House of Games review | Tim Ellis | The Laneway Theatre

Tim Ellis has been practising magic for over 40 years, and in that time he’s transformed part of his home into an intimate 32-seat performance space. His current offering, House of Games, has proved so popular that the 2026 season is sold out, with additional Sunday matinees added and an extended run scheduled well into 2027.

Drawing on his love of board games, the show uses well-known favourites as the starting point for a series of close-up tricks that will leave you questioning what you’ve just witnessed. Associated with childhood, family gatherings and friendly competition, these items are steeped in familiarity, but Ellis turns them into something unpredictable, with illusions that are all the more baffling for taking place right in front of us.

Locus review (Melbourne Fringe Festival)

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.

World of Wonders review

Lachlan Wilde has been practising magic for roughly a decade and even won the Australian Junior Champion of Magic award at the 2015 Melbourne Magic Festival. Three years ago, as a bright eyed 21 year old, Wilde bought a ticket to see the world and create new experiences for himself. Fast forward to 2022, and Wilde is back at the Magic Festival with his show World of Wonders, in which he shares those adventures with us through some mesmerising magic.

There is great imagination and creativity with Wilde linking his "art of deception" with anecdotes and memories from his travels to Abu Dhabi, London and Paris, including a particularly interesting (although somewhat questionable) spotlight on Jack the Ripper. His storytelling is specific enough to form bonds with us but vague enough where we are able to insert our own experiences and further strengthen the relationship between magician and audience.

The Unbelievables review | Arts Centre Melbourne

Magic, circus, live music and dance come together this summer at Arts Centre Melbourne with The Unbelievables. The variety show presents world-class performers that will often leave audiences captivated by what they are seeing in this two-hour live extravaganza.

Roberto Carlos Aguilar's juggling is an absolute highlight of the show and to have had him on stage for even a few more minutes would have been amazing. At times juggling with his mouth - yes, his mouth - this was one of the most thrilling acts of the evening, with Aguilar reaching speeds and variations that you rarely - if ever - get to see.

Aleksandra Kiedrowicz is mesmerising with her aerial performance and the accompanying musical rendition of Des'ree's "Kissing You" by Emi Secrest is a breathtaking moment, as is any musical number with Secrest. Sos and Victoria Petrosyan's Guinness World Record breaking act of 16-costume change illusions in two minutes will leave you gobsmacked, trying to figure out exactly how it is done.

The Ultimate Vegas Show review

The Ultimate Vegas Show is a night of magic, illusion, circus, songs, dancing and music. It's got all the ingredients for a brilliant and captivating show, yet sadly this experience left me feeling underwhelmed and wanting to head back to 'Melbourne'.

Host/MC, David Cotter did pleasantly well with his Dean Martin impersonation but that's all there was to it. Cotter's Martin did not possess enough dynamic stage presence or charisma to keep the audience strongly entertained and generate excitement about the upcoming acts, although perhaps in a more intimate setting as opposed to the expansive space of The Palms, he might have had more of an effect.