Gentlemen of Deceit – Incognito

By Sofia Monkiewicz Incognito

Who doesn’t love a magic show? It’s not hard to enjoy being amazed by impossible illusions, astounded by card tricks, and blown away by disappearing objects. Magicians are generally pretty charismatic by definition, as they need to gain the trust and attention of their audience, but the Gentlemen of Deceit are much more than your standard magicians. These guys know how to do comedy as well.

The Gentlemen of Deceit illusionist trio is made up of Luke Hocking, Alex de la Rambelje and Vyom Sharma; all charming, all funny, and all unbelievably talented. Their latest creation is Incognito, which showcases their abilities in a fun and interactive performance in which they dazzle their audience with an array of unexplainable tricks, all carried out with a cheeky smile and an infectious sense of humour.

Most people walk into a magic show with a cynical attitude and a dedication to attempting to pinpoint exactly how the illusionists perform their tricks. These gentlemen make that impossible. From the moment they walk onto the stage, the magicians grab hold of your focus and shift it to wherever it needs to be, allowing them to shock and enthral everyone in the room, and maintain a relaxed and playful attitude that is impossible to distrust. They seamlessly take turns to perform their tricks, communicating fluidly with the audience at all times so it feels as though we each play an important part in the magic they create.

Sharma seems to be the real joker of the trio; he is relaxed, engaging, and isn’t afraid to laugh along with the audience, particularly with those he selects to take part in his onstage antics. The ever-charming Hocking is a smooth operating illusionist, who specialises in being the ‘escape artist’ of the team. He astonishes his avid audience with impossible imagery, where his body seems to be able to move through solid objects. de la Rambelje is the more serious member of this trio of deceptive gentlemen, but only by comparison. Theatrical and enchanting, with some fairly mediocre drawing skills, his ‘health smoothie’ act leaves everybody both completely impressed and incredibly confused.

Shows like Incognito require meticulous preparation to make everything run smoothly, and Sharma, Hocking and de la Rambelje, along with director Daniel Cammin, have put together a deceptively effortless production. The pace is appropriately fast, the timing impeccable, and the illusions unbelievable, and it all wraps up with a grand finale that will, quite simply, blow your mind.

These magicians are delightfully deceitful, and will leave you on the edge of your seat desperately wondering just how they are able to consistently fool their admiring crowd. And as you exit the room, there is only one possible explanation for this ridiculously phenomenal performance: it must be magic.

Incognito is on at Trades Hall until April 19.

http://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2015/season/shows/incognito-gentlemen-of-deceit