Review - “Jay & Joss” Online Zoom Shows (Spoiler Free)

Sat Oct 03 2020 23:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

I discovered the Jay & Joss show on my Facebook feed during the week. The trailer that accompanied the post looked like the show would be a really professional online show.


The trailer revealed Jay and Joss converting a warehouse into a suitable area for the online show performance. An impressive trailer and I knew that I had to book tickets.


Jay and Joss are used to performing in theatres and on cruise ships. My hope when booking the ticket would be that the show would be more like a theatre production which it was.


Tickets started from £7.49 to view the show with different packages available. You had West End, Broadway and Las Vegas options which steadily increased in price. The choice is a good idea with different perks available so you can choose the best option that suits you.


The Broadway and Las Vegas packages send you a pre show pack. The Las Vegas option giving you a choice of a magic trick from the shop and a signed Jay & Joss poster.


My pre show pack arrived very quickly, just a day after purchasing. Clearly marked not to open until instructed during the show.


I await my signed tour poster. Had to get one of those as an individual who likes to collect magic related items.


Prior to the show, I received email joining instructions.


Logging into Zoom was straight forward and all audience members were able to wait and see each other while waiting for the show to start.


Jay and Joss posted on Facebook prior to the show starting. A good omen that they were organised and ready. The fact that they were also in smart attire gave a good impression of what was to come. A prompt start for any online Zoom show is important.


Audience wise, it was an intimate audience size that attended this show. The advantage being that all audience members had a few opportunities to interact with Jay and Josh.


The presentation was flawless. Good camera work, lighting effects and audio presentation. Jay and Joss were very professional. A well rehearsed show and it felt like a proper theatre production on Zoom.


The show is advertised for 30 minutes but lasted about 40 minutes and they worked through about 12 effects.


The show is ideal for families and while I did not see anything new or unique, I enjoyed the show. To be fair, I also watch a lot of magic. For families and those with young children, they would be amazed. I would certainly like to see these two perform live in a theatre, I get the feeling that they probably perform larger scale illusions as well due to their cruise ship background.


Currently, it does appear that tonight’s show was the last that is currently advertised. I watched the show on Sunday the 4th of October.


If you get the chance to see these two perform onstage or online, you won’t be disappointed. A very polished show.


Thanks Jay and Joss.


PS. They have just tweeted to confirm that they will be announcing more dates during the week.

Review - Savour The Sea From a Distance – A Virtual Magic Show By Vincenzo Ravina (Spoiler Free)

Sun Sep 27 2020 23:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

The opportunity to join an interactive show hosted by Vincenzo Ravina on Zoom was too good to miss. I became aware of Vincenzo after an invite to view his show and through his appearance on Penn and Teller: Fool Us.


It is always refreshing when you have a performer who takes a unique approach, trying to do something different. As I get to see many shows, I appreciate originality as I still then get surprised with unexpected moments during shows.


I did take a small break from Zoom shows in the Summer as some of the shows were becoming too familiar if they lacked originality and repeated standard effects. On one occasion, I even decided to stop reviewing the show as I like to discover and recommend artists who leave you wanting more and who have worked on a unique show presentation. The last few shows in particular have restored my faith.


Vincenzo is currently performing live shows on Zoom and is advertising future dates in October. He has just finished performing online as part of the Halifax Fringe in Canada. He plans to continue adding a couple of online shows a month while the demand continues and you should keep an eye on eventbrite and his websites for details of more shows. Like all magicians, Vincenzo looks forward to the day he can perform live shows again. He tells me that show times vary and as well as shows times for North America/Canada, he regularly advertises UK friendly timed shows as he attracts a lot of UK visitors. Incidentally, the next planned UK friendly showtime is this Friday the 2nd of October at 7pm GMT. Though of course you can join from anywhere around the world with the show advertised at 3pm Atlantic time and 2pm Eastern.


Tickets are per Zoom screen so you can have as many family around the screen as you like. You pay what you can afford for the ticket.


Based in Nova Scotia - Canada, Vincenzo is an English teacher, artist, writer, performer and magician. His show performances combine mentalism and magic with his own magical artifacts. He has practised magic from childhood. Balancing his online teaching most mornings, and his weekday afternoons writing and working on magic. T-shirts are something that he also works on for fun, when inspiration strikes. His T-shirts showing off his love of animals. His favouite being a girafficorn!


