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Tony Middleton is a very well known parlour and close-up magician, who is a member of the Magic Circle.
Pre-Covid, he regularly performed his show from theatres and hotels in London. He now successfully operates online via Zoom.
Known for working with Chris Dugdale, he is also an author and director. He is also famed for TV appearances on shows like Penn & Teller: Fool Us.
His website offers online shows and even magic workshops and private coaching. Many services are available.
I have wanted to book to see Tony perform his “Virtually Impossible” show for quite a long time and I own his book “Performing Magic”. A fantastic handbook of performance advice for magicians.
I can now fully appreciate after seeing him perform, why he is so qualified to write this book.
I viewed the show on Saturday the 20th of March. The show is advertised at 1 hour 15 minutes, which is a really decent length of time. Real value for money as the ticket cost for a high end experience is very reasonable.
Joining the show on Zoom was easy, with email instructions and tickets sent in advance. I had paper, a coin and a pencil at hand to join in as instructed. Bandwidth was good, excellent picture and sound.
The performance was presented by Tony from his home studio. An absolutely fantastic setup with Tony in smart attire of white tie and tails and a set that is reminiscent of the golden age of magic with posters, art deco display stand and other lovely touches such as his leather antique desk. Great colour scheme and lots of props in use throughout the show.
The show starts with a video montage, followed by a very confident and relaxed introduction by Tony, chatting to the audience. He has a fantastic natural manner that just draws you into the performance, which is interactive throughout.
An intimate sized audience with many families, children and even couples on date nights. It really was the closest experience I have had to going out in a while. Tony made sure that everyone had their opportunity to interact throughout the show, with excellent audience control.
Tony explained that he normally performs at the Sheraton Grand Park Lane Mayfair Hotel. Setting the scene and theme for the show, he talks about the Golden Age of Magic during the late Victorian era. Hence his great studio setting.
The narration throughout the show and delivery is engaging and charming in all aspects of presentation.
Tony is such an interesting performer that when he encourages all to support theatre, you really do hope that you will get the chance to see him perform his show live very soon. I am based in the Midlands and would definitely travel to London to see Tony perform and try to get my book signed! lol
As spoiler free, I cannot go much beyond stating the show is themed around the history of magic. Loads of excellent card work, sleight of hand, mentalism and lots of props in use throughout the performance. You are taught a little magic as well!
I can see why Tony is in demand as a coach/instructor of magic.
It was obvious how much everyone enjoyed the show. Clapping and unmuting at the right moments to make sure Tony could hear the appreciation that I think he gained satisfaction from. One of the best audiences that I have witnessed. I think I may have even recognised the odd few faces from other shows and the love of magic was obvious.
My wife gets to see a lot of the shows with me. I explained before that I thought this show would be special and if she could also attend, that she should. Unfortunately, she was unable to watch this performance with me but it will of course give me that excuse to book to see Tony live and take her! The show was special.
The use of multiple cameras and an overhead camera on the desk was excellent. Probably the best up close camera work that I have seen. Especially impressive as Tony is doing this all himself while performing.
The show is flawless. It is an absolute MUST SEE! I could easily watch Tony perform for hours.
To check out Tony's site and services you should visit his website "The Magic Hour Show". It lists all of his services and it contains a lot of content to view.
Check out the "Virtually Impossible" tab on the home page to book and select dates. Weekly performances at a very reasonable cost.
Thank you Tony for the great show. Why did I wait so long to book?