Good magicians don’t need sleeves; great magicians don’t need pants. So say Christopher Wayne and Mike Tyler, two Brisbane lads who are making their Fringe debut in The Naked Magicians.
The promos for this show promise a raucous, adults-only, full-frontal attack on traditional magic shows, and that’s exactly what you get.
The stage is set with the blow-up sex doll that greets the audience as it files into the Peacock tent at Gluttony. There’s no mistaking what you’re in for at this point, but the two naked magicians are also great comedians whose off-the-cuff banter creates a truly fun and funny atmosphere.
Wayne and Tyler start the evening by telling the crowd that every other magic show is Twilight, and this is True Blood. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the audience is predominantly women, with a spattering of men in attendance, but the performers do a wonderful job of catering to both their target demographics – women on hen’s nights, and gay men. To their credit, they coped extraordinarily well with what can only be described as an avalanche of hens at their Saturday show, beating back constant heckles of “dack him” to those lucky enough to participate on stage.
The title The Naked Magicians is perhaps a bit of an oversell. The posters depict two buff, naked men with top hats over their privates, but that’s not exactly what you get. However, in a conversation after the show, the pair explained why they aren’t starkers the whole time: they consider the first half to be foreplay – there’s build-up and anticipation – and by the end, the audience is well and truly ready for a spectacular finale.
Ultimately, The Naked Magicians presents a great balance between impressive magic tricks, comedy and gratuitous nudity.
For those a little on the squeamish side, fear not, this is no Puppetry of the Penis. This show is fun, funny and a little bit naughty. Probably not suitable for kids or your grandparents, but everyone else should go for it.
The Naked Magicians is playing at The Peacock at Gluttony until March 15.
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Click here for all InDaily’s 2014 Adelaide Fringe stories and reviews.