I attended his show on Sunday the 27th of September at 7pm GMT which lasted approximately 40 minutes. Allowing for about 10 to 12 magic effects in that time.


Prior to attending, you are advised to have a coin, a pack of cards, marker and scrap paper at hand as the show is interactive. For the performance, I was joined by my wife and daughter (who hid off camera). Other audience members were keen to interact and join in with the performance and all appeared to be quite tech savvy. The performance was quite intimate and all audience members got a couple of opportunities to talk and join in with Vincenzo. If you join the show, make sure you have your camera on as you will become part of the show.


To prepare for the show, I received several emails. I was probably just unlucky but if you don’t hear, keep an eye on your junk email folder as you will get mail during the show as well. I later discovered that one email had landed in my junk email folder for some reason.


The management of the audience members was good. All participants muted apart from when invited to speak.


The broadband connection was perfect. No issues at all with video and audio clear. While technology can sometimes present unexpected issues, when Vincenzo had a minor issue, he acted fast to rectify so it was not noticeable and the show started on time.


Vincenzo is a story teller, setting the scene and bringing stories to life with artifacts that are not only props supporting his effects, but important components of his show. The audience are encouraged to use their imagination and participate.


You feel comfortable in the presence of Vincenzo. His presentation and ability to put audience members at ease leaves you wanting more. A skilled magician.


As a spoiler free review, I cannot give anything away but the ending is original and different. Certainly something that you will not have seen before and is memorable. If you want to know more and see his performance, I recommend that you book.


This show has to be recommended for any fans of magic. While the show will likely appeal to adults who appreciate absurdity (Vincenzo’s own words), it is a family friendly performance so it will potentially appeal to all ages. My daughter is 10 and she enjoyed aspects of the show when she joined us to watch. Book now while the show is still available online.


Shows can be booked via eventbrite here. Price for tickets is in Canadian dollars and you pay what you can afford.


If you would like to know more about Vincenzo, you can follow him on his social pages below. And don’t forget to check out his Penn and Teller: Fool Us performance. Worth checking out.


It should also be noted that Vincenzo is available for private bookings as well and he can be contacted using his sites.


I definitely recommend if you want something different and wish to view an entertaining show, book a ticket.


Website:


Magic-specific website:


FaceBook –
Twitter -


Instagram -


YouTube -


IMDB -

Penn and Teller -

Magic Singh - Live At Home Show Review (Spoiler Free)

Mon Sep 14 2020 23:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

The Magic Singh “Live At Home” show was advertised online for a few weeks. An intimate online show with plenty of online interaction via Zoom.


As a well known Tik Tok magician, Magic Singh has a large following. A professional who has a massive online presence and conducts Zoom performances for private and corporate events. He also works as a consultant and has his own products which include his own range of playing cards (which I hope to review soon). Magic Singh also appeared on the BBC show “School Of Hard Tricks” as a mentor.


Show tickets were available via EventBrite and emails with joining instructions were sent out prior to the show in a timely manner. Ticket cost was reasonable, as is always the case with these online shows.


I had previously seen Magic Singh perform online as part of Magical Bones‘ online show. While I have always been impressed with Magic Singh, his appearance was quite short as guesting during the Bones show. The opportunity to see a fuller performance was appealing.


My main hope was to see some fresh material and effects. Something different and unique. The bar was also now set extremely high after the online Justin Willman show I viewed at the weekend.


Did this show hit the same dizzy heights?


Well, I wasn’t disappointed, and I was impressed. A lot of online shows tend to have a lot of the same magic and effects. But Magic Singh kept everything fresh. Lots of different tricks and when doing certain more well known routines, he put his own spin on it.


The show lasted about 50 minutes and was really good value. I got lots of opportunities to take part in the show and chat to Magic Singh. Being a fan of most magicians, this was of course a highlight for me. He has a good manner with his audience and you feel comfortable interacting as he communicates well. His style is light and he is good humoured.


Magic Singh controlled the audience well making sure that mute was used effectively. This good control always helps as makes it easier to follow and hear the show.


Some of the audience members who had cameras switched off were still given the opportunity to participate as well, being invited to turn on their cameras. Personally, if you are going on a Zoom interactive show, I think it is good to participate. When would you get the opportunity to talk to these performers otherwise. Making the show more memorable for you.


Show content of course included card magic, mentalism and some of his Tik Tok magic. About 14 or so tricks carried out in total. Really impressive and well planned. A fast paced show.


