EDINBURGH 2015 - BWW Reviews: KEVIN MCMAHON - QUANTUM MAGIC, Gilded Balloon, August 15 2015

After a TV appearance on Faking It where he learned the magician's craft from the likes of Penn and Teller, Kevin McMahon abandoned his career as a scientific researcher to astound and amaze the public with spellbinding illusions. Now, his former occupation is making a comeback in his Fringe show Quantum Magic, bringing together magic with maths and physics.

Welcoming us in the manner of an overly enthusiastic physics professor, complete with geek chic attire of pastel tweed jacket and bowtie, McMahon sets out on this theme, explaining bits of physics between bouts of sleight of hand. After all, to paraphrase Arthur C Clarke, any suitably advanced science is indistinguishable from magic. Members of the audience are pulled up to help with tricks - this is probably the only show in Edinburgh where you might get whacked in the head by a flying felt trout, his method of random selection of helpers. An avuncular host, he makes audience members feel comfortable and does well at including kids as a part of the show, whether of the awed or the mischievous kind.

The tricks are a mixed bag. McMahon is at his best with tricks where he causes objects to change or disappear while being held by an audience member, evoking real wonder at how he managed it from across the stage. A number guessing trick is subverted with some fabulous mental arithmetic. Others are not so inspiring, for example managing to rearrange some jumbled couples into the proper order seemed a little like solving a very easy Rubik's cube. After building up his finale as drawing together all of the elements of science and maths dealt with throughout the show, it seemed a bit of an anticlimax to have just another card picking trick, and one that required special glasses to boot.

It's a nice concept for a show, and an enjoyable afternoon, but doesn't quite realise its own potential.

Kevin McMahon - Quantum Magic is at the Gilded Balloon at 15:45 until August 30th.

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