Ottawa fringe. Suitcase of Wonders: captivating magic with comedy and audience participation

 

Suitcase of Wonders

Magician Ryan Pilling has created a highly entertaining magic show based around fate and the extent to which we control our own lives or are instead controlled by forces beyond us. It’s also a funny show with a lot of audience participation, and Pilling is able to easily carry us from trick to trick by setting them within a story—no silent magic show here. It’s a perfect combination of easygoing theatre and exciting magic.

Pilling, gratefully, doesn’t take himself too seriously either. His first trick isn’t a trick at all, and Pilling’s persona walks the line between goofball and good magician. But just when you might be asking yourself “Is this actually just a comedy show?” the real magic kicks in, leaving you bewildered and intrigued.

Pilling is an impressive magician. The main trick of the show—what’s in the magic suitcase—is drawn out for the length of the performance but has a satisfying and logic-defying ending that you want from a magic show. It’s also a fun journey getting there, as Pilling mixes in personal anecdotes, stand-up, and audience participation—often to hilarious effect.

Magic is almost always entertaining, but where Pilling excels is in crafting a story that draws the audience in and is as funny as the magic is exciting. I can guarantee that every performance will be different too, because so much of the show is built around randomness, chance, and the audience. It’s an eclectic performance that you won’t want to miss.