We all remember the moment we realised what we wanted to do, where all the pieces fell into place and we began our journey of making our dreams into reality. For Toby Z. it was a childhood trip to Japan that ignited his love for illusion, that motivated him to create a life shimmering with all things magic. Toby Z. learnt magic under the mentorships of Chinese magician JianZhong Ding, who helped transform Toby Z. into the magician he is today.

The set-up of 2.0 Wow, Magic! was intimate, with the audience so close to the ‘stage’ that we should surely notice any sleight of hand or deception…or so you would think. Toby Z. even had a cameraman who ran a live feed of the performance, giving spectators the chance to inspect every little move made. Despite this, the tricks we saw were beyond comprehension: seemingly mind-reading members of the audience, making things shatter, disappear, and reappear, all happening right before our eyes.

Whilst the act and tricks themselves are undeniably important, no show is worth watching if the performers lack the same charm and allure. Toby Z. captured the audience with his immediate charisma and gentle humour, the kind of performer you root for, the kind of person who almost seems too nice to deceive you. Warmth and trustworthiness are necessary traits for magicians, who need to put audience volunteers calm and at ease to assist them with their tricks. Attending 2.0 Wow, Magic! puts you at a high risk of becoming a magician’s assistant, as Toby Z. requires quite a few (enthusiastic and not-so-enthusiastic) participants for his illusions. However, Toby Z. melts the usual audience anxieties into a sense of openness and ease, a talent not always found amongst all magicians.

Although the show could use some polishing with technology, and perhaps some more ambience in areas like background music or lights, the magic and warmth of 2.0 Wow, Magic! is more than enough reason to attend. That’s the beauty of the Fringe Festival anyways, it allows us to support growing, newer artists so that overtime they can build up their performances to a more professional standard.