An excellent Zoom show that I would have to recommend. If Magic Singh advertises more shows, buy a ticket if you missed this show. Hopefully, the future will include shows at weekends and perhaps at a slightly earlier time. I think a lot of younger children would be amazed with a lot of the act.


If you want to know more about Magic Singh and book him, he can be contacted via his site.


The show that I reviewed took place at 8pm on the 15th of September.

Justin Willman - Online Show Review (Spoiler Free)

Sat Sep 12 2020 23:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

I was really excited about this show and booked tickets a couple of weeks ago. I attended the midnight showing today in the UK.


Thankfully I was right to be excited as this was special. I have seen a lot of Zoom shows which have often been performances of the same tricks/effects. However, for this show, Justin packed the show with entertainment and magic and the content was really original. Many tricks that I had not seen before.


As Justin is US based in California, show times are of course advertised for the East and West coast of the states. Though Justin does have some earlier shows advertised in the coming weeks that are more UK and Europe friendly time wise.


Visit eventbrite for details of all the future shows that are planned for dates and times. At the time of writing, at least 5 more shows planned for September and October.


Justin is a great and versatile performer who is familiar to a worldwide audience due to his popular Netflix show. Therefore, hundreds of participants were watching the show using Zoom. Some of the lucky ones also got to interact with Justin and help with magic.


Anyone who enjoys magic and Justin’s Netflix show will enjoy this Zoom magic performance. Very family friendly and Justin will have made quite a few children happy who he interacted with.


Tickets are still available to see Justin perform online and I would recommend you purchase. Very reasonoble ticket cost and you can have as many as you like around a Zoom screen. The show lasted about one hour and ten minutes.


I booked using eventbrite and I have used them before. Joining instructions were sent to me in plenty of time before the show with instructions to avoid any issues.

You”re encouraged to sign in early for the show to check that you can connect without issue. A timer then counts down until showtime.


The audience management was good with all on mute unless invited to speak.


Justin was in good form and this is easily the best Zoom Magic show that I have seen this year. He has spent a lot of time planning the show and it was really professional.


The number of tricks/effects performed in the time in itself is impressive. Most effects being original to Justin.


As this is spoiler free, I cannot give anything away but will just say his face mask trick and cardboard box tricks were just a couple of the highlights.


As a treat for my daughter who is 10, we allowed her to stay up late (we are in UK) to see the show. She loved the end trick with a picture frame and tribute to Justin’s mum and family.


You have to see this show. I cannot recommend it more highly and it is a magic highlight of the year for myself and my family. All entertained.


Visit his website for more info about Justin. A store also exists and you can buy his social distancing magician starter kit to help raise funds for Covid 19. International shipment options also exist.

Mark Shortland, Kerry Scorah and Richard Parsons - "An Evening (In) of Deception" - Zoom Show Review

Fri Aug 07 2020 23:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Many artists are now performing Zoom Magic shows. This latest show is with Richard Parsons, Kerry Scorah and Mark Shortland. Hosted by Jon Bonner and in conjunction with The Palace Theatre in Paignton.


Ticket prices were really reasonable and you could of course have as many viewers as you liked around a screen. £5 of each ticket going towards the theatre.


The technical setup of the show was good. No issues with the presentation at all. While waiting for the show, music played and slides appeared about the artists. Once started, all events were hosted by Jon Bonner.


Jon spoke about the difficult time for artists and how events like this Zoom show in conjunction with theatres like the Palace was essential. Technical support was also offered if required which was a nice touch and all audience members were asked to go on mute unless interacting with an artist. It was good that they did this as I have attended some shows with no audience control, speakers have been on and I have heard all kinds of additional conversations which is just distracting.


These guys had obviously run public Zoom magic shows before. The show demonstrated how a Zoom Magic show should be structured and performed. All artists were also very aware of the camera, making sure good angles were available and encouraging controlled audience participation. Only feedback on the audience interaction would be that some screens were interacted with several times before others were interacted with for the first and only time. I found myself waiting until the close of the show before being asked to assist.



Not wishing to give too much away about the acts, so as not to spoil the actual show, Richard Parsons was up first, followed by Kerry Scorah and then Mark Shortland. All acts were well rehearsed and entertaining.



