Magic @ Cafe Royal - Steven Dick

Cafe Royal

LAST year there was a plethora of magic at the Festival, with an army of magicians descending on the Capital.

This year, thankfully, the amateurs have stayed at home, leaving the field free for those who know what they are doing. And Steven Dick certainly knows what he is doing.

Unlike most magicians, who simply want you to acknowledge their skills, Dick recognises the fact that the audience wants to be presented with more than just a puzzle. They want entertainment. And he is happy to meet that need.

Of course, he employs the usual props, but he adds his own, unique banter to the mix and he seems to genuinely like his audience. And they seem to like him.

He has an easy humour and a talent with off-the cuff and up-the-sleeve remarks.

A signed 10 note appears inside a kiwi fruit, of all things. And his routine, based on the old Find the Lady con, but using water in a polystyrene cup, is outstanding. Where he fails is when he attempts to introduce bandwagon mindreading skills, which are best left to the experts. A magician does magic - and psychological chicanery takes a different skill set.

Mix the two, and the result is a set list that is disjointed and muddled.

Weakened though the presentation is by this wandering into uncharted territory, Dick is a skilled exponent of his art, and offers a level of jocular entertainment few other magicians can match.

Whether performing Blockhead, in which a nail is hammered into the head, or simply teaching the kids a sneaky trick with an elastic band, Dick comes over as a warm, sparkling entertainer.

Run ends Sunday