Edinburgh Fringe 2024
1 Moment in Time
Sean Alexander
Genre: Cabaret, Magic, Variety Show
Venue: https://www.thespaceuk.com/
Festival: Edinburgh Fringe
Low Down
UK artist Sean Alexander is known to his audiences as “The Confusionist”. He is an expert narrator, illusionist, mind reader, artist, and stage magician. He integrates these highly-developed skills into his stories that ask the audience examine their own memorable events.
Review
UK artist Sean Alexander is known to his audiences as “The Confusionist”. He is an expert narrator, illusionist, mind reader, artist, and stage magician. He integrates these highly-developed skills into his stories that ask the audience examine their own memorable events. “1 Moment in Time” is his Edinburgh Fringe Festival debut.
Most of us will remember where we were during significant world events: the first moon landing, 9/11, maybe a World Cup football championship, But what are the most meaningful personal moments in time in your life? How have those affected you or changed your course? If you could change any of your moments, would you? Are these moments coincidence or fate? Beyond the magic, the show is thought-provoking.
The stage is set with a video screen, projections of paper cutouts, and cameras for detailed viewing of the close-up magic. Throughout the show, effective background music highlights the drama of the presentation.
Alexander begins with the story of 10-year-old Laura Buxton. In 2001, a young UK girl named Laura Buxton released a mylar balloon with a message, her name, and instructions to return it to her address. That balloon landed 140 miles away in a farmer’s field, whose neighbour was also a young girl named Laura Buxton. The two girls connected and became friends. Not only did they share a name, but they were the same height, build and eye color. Both were fair-haired, both wore jeans with pink jumpers to their initial meeting, Coincidence or fate?
As Alexander is recounting the story, he enlists an audience member to select a famous name from a booklet but to not reveal it. All the while he is delicately cutting paper in his hands and shaping it. The climax is the reveal of the paper art and the name chosen by the audience member – and they match.
There are card routines. A volunteer comes on stage to choose and shuffle cards in tandem with Alexander. It is seemingly impossible that the two could end up with the same card choice, and yet…. His card manipulation is precise and flawless.
The audience calls out random numbers with another volunteer on stage. Alexander types those into a phone. I won’t disclose what happens next but suffice it to say that there is a look of shock on the volunteer’s face when the phone call to that random number reveals a coincidence. Or was that a coincidence or fate?
An audience member’s ring comes out of an item that Alexander produces. Alexander makes the impossible – possible. How? The magic is mind-boggling. The sleight of hand is impeccable.
Alexander became fascinated with magic at the age of eight when he received his first magic set. He began perfecting routines and music, starting with simple tricks. That drive and dedication led him to a 27-year career as an illusionist and mind reader. He has headlined his own theatre show, presented at The London Palladium, performed on Britain’s Got Talent and America’s Got Talent, given two royal performances, and appeared in the feature film Show Dogs.
His Fringe show is an hour of pure delight and amazement. Alexander is funny, engaging, and dramatic. This new spin on magic goes beyond the prestidigitation into a thought-provoking realm. You will leave the performance shaking your head but thoroughly entertained.
