Review by Steve Bennett

Or is he comic-magician Tim Motley, who’s purloined the much-spoofed film noir genre to give a stylistic twist to his mindreading tricks? That’s one mystery it won’t take a hard-bitten private dick to figure out.

Motley – or, if you prefer, Darrow – pulls off some awe-inspiring feats here, reputedly in the name of deducing the killer, a motive and the time and manner of death. Comically, though, the conceit is not as sharp as his skills as a mentalist, relying on tired parody and cheesy puns, which frequently fall on deaf ears, causing him to reference the weak reaction rather too often. Still, they are the sort of putdowns at his own expense that any self-disrespecting private eye should have.

Though stylish, the Thirties noir approach downplays the spectacle of his routines, rather than dripping them in showbiz sparkle, which means he avoids clichéd presentation, but also makes it more difficult for him to sell them to the audience. This, and the dodgy jokes, means the first 20 or 30 minutes are sluggish, until the impact of the undeniably impressive set-pieces and his slick-if-gruff crowd work kick in.

By the time he performs the gruesome, watch-through-your-fingers, razorblade-swallowing routine, we’ve warmed to him and his cheesy shtick, the bumpy narrative and dodgy wordplay all being part of the low-rent charm.

Ultimately, the combination of magical mind-reading and murder-mystery isn’t as groundbreaking as it sounds, but it turns out entertaining in the end.

Review date: 9 Apr 2013
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett
Reviewed at: Melbourne International Comedy Festival