Magicians and illusionists need to be very good or they end up being really bad. Mind you, when magic and illusions go wrong it can be funny, but you need a comedian like English funny man Tommy Cooper for that. (Young folk can Google him.)
I saw a magic and illusion show at QPAC some time ago – not by the people behind the show in this story – that didn’t quite make the grade.
Chatting to Simon Painter, creative producer of Now You See Me Live, which opens at QPAC in January, he reveals the secret to a great show. And it’s not rocket science. “You have to have the very best talent,” Painter says.
Painter and fellow producer Tim Lawson have been bringing brilliant shows to QPAC for quite a few years now, despite an interruption by the pandemic. These shows are spectacular, baffling, engaging and funny. And great for people (like yours truly) who have a short attention span.
As someone who tends to look at his watch during most theatrical productions I can honestly say I have never looked at my watch in one of Painter and Lawson’s shows, unless it was to check that it was still on my wrist!
Painter, an Englishman based in LA who has a soft spot for Australia (particularly now that he has become a surfer – more of that later), is a fellow traveller, of sorts.
“I have the shortest attention span,” he tells me. “The secret to making a good show is to have a good team around you and I’m a sucker for the best talent. We’ve always relied on getting the best and we spend a lot of time developing shows.”
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This summer his four trailblazing illusionists will unleash a mind-blowing spectacle in Now You See Me Live. Inspired by Lionsgate’s global hit Now You See Me film franchise and brought to life by the producers of the record-breaking phenomenon The Illusionists, the cutting-edge production will take up residence in the Concert Hall at QPAC from January 8 to 18.
A world-class magic ensemble – inspired by the film’s characters, the “Four Horsemen” – will bring an unbelievable arsenal of solo skills, shocking twists and grand feats of illusion to this Australian premiere season. The Australian tour will open at the Sydney Opera House before making its way to QPAC and then to Crown Perth. Redefining the expectations of stage magic, the “Four Horsemen” are:
Adam Trent (US): Harnessing the power of technology and deceptive sleight of hand, Trent has become a modern magical force by translating his skills from stage to screen to social media.
Pablo Cánovas (Spain): An international prodigy, Cánovas’ spellbinding mastery earned him the titles of Golden Magician, Magician D’Or and Heir of Illusion.
Andrew Basso (Italy): A true daredevil known for his death-defying acts, Basso became the first and youngest Italian to win the World Escape Championship.
Gabriella Lester (Canada): At just 22, the quick-witted Lester is the youngest and only female Horseman, who mastered Houdini’s upside down straight-jacket escape when she was only 14.
Combined, the quartet have performed in thousands of shows in hundreds of cities and have left spellbound audiences questioning the realms of possibility in their wake.
“Now You See Me Live pushes the boundaries of stage magic to the absolute edge, making the impossible possible in front of your very eyes,” Painter says. “Together we’ve created a show with truly mind-blowing artistry at epic scale, and we can’t wait for audiences to experience the magic – live!”
Jenefer Brown, Lionsgate’s president of global products and experiences, says “fans are mesmerised by the showmanship, spectacle and skill of the Four Horsemen in the Now You See Me movies, and we are thrilled for audiences to experience the magic of the franchise live on stage.”
Lionsgate’s $670 million Now You See Me franchise includes two hit films. A third film from director Ruben Fleischer is based on a story by Eric Warren Singer and was recently in cinemas.
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As with the other shows that Painter and Lawson have brought to us, this one is for everybody – and that’s part of the magic.
“The age range for our audience is from birth to death,” Painter says. “We try to make its appeal as broad as possible. I always make shows that I would want to see and for people who have similar short attention spans.”
‘this is guaranteed to be a breathtaking event where you won’t want to miss a trick’
QPAC chief executive Rachel Healy describes the show as “the next summer blockbuster”.
“With the awe-inspiring cast and creative teams behind it, this is guaranteed to be a breathtaking event where you won’t want to miss a trick,” she says.
Painter, who lives with his family at beachside Santa Monica, took up surfing five years ago and that gives his time Down Under a new purpose. He will be at Noosa for Christmas with an eye to surfing its famous point breaks before bringing the show to QPAC.
Now You See Me Live is brought to the stage by Simon Painter (co-creator, executive producer), Adam Trent (co-creator), Tim Lawson (executive producer), Ash Jacks (McCready) (creative director, Staging Director), Kirsty White, (creative director) and Enzo Weyne (illusion director), and is based on characters created by Boaz Yakin and Edward Ricourt.
Lawson and Painter have created, produced and presented best-selling shows in more than 450 cities in 45 countries, smashing box-office records across Australia, on Broadway, London and beyond. Now You See Me Live marks their 12th summer show at QPAC, their first being Le Grand Cirque, which sold more than 40,000 seats in 10 days, followed by Ariel Dreams and Cirque Adrenaline.
They went on to create what became the world’s most successful group magic show, The Illusionists, and its spinoffs The Illusionists 2.0, The Illusionists 1903 – The Golden Age of Magic and The Magic of Christmas.
These shows broke box-office records around the world. Other shows include Le Noir, The Unbelievables, Cirque Paris, Cirque Stratosphere and Circus 1903 – a show that boasted life-sized elephants, created by the puppeteers from War Horse.
Brisbane is more than ready for their latest effort. Fellow short attention spanners rejoice.
Now You See Me Live plays the Concert Hall, QPAC, January 8-18.
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