Magic, science and comedy – an ideal end to my stint reviewing a wide variety of shows in this year’s World Buskers Festival (marketed as Bread & Circus).

Tonight we’re back in the festival’s wonderful Spiegeltent on a site once occupied by the central city’s historic Clarendon Hotel. Let’s hope the space remains available for such ventures and avoids being engulfed in the ever-expanding predatory avarice of a certain parking cartel.

But, for now, we’re in the uplifting hands of Kevin Quantum (Kevin McMahon) from Scotland. And the show is ‘uplifting’ in every sense, beginning with US dollar notes floating, seemingly unaided, in mid-air and ending with Kevin himself defying gravity. In other festival acts this month we’ve witnessed mind-boggling magic (e.g. Piff the Magic Dragon), other feats of anti-gravity (e.g. Leo) and a feast of side-splitting comedy in almost every show that I’ve seen. Tonight, along with some physical science, we have them all in one show – and is there even some hypnotism involved as well!  Beats me!

Kevin’s act depends on the participation of several audience recruits and, although I’m one of those who prefer to avoid such involvement, much of the success, comedy and effect of the show depends on tonight’s willing and responsive patrons. The laws of physics play an important role throughout Kevin’s routine but there’s also some extremely adroit sleight-of-hand and a few mind-bending tricks which I’m not going to attempt to work out how they’re even remotely possible. At times he seems to actually know exactly what’s in the minds of his volunteers – names of scientists, a choice of playing card, the name of a drink, etc. 

With the help of these audience assistants there are some truly magical moments involving playing cards, pieces of paper, cups, chairs and more. But towards the end there is the most confusing and bizarre (magic?) sequence that I’ve ever witnessed. While ‘pretending’ that the trick isn’t actually working, Kevin’s two audience recruits begin reacting in the most surprising and inexplicable ways. It’s hard to say more without a spoiler alert; suffice to say that the two assistants seem not to be in control of their actions … Magic! 

The show’s finale involves a space helmet, superhero cloak and the illusion of Kevin being in a gravity-free environment, and however it’s all achieved, Kevin Quantum is certainly a truly uplifting way to end this year’s World Buskers Festival. Many thanks to Strut and Fret Productions for a fantastic month of Bread and Circus.

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