Oliver Meech’s offering to this year’s Fringe is intriguingly listed under “Cabaret (Magic, Science)”. One could be forgiven for thinking that, just as in one of the opening tricks, the show’s producers opened a dictionary at random and haphazardly selected three words in order to form their concept. However, in Meech’s show, these disparate disciplines come together perfectly and his childlike yet informed passion for all three is infectious.
What makes this show unique is Meech’s ability to convince of his competence and professionalism, all the while conveying a sense of childlike wonder and enthusiasm.
So what can you expect? Essentially, just short of an hour’s worth of well executed tricks, easy charisma and wonderfully absurdist asides. Admittedly, the magic is of varying quality; one particular piece of mathematical trickery was almost laughably easy to see through. However the final flourish fuelled by audience participation was remarkably well executed. Nonetheless, whilst it would be hard to come away dumbfounded by the tricks, Meech’s stage patter more than makes this show worth your time.
If you aren’t a fan of audience participation, this one may not be for you. However, it is worth giving a chance; Meech is not out to embarrass or belittle his participants, but rather to share his enthusiasm directly with the audience.
What makes this show unique is Meech’s ability to convince of his competence and professionalism, all the while conveying a sense of childlike wonder and enthusiasm. There is a clear impression that this is a man who is fascinated by his material and loves to share it. With such an engaging delivery, it is hard not to be enthused.
This is an extremely enjoyable romp through science, magic and the science of magic, and you could do a lot worse than joining Meech as he attempts to “rewrite the laws of physics in a damp cave”. Ambitious, yes. Hilarious, certainly.
