BUZZCUTS.

Since 1997 Buzzcuts has been training young writers and broadcasters in critical arts reviewing. Now in its second year, Express Media takes this show on the road - to Adelaide.

Throughout the 2010 Adelaide Fringe Festival (Friday 19 February – Sunday 14 March ) 10 young writers will be attending events and writing reviews that will published here on the Buzzcuts website as well as on Lowdown Online and the Fringe Benefits website.

You can also keep up to date with Buzzcuts reviews during the Fringe by following us on Twitter (https://twitter.com/express__media).

Please note that the views and ideas expressed in Buzzcuts are not necessarily those held by Express Media or its 2010 program partners.

Buzzcuts Adelaide is assisted by the South Australian Government through Carclew Youth Arts Board.

Read the reviews and add your own thoughts!

Review categories Cabaret (4) Circus (4) Comedy (24) Dance (2) Live Art (0) Music (7) Performance (19) School Holiday Program (0) Special Events (0) Visual Arts (0)

Mada vs. Vegas - The Duelling Magicians Anders Wotzke | Sunday Feb 28th, 2010 | 0 comments The Bakehouse Theatre February 20 - 27 Magic meets melodrama in Mada vs. Vegas, but they don’t exactly hit it off. You’ll already be familiar with the premise of the show if you’ve seen the 2006 film ‘The Prestige’: two rivalling magicians – who were long-time friends prior to a trick going horribly wrong – take to a smoky stage in a battle of wits, card tricks and pyrotechnics. The idea is certainly novel – not often does stage magic get dealt a narrative – but the execution is lacking. The theatrics of their conflict are considerably underplayed, with the back story explaining why the two became rivals reduced to an offhand remark. Perhaps we could have seen the performance that started the feud? Their greatest adversary here is time, not each other. An hour isn’t nearly long enough to adequately balance magic and drama, forcing a compromise to be reached. As a result, we get two magicians occasionally casting each other moody glances, trying to outdo one another by way of the more elaborate examples of pub magic. There’s no questioning the talent of these Sydney illusionists, both being experts at sleight of hand and the performance of the illusion itself. But aside from a particularly daring opening trick (with a very real risk of injury), there’s nothing terribly elaborate here. Nothing you couldn’t see performed, say, by a skilled busker in the mall. The high level of audience participation keeps everyone on their toes, but it works counteractive to the dramatic tension they’re trying to build. The show is at its best during the last act where the two don’t break the fourth wall, thereby allowing full immersion in their characters. Like something out of Mad Magazine’s comic ‘Spy vs. Spy’, both magicians resort to dirty tactics to get ahead, playing tricks on each other and not just the audience. It makes for an amusing dramatic spectacle and offers a brief glimpse of the show’s true potential. So who is ultimately crowned top dog? Neither Mada nor Vegas in my book, but rather their accompanying magician Julia Madotti, who enthrals between each act with a magic-infused dance routine. As one of few female illusionists in Australia, she shows the boys how it’s done. link: Mada vs. Vegas - The Duelling Magicians details Radio Program: Click here to listen - audio reviews only Radio production details: Post a comment