REVIEW: You don't have to be a mind reader to know this show was pure magic
IF YOU don't read minds, then you have no preconceived idea of what you are about to see when you attend a show entitled 'Colin McLeod, he reads minds.
However, take a wild guess and you might expect a silver haired, mature gentleman with pre-organised stooges planted in the audience.
In the case of 23-year-old, personable Colin McLeod, a graduate from Glasgow University who majored in forensic investigation, you would be in for a surprise.
To begin with, one of the organisers of the HCPT (The Pilgrimage Trust) – which was to benefit from the show's proceeds – Calum Laurie came on stage to welcome the audience, thank Broadleaf Productions for filming the show and introduce the compere.
Charming Gavin Oattes, who also doubled as a very funny stand-up comedian, soon had everyone relaxed and in the mood for a spell of enchantment, courtesy of ace magician Gary James.
He produced a magic act which was both entertaining and faultless.
This man in black not only captivated the audience but threw plenty of amusing ad-libs in as well.
The piece de resistance had to be when he invited another charity representative, John Laurie, to come on stage and become his ventriloquist dummy with the aid of a cleverly-designed mask depicting the mouth and teeth.
He worked this brilliantly as he substituted a high pitched female voice purporting to utter Mr Laurie's words. Full marks for originality, Mr James. You were magic.
The second half of the show introduced us to McLeod and to a mystical world where apparently he could single out members of the audience he had never met before and accurately predict their thoughts.
We know this was genuine because at one point we were asked to pick a number by a complete stranger on the mind reader's instruction.
Audience participation was the keynote of the evening, so well done Jordan, Chloe, Craig, Jeff and Steve for bravely venturing on stage, not quite knowing what was in store.
McLeod used an assortment of props, including coloured balloons and a wicked-looking sharp knife which he had to avoid, despite being blindfolded by gaffer tape by two members of the audience. Thankfully, he did.
To quote him, the act was "perfect".
He guessed objects. He cracked jokes. He had the entire audience in the palm of his hand and his finale, when he revealed what members of the audience had been thinking earlier, was awesome.
As we left, McLeod appeared front of house and singled out those people he had invited to participate to thank them.
He even included us. Was he perchance wondering what this review would say? Well, we are no mind readers, but he did look pleased. He had every reason to be.
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Monday 21 May 2012
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