EDINBURGH 2018 - Review: THE EXTINCTION EVENT, Pleasance Courtyard

Famed British sci-fi writer Arthur C. Clarke once coined the adage that any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. It is at this intersection that The Extinction Event resides, one of two Fringe shows from The Sorcerers For The Extinction of Death And Associates - with this show something of a sequel to The Vanishing Man, also at the Pleasance Courtyard.

In this interesting merger of magic and theatre, magician Simon Evans is working with new assistant Jack, trying to recreate the relationship he had with previous partner David, while Jack strives to demonstrate how much he has improved under Simon's tuition.

Over the course of an hour, a subtly told story emerges through the tricks, exploring loss, faith and identity, as the audience come to realise that not everything is as it seems - and that where magic fails, technology may offer a way forward.

Particularly with two performers using set-ups as exposition in the ongoing story, tricks tend towards the lengthy, meaning the pacing could benefit from more variety - perhaps in the form of a few shorter tricks to keep the energy up. The show also leans a bit heavily on lengthier audience participation, sometimes asking too much of volunteers and affecting the pay-off of the trick.

While the tricks performed aren't always the most impressive, the use of them to tell a mostly unrelated narrative is much better, leading to an intriguing and dramatic conclusion.

Audience buzz afterwards was high, and this is a show that will have crossover appeal for both its magical and dramatic elements.

The Extinction Event is at Pleasance Courtyard until 27 August (not 13).

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