What do you call a magician with wandering hands? David Cop-a-feel. What do you call a magician who’s taking a piss? A Wizard. What does a magician call it when he can’t perform in bed? Missed-erection. Unfortunately, I don’t know more dirty magician-themed jokes. But don’t despair because the gents at the Adults Only Magic Show have you covered, while keeping themselves UNcovered!
Meeting for the first time in 2014, stage magicians Sam Hume and Justin Williams would go on to form a long lasting friendship. They started off with a bang preforming their show ‘Go Trick Yourself’ combining everything they’d ever wanted to put into a magic act. Over the years, there have been ups and downs. The pair suffered the loss of much of their equipment in a major house fire but they never let it dampen their spirits.
As Showmen Productions they continued performing a variety of acts. Such as their award winning family friendly performances of ‘The Greatest Magic Show’ and ‘Justin’s BIG Balloon Show’. But it’s not just kids who enjoy magic and the boys are joined on stage by Magnus ‘Danger’ Magnus for the very funny, highly energetic and extremely raunchy Adults Only Magic Show. A production so popular, they’ve toured it all across Australia and beyond!
I caught this naughty night of entertainment for its whopping 287th performance. I didn’t know what to expect and how the team would blend magic and adult content but I’m no stranger to the idea, being a huge fan of magicians Penn & Teller with the duo being quite rude over their illustrious career. Sam and Justin certainly deserve to be regarded in equal esteem with this incredible and jaw dropping show. Surprisingly not just as a fun night out to hear some curse words and see some dicks, but for the talent and showmanship on stage.
With master of ceremonies Magnus ‘Danger’ Magnus warming up the audience for showtime, the Sam Hume and Justin Williams burst onto the stage with gusto. This is an incredibly fun show and we’re encouraged to make a lot of noise and have a good time. There are card tricks, straight jacket and rope escapes, vanishings, teleportations and more. Incredibly, even if some of the illusions seem familiar from other shows, you will still find yourself asking “How the fuck did they do that?!”.
It would have been so easy to simply rely on shock nudity to help distract the audience as someone palms a card, but the show is so much more than that. There’s so much happening and all of which demands your attention. With two performers on stage, often with two members of the audience and an MC accompanying them, the show is a goldmine of misdirection and a sleight of hand. As Justin keeps us distracted looking one way, Sam uses the opportunity to pull off something sneaky or vice versa.
Sam and Justin have great chemistry together as they do with Magnus in what was his 170th performance with the boys. Together during the show, they kept the crowd laughing and cheering, always amping up the energy of the room. Sam even performs the same trick he did the night he and Justin first met, while Justin makes the back of his G-string disappear!
It’s this fun, infectious energy which makes the audience participation such an appealing proposition for volunteers (besides the promise of drink vouchers). Nobody is dragged on stage who doesn’t want to be there and any embarrassment quickly fades away with how receptive the audience is. During the night I attended, a particularly innocent gentleman named ‘Jack‘ quickly became a star in his own right with the audience cheering his name by the end.
Adults Only Magic Show is a riotous good time for grown-ups. What could have just been a simple novelty of jiggly bits and four letter words is instead so much more. Fascinating illusions, captivating performers and constant laughter all night. Here’s to 10 more years of surprises and 10 more years of dick jokes!
Showmen Productions’ Adults Only Magic Show is currently playing at Arts Centre Melbourne – Fairfax Studio as part of the 2024 Melbourne International Comedy Festival until April 21.
For more information and ticketing, visit:
https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2024/shows/adults-only-magic-show
https://www.instagram.com/adultsonlymagicshow