Deception
Festivals
Local magicians Vinh Giang and Matt Tarrant are back playing to the Adelaide Fringe crowd after their success of previous years, including winning the 2013 and 2012 Bank SA Talk Fringe Awards.
Showcasing tricks based on mentalism, sleight-of-hand and misdirection, the two are honest in their deception and skilled in their execution. They host a fun and interactive show with one-liners that will make you cringe and a stage presence that keeps the gig warm and intimate.
While the tricks are impressive, they do lack originality, so audience members keen on the likes of UK illusionist Derren Brown may be slightly underwhelmed by the similar way in which they are presented. However, I appreciated their honesty in referencing their idols, and the inclusion of video footage of “the masters” (and the not-so-masterful) added a nice element of interest.
Giang and Tarrant take turns to present to the audience, with their styles complementing each other well. It would be good to see the two join forces on stage to perform together; I think they could bounce well off each other and create some “wow” moments with both showmanship and magic which the performance as a whole was lacking.
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That said, a good measure of any magic show is the audience reaction – that gathering of people outside afterwards asking each other, “How did they do that?” By that standard, Deception a success.
With more experience and originality, I imagine Vinh Giang and Matt Tarrant will soon be taking their skills and their shows to the next level and beyond. Meanwhile, I still recommend the show to Adelaide fringe-goers, if only so you can say: “I saw them before they were famous”.
Deception is playing at The Peacock, Gluttony, until March 16.
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Click here for all InDaily’s 2014 Adelaide Fringe stories and reviews.
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