'Oh, there's some paper between the real bottom of the box and a piece of black card or similar that people have been putting their bits of paper on top of within it.

Clearly at some point, he's going to turn over the box and get someone to pick bits of paper that he's written on.

As he takes back the box, he turns around and.. yes, turns over the box. He's making a joke at the time, but I bet he knows that my laughter was me spotting what he was doing.

I am a tough audience for magicians, which is why I appreciate how good some of Marcus's routine is. I know what's happening, but my eyes still don't believe it.