It’s not every day you get to see a magician live on stage who has been mentored by the best in the world, Penn and Teller. Kevin Quantum, AKA Kevin McMahon, was a regular guy once, a scientist in fact, but in the mid-2000s, a popular reality TV show called Faking It saw him chosen to be trained in a job completely opposite to the one he already had. The rest is pretty much history and over the last 10 years, he has developed his craft and toured the world wowing audiences night after night as a magician-scientist hybrid.
As part of Adelaide Fringe Festival‘s stellar 2017 line-up, Quantum dazzled audiences with his show ‘Illuminations’ in the Garden of Unearthly Delights. Firstly, what an incredible setting to set up shop for the night. Food trucks, fairy lights and shows; yes, please! Now, it’s fairly understandable that people are relatively sceptical about magic shows but, when it comes to Quantum’s ability to combine magic and science together, you really will be left spellbound.
Quantum is an entertainer and this is his greatest asset. His shows aren’t just about magic; they’re about creating a new reality where the blurred line of science and magic become the norm. It’s evident that he is passionate about what he does, engaging with the audience every opportunity he can. Getting a reaction is certainly the end goal, but it is also clear he just wants you to have a good time. By making things disappear, levitate, separating solids from liquids, and reading people’s mind, Quantum is able to build trust with the audience and turn the sceptics into believers.
The final trick of the night was the showstopper as it involved the audience using the light on their phone and wearing a pair of 3D glasses. You’ll never look through 3D glasses the same, nor will you ever be able to try and replicate what he did. I’m not giving anything away as I truly believe this is a show for the young and old to see.
Kevin Quantum: Illuminations played at the Adelaide Fringe Festival is a must-see show so, whenever you see him on a festival line-up or he’s in your city, be sure to get tickets.
The reviewer attended the production on the 10th March.
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