While of course you will always see some tricks that you have seen before (if you go to Zoom Magic shows regularly), it is always interesting to see different artists perform variations of a trick. Richard carried out an example of an established trick with his own take on it using “Yours” and “Mine” envelopes. Kerry was able to do some amazing mentalism and a trick using pot noodle tubs. Lastly, Mark as the headline act worked though a lot of magic and his handling of the elastic bands and his silk hankie trick were really good. His closing act with use of numbers was also pretty amazing.



At the close of the show, we were advised that they intend to work with other regional theatres to bring further Zoom magic shows to audiences. If you haven't seen a Zoom Magic before, a show such as this is a good place to start. The show was about 2 hours and included a short 10 minute interval.



They intend to bring the show to other regional theatres and they have set up an "Evening of Deception" FaceBook page. Here. Follow the page to find out more and any future dates as announced.



Recommended show. As and when I am aware of further dates, I will add details to the site.



The Performers

Richard is an award-winning Gloucestershire based close-up magician. A member of the prestigious Magic Circle, Richard travels and performs throughout the South West as well as internationally having performed in both Italy and Spain.



Kerry is one of the country’s most highly regarded and one of the very few female professional magicians. A recipient of the Magic Circle’s presitigous Gold Star Award, Kerry was the only British woman to perform at the Magic Circle Centenary celebration.



Mark engages his audiences with a mixture of magic and audience participation. His winning personality and unique brand of comedy are blended with an individual style creating an act that the edge of your seat was made for. He has 12 national awards and was recently invited to perform for the second time on ‘Penn and Teller: Fool Us’ providing the international flare for their tv special.

Oliver Tabor and Wayne Trice - “Magic At The Barn” - Zoom Show Review

Tue Jul 21 2020 23:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Unlike many other recent Zoom magic shows, tickets were on sale for a while for this event. Leaving a decent amount of time to promote and book.


This event was interesting as it introduced various ticket options that I haven’t seen before for an online show. You could pay to watch a live stream on YouTube or pay a little more and attend on Zoom, acting as the virtual front row.


While the gig was advertised on the “Magic At The Barn” FaceBook page, a link would take you to eventbrite to purchase tickets. The booking process was smooth and emails clearly explained how to join and what you needed to do to prepare for the show.


The event itself was good value for money and provided family entertainment. A proper theatre experience online with various acts and even an interval which was broadcast from “Magic At The Barn”. The show lasted over an hour and a half, which included the 15 minutes interval.


The compère was established Magician Wayne Trice, who hosted and performed. Also starring Oliver Tabor who performed in the theatre with Vicky Butterfly.


Joining them were Ian and Lisa who performed hand shadow puppets. And Matt Ricardo who performed his knife act.


The different acts added variety to the show and the set pieces performed by Oliver Tabor were a particular highlight. I always enjoy seeing the lady in the stand up box routine and brings back fond memories. This is the routine where you can see a hand and foot still and the middle section of the box is moved outwards from the rest of the boxes enclosure.


It was good to see the team performing a set that no one else is performing on Zoom. Some of the other Zoom shows can get a bit the same with the same old rubik cubes tricks etc. Whereas this had a nice balance of traditional routines for the kids, close up magic and big illusions.


Wayne Trice has the difficult job of interacting with the Zoom audience, while attempting to have them involved in certain tricks successfully.


From comments made by Wayne, it sounds like they are learning from the new Zoom experience and the challenges/barriers performing in this manner.


The streaming quality of the show for me was good, though appreciate that will vary dependant on an individuals own bandwidth.


Hopefully more dates will be planned and we would definitely recommend this show for families and those with small children.


Thank you for an entertaining show. Recommended.

Tom Brace - "Connected" Zoom Magic Show Review

Sat Jun 27 2020 23:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Tom performed two online Zoom shows today (Sunday 28th June).


The audience was really enthusiastic and excited for the show. Lots of families waving to the music and being highlighted on screen while we waited for Tom.


Despite being a Zoom show, Tom had obviously worked hard on the show content and planning. A video started off the show of Tom out and about before getting into the magic and meeting the audience.


His humour is funny and he engages with his audience well. I don't know how he did it but everyone got a chance to be involved somehow.


The show was really good value and lasted just over an hour. If Tom arranges anymore Zoom shows, I would definitely recommend booking until you can see him live.


Most of the magic was with cards and connecting with the audience, reading minds etc. He worked through approx 8 to 10 tricks in the time.

If you don’t want any spoilers, stop reading now.


The two stand out tricks for me had to be when he was able to get the audience to find four of the same cards from a pack of cards. E.g 4 aces from a deck of cards. You were asked to have cards at hand that you could manipulate before the show.


