There’s something enticing about a show that will only reveal its location once you are at the designated meeting point. Locus is one of those shows, where a group of 30 people gather next to a car repair shop to begin their journey into the unknown.
We are greeted by one of our three hosts - Lawrence Leung, Vyom Sharma and Dom Chambers – and asked to select a numbered lanyard from 1 – 30 and a word from the 70 in a bowl that speaks to us and hide it inside our lanyard. During this introduction, one door closes and another one opens to a whole new world. Illusion meets reality and the scene for the rest of evening is set.
From here on, we are all known by our lanyards, I am number 9. Our hosts are L1, L2 and L3. This anonymity allows us to shed the shackles of our lives and enter the space with an open mind. The magic and illusions that the three perform are utterly baffling and mind-blowing. There are obviously logical reasons as to how these are executed – and I desperately want to know – but in the moment, you can’t help but believe. At one point we are invited to grab our phones and record the magic while our eyes are closed. Watching back the footage leaves me gobsmacked.
It would be too difficult to describe the acts that Leung, Sharma and Chambers present, and also spoil the surprise, but they are wonderful storytellers and world builders. There is plenty of suspense as we head towards the climax of each trick and the rapport they create with the audience is masterful.
There is a warm intimacy to Locus as we are shepherded around the venue, which appears to be a light / art gallery. We are constantly asked to bunch together and squeeze into the rooms we travel to. Perhaps for this reason, 30 people is a few too many bodies to navigate ourselves around to witness what’s happening, and takes you out of the experience.
Throughout Locus, our hosts encourage us to keep asking questions, to keep exploring and to keep seeing the world differently, because there is so much happening around us. The final act pushes this idea in incredible fashion and as I exit Locus and into the spring evening, I feel as if I am actually seeing the world differently. Is it magic? Is it reality? Maybe it’s both.
SHOW DETAILS
Venue: 213 Highett St, Richmond
Season: until 13 October | 8pm
Duration: 60 minutes
Tickets: $40 Full | $35 Conc
Bookings: Melbourne Fringe Festival
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