BWW Reviews: IMPOSSIBLE OCCURRENCES - It's Simply Magic

Imagine a magic show where there are no magic wands. No top hats. No smoke and mirrors. No rabbits in hats. This is a seemingly Impossible Occurrence for any magic act that your mind may have conjured up. However, as you will discover when you go and see Impossible Occurrences, Luke Hocking is no stereotypical magician. Therein lay the magical secret - Luke Hocking's show is strong enough in design and delivery to not need the distractions of smoke and mirrors.

Luke's fascination with magic began when his father showed him a trick as a young boy. From a boyhood fascination came a lifelong interest and passion for magic. While he may have completed a Commerce degree and worked in insurance, Hocking now relishes the opportunity to astound audiences with a highly polished show that leaves you in wonder and awe of the mastery of the sleight of hand and highly polished delivery. Having previously performed at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, the Adelaide Fringe Festival, and the Melbourne Magic Festival, Hocking is offering his one-man show, titled "Impossible Occurrences" to the people of Melbourne for a limited time. By the end of the show you will be left in no doubt as to why the show is so titled, since what was presented before your eyes will seem both unbelieveable and unexplainable.

Hocking has opted for an intimate venue for his current run of shows, performing in one of the function rooms at Melbourne's Marriott Hotel. The venue, holding approximately forty five people who are seated in three rows of seats, was a deliberate choice that greatly aids the show's appeal. From within the smaller space Hocking's showmanship and personable nature are fully borne out and evident in his multiple audience interactions. A large portion of the show involves direct audience participation, making the experience of the show more remarkable since it generates some priceless reactions from both Hocking and audience members. By using the smaller performance space without lighting effects, smoke, and explosions, Hocking readily makes himself fully observable and the subject of scrutiny. It is testament to his natural ability that he is willing to place his performance under such close range observation and it defintely enhances the audience experience. If you were to label such an impact it would be the 'wow factor', since Hocking frequently generates gasps of 'Wow!' and appreciative applause from his often stunned audience. After all, when it is happening before your eyes and you are only a metre or so away from the magician it is much harder to explain the Impossible Occurrences that are unfolding before your eyes.

Whether it be card tricks, making items disappear, or just simply playing with the mind of the audience, Hocking is clearly in his element as his highly thematic and well scripted show unfolds. Impossible Occurrences is a show that is reverential to the history of the magic craft while also positioning it for a modern day audience. The closest you will get to the 'traditional' magician is the fact that Hocking performs in a tuxedo. Otherwise the show is fresh and clearly positioned for modern times. There is also an edge to the delivery and Hocking can clearly ad lib and work through the range of reactions and outcomes that the tricks and the audience members generate.

In an interview after the show Hocking mentioned that his career role models include Derren Brown and Steve Cohen. The respective styles and tricks of these two career influences are evident in the show that has been crafted and structured by Hocking for his Melbourne audience. Suspension of disbelief is very easy when you are witnessing a performance from Luke Hocking. His natural enthusiasm, style, and charisma mean that the time between taking your seat and exiting, along with many other things in between, quickly disappears.

DETAILS:
WHEN: 4th July - 5th September, Each Friday at 7:30pm and 9:30pm
WHERE: Marriott Hotel, Melbourne
COST: $39.95 (full) $35.00 Concession
BOOKINGS: http://events.ticketbooth.com.au/event/3826689

IMAGE CREDIT: From press release of Wolfe Words PR

An interview recorded with Luke after his show on 18 July can be found below.

http://youtu.be/5y52bwdi_UE

To post a comment, you must register and login.