Marc Salem Mind Games
Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh

21st August 2000
Reviewed by Tony Walker


The Marc Salem Mind Games show hit the Edinburgh Fringe for one night only. At 2140hrs on Monday 21st August 2000 in front of an Audience of about 150 laypersons and magicians Marc performed his Mind Games show for just over one hour. The show opened with about a 10 minute routine involving many variations on a nail writing theme. Although I thought the routine was slightly overdone with so many magicians present, the lay persons in the audience were completely mystified. The climax to the routine was excellent. A rule of the fringe is that all mobile phones should be switched off and not used. Marc excelled by getting everyone with a mobile to phone someone they knew. First person to get through asked the person a three digit number which of course had been predicted with that persons name and number.... Audience were amazed especially the lady with the mobile phone....

There followed a beautiful routine where 5 or 6 members of the audience were brought on stage and each given large cards to draw a picture on. These cards were shuffled and thereafter Marc cleverly eliminated each member by asking each if the drawing belonged to them. All participants were to answer "No". Each card was deduced by the way the person said or signalled "No". and with the last person he even drew that persons drawing without having looked at it. An astounding effect performed with humour and polished with complete professionalism.

There was a lovely routine (My favourite actually) where a fictitious detective a location, amount of money etc were all made up by the audience only for everything to be predicted/revealed in a letter from within the zipped compartment in his wallet. A touch of the Mark Strivvings passport effect finished with a nice wallet effect. Truly astounding.... This really shell-shocked the audience.

Lots of other effects were on show including an add a note effect revealing a number predicted on audio cassette made in New York the day before. An envelope chance routine in which of course the lady wins "HEE HAW" (Scottish for "not a carrot").

There was lots of audience participation and laughter from Marc's somewhat corny humour. The audience were fully appreciative of every effect and I heard nothing but gasps of disbelieve coming from behind me all through the show and this culminated with an unbelievable blindfold act at the end. Marc trussed with 2 pound coins in his eyes, taped up to the hilt and then for safe measures completely blind folded he was still able to say what colour a drawing had been made with, reveal number of a Clydesdale bank note, credit card number, the name of someone's dog in the audience, in fact I was dreading that he might reveal that I was born in pink underpants so bizarre were the revelations. In fact I'm surprised Marc doesn't just walk around blindfolded....

A truly memorable performance wasted by the fact that it was only one night.... Edinburgh Festival/fringe requires more mentalism/magic so any magicians etc out there bare this in mind. Your career could be enhanced greatly appearing here. Just look a Mr Sadowitz's magic show which is proving a sell out and which I have also seen but has already been reviewed - Its much better than the review I assure you......

Tony Walker
Practising Mentalist, come Policeman well eh just mental really...........

© Tony Walker, August 2000

 

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