Edinburgh Fringe 2016
Poet of the Impossible
Lorenzo Novani
Genre: Cabaret, Magic, Spoken Word, Variety Show
Venue: Spotlites
Festival: Edinburgh Fringe
Low Down
“Renz Novani: Poet of the Impossible. Card magic, illusion and sleight of mind bound by carefully weaved words. This is an intimate, eloquent performance of impossible magic that will leave you spellbound and speechless.”
Review
Renz Novani is a poetic storyteller who performs card magic, illusion and sleight of mind in his fifty-minute show. First off, Novani is very personable and quickly unifies the full house in his very intimate black box theatre. It’s a perfect space for his show and we are keen listen and watch what Novani does, with hardly any props.
He invites you into his world and we become part of the family, immediately at ease. As he moves through his card magic – he weaves stories with witty spontaneous comments – and magical moments that are always astounding and surprising.
Novani’s magic show is surprisingly humble and down to earth, there is no glitz or cheesy patter that is present is so many magic shows – his level of skill and amazement is high. He is a genuine guy in casual clothes who seems to have the elusive star quality of a performer yet with a sincerity that is very compelling. His rapport with the audience is key to his show, as well as his gifted skills, of course!
He is excellent at what he does, and is clear about what he is doing so that the audience can follow his words and actions producing wonder and surprise. Specific magic cannot be discussed here to avoid spoilers – therefore, to know what happens you need to see the show! One or two audience members participated in the magic and Novani treated them with respect, which was refreshing and encouraging.
Novani is fascinated by the history of magic and cards, such as tarot cards, and shares some short readings, which add depth to his show and is a different element from the many other magic shows I have attended over the years. We enter his space, are happy to stay and look forward to return. His many stories are interesting sound authentic and he gives a feeling of wonder to everyone.
This show is entertaining, fun, and the audience is so close that it is difficult to see how he pulls off each trick. Novani is experienced and knows how to build suspense by his own performance skills using his face and voice, without any sound effects or music. This is a self-contained show where the performer is so highly skilled that he does not need to rely on any external gadgetry.
Whatever he does, the audience is engrossed and the final few seconds are almost a miracle! Subtle and quick Novani finishes his show in the most impactful way.
It is a pleasure to be in the company of this charming and talented Glaswegian poet, magician, and modern wizard!