Maho Magic Bar

Once again through the shoji, Maho Magic Bar recreates neon-bright Japanese nightlife for a fifth year at Adelaide Fringe. Fusing old and new Japanese culture with whip-smart close-up magic, five magicians wow the cocktail-drinkers with sleight of hand and edgy humour.

There are four bars and a central table, and each of the magicians commands one with their particular blend of magic: card tricks, illusions, mind-reading, and dangerous tricks with sharp objects. Drinks can be ordered from the QR code on coasters at the bar – but there’s a different kind of menu there too, where requests deliver magic on a larger scale in the central space.

After a few minutes with one of the magicians, the music gets louder, the rhythm thumps deeper, and turning the audience away from the bar, one of them is pulled to the middle, where the ensemble do daring and hilarious things with soy beans, bandanas, and cans of soft drink.

When the audience turn back to the bar, the magicians have moved to the next one, and a different mix of intimate illusions are presented without the patrons needing to leave their stools and spill a drink (a front-row seat will have you closer to the action and have somewhere to rest your drink!)

After four previous seasons, some of the tricks and audience participation are familiar and feeling a bit too scripted. Most of the magicians are new to the show, and whilst they blend their distinct personalities with the old tricks, going back for a second visit this year might not be as rewarding as the first time in this bar.

It remains hugely enjoyable and it’s slickly delivered with good humour and not quite innocent innuendo. The personalities of the mischief-makers vary from sharply dressed Shirayuri’s charming card tricks to kooky-punk E. O. Lee’s sass. A robed Wandi has a child-like innocence in his stories and does truly mind-bending things with sticky tape; whilst Ryu’s bravado with pointy things builds genuine tension. It’s these individuals’ characteristics that lift the show to the high standards the audience expects.

It's all held together by the ringmistress Sawaka, who challenges everyone who catches her eye to games that she never seems to lose. It’s a whole heap of fun, they don’t take themselves too seriously, but just when you’re laughing at the obvious sleight of hand, they reveal a twist you didn’t see coming. A unique combination of performance and cocktails, it’s both charming and impressive, and the hour goes way too quickly.

Review by Mark Wickett

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