Fiona Tenneb praises James Phelan’s awe-inspiring show.
★★★★
‘Surround yourself with the dreamers. The doers, the believers and the thinkers. But most of all surround yourself with those that see the greatness within you, even when you don’t see it yourself.’
Unlikely but beautiful words to start a thought provoking magic show that got my kids thinking about psychology. They didn’t realise that’s what they were considering as we talked about it all the way home.
I attended with three children ages 12, 13 and 14. Each one left smiling and ‘inspired’ -the word used by my 13 year old daughter when asked what she thought of the show.
This was not the usual magic show, James Phelan engaged with the audience in a more personal way, he touched on his parents’ struggle with IVF and pushed us to realise that without their struggle, none of us would be sitting in that room watching his awe inspiring show.
He explained much of what he was doing, and some of the psychology behind our thinking. This show is for both adults and young people with a minimum age of 12.
Without giving too much away, we were blown away by the tricks and his apparent ability to place thoughts into the heads of audience members that offered to be a part of the show.
The better your imagination, he explained, the more likely you are to succumb to his suggestions, one example was those participating unable to move their feet but I won’t give anymore away.
The final act was delightful, bringing gasps from the audience. This magic show was different, James engaged with the audience and spoke of personal experiences in a way not generally expected in a show like this.
One of which really resonated with my children who commented on how inspiring it would be for others feeling they might give up on their dreams.
I have mentioned kids here but the show is for the young, the old and everyone in between. A must see this year.
Underbelly’s Circus Hub on the Meadows – The Beauty
Aug 8-11, 13-18, 20-24
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