Magician Sean Alexander is fascinated by moments in time. Be they iconic moments like the moon landing or the invention of the lightbulb or intimate moments like the birth of a child or particularly fond memory and, in his Fringe debut, he’s looking to share that fascination and maybe create some moments of wonder.
The audience are enthralled and mystified in equal measure
Alexander opens the show with a short video, speaking directly to camera, asking us to keep our phones handy throughout the performance – after switching them to silent mode of course – before entering with blue balloon on a string. Some introductory banter involves a classic but cute trick that draws applause and then he launches into a speech about moments that matter, not only in history, but in all of our lives.
There’s no question that Alexander is a talented magician and many of the illusions presented are done so with a slick professionalism that indicate that he’s been at this a long time and knows his craft well. The stories that accompany the magic are engaging and work as nice framing device, but it all feels a little ‘corporate’. Some of the moments in the performance do come across as the kind of homilies you’d hear at self-help conferences and, although there’s no arguing that his chosen themes of balance, optimism, and fate work well in the context of the show, it does make everything feel a little drawn out.
However, the audience are enthralled and mystified in equal measure and a finale that brings many of the elements of the show together before suddenly delving into a life-changing moment in Alexander’s own life is both unexpected and beautiful and seems perfectly fitting with this gentle, honest hour of magic.
