The Circus of Illusion show has entertained audiences all around Australia for years. Produced, directed, and featuring acclaimed Australia’s Got Talent finalist illusionist Michael Boyd, it includes a short mix of acts that feels as though it is trying to appeal to a wide range of people. As such, it came across as more of a vaudeville variety show.
As the name suggests, the show opened with the Circus of Illusion’s ringmaster, Idris Stanton, who prepared the audience for the evening by lightening the mood with his comedic opening. The magic of Idris hosting was similar to him being the MC at a Comedy Festival, which appealed to the front row and the wider audience. Idris was also a performer in the show, and his percussion juggling act, accompanying a Queen song, was original and entertaining, as was his dangerously skilled juggling act of two knives and a working chainsaw.
One act included an aerial hula hoop artist, who displayed exceptional skills working with many hoops in a show of spinning and balance. At one stage, some hoops were LED lit and created a colourful display of fast-moving circular lights.
Other acts were illusions, during which Michael Boyd involved the audience and invited his young guests onto the stage to help him perform his illusions. “Do you believe in magic?” Michael asked his guest apprentices, to which they enthusiastically nodded. It was heart-warming to watch his connection with the kids, and no doubt, these children will believe in magic even more after being his guest apprentice!
Michael Boyd came onto the stage for more time than the first set during the second half to perform more illusions, some of which left me wondering how they were done. He performed them with practised ease.
The true standout of the evening for me and, it seemed, the audience, judging by their cheering, was Sascha Williams’ impressive Rola Bola performance at the end of the first act. Performing with his wife, Sascha displayed incredible skills balancing atop a variety of cylinders and ramps. At one stage, he even played the electric guitar while balancing high on several items.
Scattered throughout the show were a few dance routines performed by two dancers. The choreography complemented the music, and the dancers’ movements were precise and agile. Their costumes were beautiful, adorned with sequins and headwear with feathers. The glitz of a stage show was well and truly incorporated into the costume design for Circus of Illusion.
The stage setting was very simple, with a few standing lights and white drop sheets in the background. With a few more props incorporated into the design, they perhaps could have matched the glamour of the costumes.
Circus of Illusion is an entertaining show best suited for families with children and audience members who would expect a light, entertaining night out rather than a death-defying, thrilling night of illusion.
Circus of Illusion was performed at The State Theatre on Saturday, March 30, 2024. It consists of two 45-minute acts with a twenty-minute interval.
