I often say that we have so much hidden talent in Nelson-Tasman, and Robert Haley is a classic example of this.

Robert is a mentalist and uses the term ‘mind reader’ with tongue firmly in cheek. He is not psychic but employs devious techniques from various fields to make it look like he is. And little did we know, but for years he worked and toured throughout New Zealand and Australia as a professional mentalist, baffling and bewildering audiences with his mind reading.

So after a 10-year hiatus, the Nelson Fringe Festival is the perfect opportunity for Robert to dip his toes back into the performing waters. While he may be a little nervous, his affable nature and friendly banter carry him through. And this isn’t necessarily because the audience is willing him on, in fact some in the audience are actively willing him to fail – not in a mean-spirited way, but more in an incredulous way: how the hell is this guy doing this?!

He starts incredibly strong, bringing three somewhat reluctant ‘volunteers’ onto the stage and getting them to think of a word, write it onto a small piece of paper and seal it inside an envelope. In turn, he then asks them to picture the word, picture writing the word on a blackboard, sound the word out inside their heads … and then proceeds to guess their words. Robert uses suggestion, honed observation skills and amazing memory techniques to create something you have never seen before. His ability to pick up on near-invisible cues is exceptional.

The audience soon learns that the interactions are all about fun, so relax and even start genuinely volunteering to go up on stage once they realise that their naughty little secrets are safe.

Despite being drawn into mind reading initially due to his love of magic, what makes Mind Reader so unique is that there is no flash, no sleight of hand, and no magic involved. This is incredibly simple and pared back, but it works. As we sit there straining our brains and watching his every move, trying to work out how he is doing it, it genuinely feels like Haley is reading minds.

While there are probably a couple more cobwebs to be cleared, this is an incredibly entertaining and genuinely awe-inspiring show.

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