19 – 31 December
My favourite French word at school was ‘prestidigitateur’. There is a kind of relish in just saying it, an innocent showing off of one’s (limited) linguistic skills and powers of articulation. It is a word, which both written and spoken, captures something of the flourish of the stage magician. Indeed the word itself is self-consciously theatrical.
Peter Clifford, who is as much at home performing Shakespeare, is not your average sleight of hand merchant. He is more of a magician’s magician and indeed has recently spent time in Las Vegas working with the acclaimed illusionist, David Blaine. With that in mind, prepare to have your mind thoroughly boggled.
His persona last night (all magicians need a persona) was that of your family’s favourite professor, uncle Peter. Tweeded, waistcoated and bow-tied, he beams at his audience as one delighted to spend a few hours away from the laboratory or lecture theatre in order to entertain the family. Welcome to his parlour, after a couple of Christmas sherries. Children are of course very much welcome and at last night’s performance were wide-eyed, loudly and unselfconsciously airing what we were all wondering, “How did he do that?” He takes obvious delight in gently teasing the audience and pulling the rug from under their expectations, something he does repeatedly. “No globophobes tonight?” he wonders whilst blowing up a balloon before popping it and …well I won’t spoil the jaw-dropping surprise.
The act also features plenty of mind reading and card play, but all with a new twist that makes it fresh and puzzling. And how about spoon bending and glass stem bending in a way you will not have seen before – in somebody else’s hand – and ‘all before your very eyes’ with absolutely no detectable jiggery-pokery. Other feats involving sketch pads and pages torn from books defy all kinds of, ‘Ah well what he did was..’ type cynicism.
If you think you are too old for panto or don’t have a suitable child to take along as cover, this is the Christmas treat for you. And with the Magi having been regarded as magicians it is of course a very appropriate Christmas offering.
★★★★★ Graham Wyles 20 December 2022
Photo credit: Jack Willingham
