As hypnotist Matt Hale enters the stage to '80s music, in '80s clothing, it is apparent this is going to be a very '80s hypnosis show.
Rare is it to see a hypnotist run on stage and climb chairs, getting the audience to sing along to rock anthems and establish a proper party atmosphere
It's rare to see a hypnotist running on stage, climbing on chairs, getting the audience to sing along to rock anthems, and establishing a proper party atmosphere mere minutes before he’s required to induce hypnotic trances. But it works. The audience is clearly well-up for it and it very much suits Hale's energetic and confident persona.
Hale opens with an upbeat, conversational style and the audience are onside from the outset. I’ve seen every Fringe hypnotist in the past 12 years and it’s rare to find one using unique inductions, but Hale has the quickest, least formal method of guiding his volunteers into a trance that I’ve witnessed. When he has almost half of them under - a couple deeply but mostly mild - it’s clear that they will put on a decent show, though he’s lacking in the legends' department.
The second half sees classic hypnosis skits updated with the '80s spin. Expect to see dancing, amusing responses to musical triggers, ranges of extreme emotions, and a full-on classic '80s high-octane dance-routine climax. As with most hypnosis shows, the hypnotist creates the potential for scenarios, but it's the volunteers who dictate the actual quality of the show. Today’s volunteers did fine throughout but didn’t produce any killer moments.
This is an ambitious, well-themed production with all the ingredients to be a riotous affair. If you’re up for a hypnosis show in Edinburgh this year, pickings are, as usual, slim. Matt Hale offers a safe choice, unlikely to disappoint, though missing a few tricks to theme it further with unique, fresh concepts. Hopefully you’ll get a couple of volunteers to create scenes worth telling your friends about.