Then at the end, a lady in London chose a word from a book. With assistance from the audience, Tom then rang a random phone number comprising of digits made up by the audience.


After a voicemail and a call being cut off, Tom and the audience finally got through to a gent who would chat. No idea how Tom did it but with instruction to the gent and clicking his fingers, he was able to get the chap to say the selected word from the book. Really amazing end to the Zoom show. Think Tom was also under pressure as you only get so long on Zoom performance time wise.


The use of technology for this particular Zoom show was really good and the best for presentation. Don’t under estimate the fact that this was presented from a front room, all was well planned and professional.


I also need to say, everyone got a bargain really. The price of the Zoom ticket was so cheap, many had about 5 or 6 family and fiends around the camera.


Another successful Zoom show and different again. It‘s great the way magicians like Tom are stamping their own unique identity and style when using Zoom.


If you get a chance, and want to book to see Tom, take a look at his website which lists all his services.

Elliot Bibby - Zoom Magic Review

Fri Jun 19 2020 23:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

My family and I were able to join Elliot for an online show yesterday (Saturday 19th June).


We opted for the family magic show and thoroughly enjoyed the 30 minute performance.


Three options exist on Elliot's website and the other two are close up magic and corporate. It appears that Elliot is getting a lot of bookings, so definitely book in advance to get the time and dates that you want. Word is getting out about Zoom Magic.


The show was a great opportunity to enjoy Zoom magic and see my sister, my niece, my cousins and all their families. As we selected the family magic show, Elliot was great with all participants of all ages. If you want online entertainment for any event and want a magician, I would recommend this show.


Elliot has a packed routine and fits a lot of magic within the available time. He is very skilled and his sleight of hand with cards and props has to be seen. I have seen a lot of magic performances now and have to say that this is quite different. Elliot has his own style and way of doing things.


The presentation of the show is humorous and was good family entertainment. Quite a lot of laughs and surprises.


The routine of tricks is mainly card based and for anyone who appreciates cardistry, they will will certainly respect how the cards are handled. I loved the show opener and how the bicycle cards appear. A fantastic start to the show and I will not spoil the surprise.


While I would imagine as a magician, Zoom may present some challenges and possible barriers, Elliot uses the medium to his advantage. So, while we all of course love live magic, this technology does allow more interaction between you and the magician during the show.


The connection was pretty good on Zoom. I like to use my laptop to see other audience members/delegates and use my monitor for the show. I understand that bookings are also available using Skype and FaceTime. Zoom does seem to be the preferred method by most magicians though.


I really have to recommend Elliot. His prices are so reasonable. At time of booking, Elliot discusses the price plans with you dependent on your requirements and latest pricing also appears on his website. If you want to know a bit more, as well as the website, take a look at this YouTube video about the show.


Thanks for the amazing show. May have to book the close up magic show next!

Magical Bones - "A Kind of Magic" Review

Fri Jun 12 2020 23:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Many magicians are currently offering Zoom Magic shows. Magical Bones was one of the first to offer interactive Zoom shows to book for private or corporate events during the current Covid-19 crisis. Since then, lots of other magicians have followed with many Zoom shows available.


Leading the way, Magical Bones has now taken his Zoom shows to the next level, offering full theatre shows. This week, 6 shows over 3 days were available to book.


Prior to the show start, you are required to use the supplied credentials to access Zoom. Doors opened for logging into the show from 1830 for the 1900 show. Was good fun to see other households who were all excited to see the performance.


My wife joined me for the show. We have all previously seen Magical Bones perform on Zoom so knew what to expect to a degree.


Magical Bones was supported by Shelley Baker (aerial skills), Brandon Rodrigues who is close up magician of the year, Magical Singh (professional magician famed for Tok Tok) and Brooke Muller who did body popping.


As always, the magic was amazing, particularly Bones. Tricks ranged from using cards, train tickets and a Rubik’s cube.


The act finished with a signature piece that Magical Bones performs with cards to a DJ Yoda track.


The streaming worked well and the quality of the picture was fairly good. Many opportunities for audience participation. Price of the ticket was also very reasonable for what you get.


By the time you read this, this show will be no longer be available to book. But I am sure that Magical Bones will probably have further shows at some point (hopefully).


Please do look at the Zoom Magic section on this website which features other artists who are currently offering Zoom shows.