The Illusionists, a world tour by seven famous magicians that was a huge hit when they performed in Dubai last year, returns to the country on Thursday with a bigger and better show.
With performances in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, Illusionists 2.0 features an upgraded production with new conjurors and the latest 3-D technology to dazzle audiences.
The crew
The stars of this year’s show have been hand-picked from some of the best magicians from around the world. Returning with the newcomers is US-based Jeff Hobson, aka The Trickster. The funnyman, who performed last year with The Illusionists, brings a comic element to his illusions.
The new faces include Raymond Crowe from Australia, who has previously shared a stage with the US rockers Bon Jovi and the British comedian Russell Brand. Crowe, dubbed The Unusualist, will unleash his unconventional magic mixed with mime and comedy in this show.
The American-born Adam Trent is The Futurist, using technology and dance with his magic, in a performance that is described as Justin Timberlake meets David Copperfield. He has performed more than 300 live shows in 19 countries.
Luis De Matos – The Master Magician – is the youngest magician to receive the Devant Award from the Magic Circle, a British organisation that promotes the art of magic. The multi-award-winning artist from Portugal will make you question reality with his theatrical, video-aided performance.
Aaron Crow, The Warrior, from Belgium, uses props such as swords, paintball guns and crossbows for his scary antics.
Yu Ho-Jin from South Korea is The Manipulator. He is known for his dexterity and classic sleight-of-hand performances.
And the UK-based James More is The Deceptionist, who creates fast-paced, slick illusions. He has made several TV appearances.
Contemporary magic show
Like last year’s stars, the seven chosen artists from around the world make the impossible look like a walk in the park.
You’ll see some classic tricks, optical illusions and death- defying stunts, all given a modern twist. Providing a glimpse into what the future of magic might look like, the production packs in plenty of visual effects, while 3-D interactive projections increase the spine-tingling factor.
While some of the basic illusion concepts date back thousands of years, many are inspired by legendary exponents of the art such as Harry Houdini and David Copperfield. The packaging and presentation has been revamped using the latest state-of-the-art stage technology.
Deceptionist’s take
More takes on the lion’s share of daring acts on stage – which has cost him his eyelashes in the past, when things didn’t quite go as planned. But that hasn’t stopped the adrenalin junkie from creating even more dangerous acts for audiences.
“There was this one time when I lent over into a pyrotechnic and burnt my eyelashes off,” says the 26-year-old artist.
More rose to fame after a run on the reality TV show Britain's Got Talent last year. He made it to the semi-final, in which he escaped from a locked cage, into which flaming spikes were dropped. He even received high praise from the notoriously harsh judge Simon Cowell. His YouTube video of the illusion has been viewed more than 30 million times.
“I made my first trick out of a shoebox when I was 8,” says More. “It was the reaction from the adults that got me going at such a young age. Getting people to be amazed is a powerful motivator for a child.”
He built on this with his street magic and mastered stunts inspired by and performed to the sound of music.
“My inspiration comes from things that have nothing to do with magic,” he says. “I can be listening to a piece of music and the song lyrics might inspire me to try a piece of magic. The dangerous stuff in the acts stems from the fact that I like adventure sports.”
Craving mystery
The child in us all wants to be amazed, which has revived the popularity of magic shows.
The Emirates have already played host to The Illusionists and David Blaine in the past year, and Illusionists 2.0 is ready to set the bar even higher.
If curiosity gets the better of you and you’d like to know how some of the tricks are done, The Master Magician, De Matos, has been known to share a few of his secrets.
We are unlikely to learn the tricks of the trade behind some of the bigger, potentially life-threatening stunts, but you could leave the show having learnt the classic colour-changing silk handkerchief routine.
•The Illusionists 2.0 is at Emirates Palace from tomorrow until Saturday and at Dubai World Trade Centre from Tuesday until October 5. Tickets, priced from Dh199, are available from www.tixbox.com
aahmed@thenational.ae
