Sam Hurst leaps onto the stage in a black sequin suit and skull-covered tie ensemble that screams “entertainer”. It’s a bold choice and one can’t help wondering if it might be a bit much. However, Hurst certainly has the personality to back up such a fabulous outfit.
Hurst has taken silliness and made it an art form
Magical AF is 45mins of sleight of hand magic that very much takes second place to the banter and the one-liners. Hurst is part children’s entertainer, part late-night club magician. His jokes come thick and fast and some fly way over the heads of the younger audience members, but he never strays into territory that might engender an awkward conversation between parent and child. He describes himself as a “professional idiot” and it’s an apt description; Hurst has taken silliness and made it an art form.
The magic in the show is just what you’d expect; slick tricks performed with skill combined with some playful fluffs and unexpected outcomes. But, although the magic is what we’re meant to be here for, it’s really the banter that makes this show worth your time. Hurst works the crowd with a comfortable ease that hints at some street performance in his past. He knows that the magic is the destination but what really matters is the journey to get there. He works the audience with gentle ribbing and occasional friendly mockery, and the two children who separately join him on stage as volunteer assistants are not safe from his silliness, but they are also not immune to his likeability. Both get to shine and leave the stage to rapturous applause.
Magical AF is a delightful show. Hurst takes a moment towards the end of his time to tell us a little of his past and how that inspires him to make the most of the magical moments in life. It’s a genuinely heartfelt beat in the otherwise quite anarchic experience and his advice to never accept the darkness as a given is a wonderful message for children and adults. It’s profound AF.
