Melbourne comedy festival review by Steve Bennett

Here’s an outrageous mental image to stretch the very limits of your credibility. Imagine David Blaine – but with a sense of humour.

That’s Lawrence Leung, as he increasingly moves away from the world of comedy and towards his other passions of magic and mentalism. The wit, often self-effacing about his own nerdery, is a key part of the show, but Very Strange Things is about impressive spectacle more than comedy.

This affable thirtysomething certainly presents some jaw-dropping moments. You might already be aware of his prowess with a Rubik’s Cube but the feat he pulls off here will have you gasping ‘How does he do that?’  And not for the only time in an hour of stunning displays of mind-reading, extrasensory experience, prediction and production.

Of course, in this day and age you might be able to google how some of the tricks work, if you’re that way inclined. And that is the thematic heart of the show – are you a cold-hearted analyst who has to figure out how everything works, or an unquestioning dreamer allowing yourself to be awestruck by the mystique. Are you a sceptic or a believer? A Mulder or a Scully? 

Indeed, in a specially nice theatrical touch towards the end, we’re invited to choose whether to discover the prosaic secrets of one of the simpler tricks, or remain in blissful ignorance, happy to be entertained by the deceit. 

Leung, like every magician, is a Scully pretending to be a Mulder – a self-confessed fake psychic (as if there was a real thing) able to pull off apparent feats that will have you questioning your certainties.  His casual, light approach including some cringe-inducing pictures from his Goth past, contrasts with how strong the tricks are, from guessing the secrets (and even bank card PIN) of his ‘volunteers’ to an astounding finale.

When the illusions are this amazing, you don’t need any cheesy sub-Vegas showmanship to sell them.

Review date: 9 Apr 2016
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett