I am on stage at the Marlborough theatre verifying a magician’s mouth is empty. I am watching Stuart Lightbody swallow needles and proving they are real. My logical brain is telling me that he isn’t really swallowing the needles but I can’t for the life of me work out how he is doing it. Stuart Lightbody really is a wonder.
Lightbody’s act is a little bit like watching Derren Brown at the start of his career but without the big budget. He wonderfully mixes comedy with magic and has fantastic stage presence. He expertly deals with the slightly rowdy audience, keeping jovial and most importantly maintaining control. The narrative of the show flows perfectly and the audience all buy into every mind-boggling trick, reacting exactly the way a magician would want them to, with gasps, amazement and laughter.
Stuperstition looks at our obsession with superstitions. Lightbody covers star signs, mediums, voodoo and beliefs in the supernatural but all in a lighthearted way. The audience was a mixture of all ages and this is pure entertainment for all.
This is a five star fringe show. It proves that you don’t need money or a glitzy set to win over an audience; you just need talent and personality and Lightbody has the magic ingredients.
