Whoever said three is a crowd might need to reconsider their words after seeing Gentlemen of Deceit: Three Times the Magic. Luke Hocking, Alex de la Rambelje and Vyom Sharma are the gentlemen in question who in a previous life made a living as an insurance salesman, teacher and doctor. While most Australians may know the group from their standing ovation worthy performances on Australia’s Got Talent, the group defiantly deserve their newfound fame.
My plus one and I arrived at the stunning old Athenaeum Theatre in Melbourne to find we had the perfect seats sitting high above the crowd on the balcony level. As we whispered to each other that there was no way these magicians could fool us from our high vantage point, the lights dimmed. It was time to see what the trio could do.
We had not seen their work on TV before so this was a fresh experience and from the outset it was made clear that the group handled comedy just as seriously as their magic. The announcer, without anyone on stage yet, let the audience know that the performance would not start before someone placed a shoe on a stool in the middle of the stage. One brave man made his way up on stage before leaving his shoe on a chair and quickly fled again to find his seat. What happened next with the shoe was hilarious, magical and set the tone for what was to happen next. Don’t worry; we won’t spoil any of these tricks for you.
Over the course of an hour we were spellbound by feats of magic that was suited perfectly to a large stage. Slight of hand, audience participation and large-scale illusion were all on show. For the majority of the acts, my plus one and I were kept speechless and days later we still have no idea how most of these tricks were performed. The large-scale spectacle events all had a very tongue in cheek, handmade quality that matched the comedy perfectly. Some highlights include a dinosaur appearing on stage, rubix cubes turning into mice and a closing act that was both hilarious and ingenious in execution.
We are big fans of magic at The Plus Ones. These three amigos of magic did not disappoint and brought the right charm, style and charisma (with some huge wow-factor tricks) to the stage. We highly recommend seeing them if you get the opportunity, it really is a magical experience.
– Tomas
Tomas Zagoda is a filmmaker, writer, coffee addict and tall person who does not play basketball. You can follow him @TomasZagoda.
