Now You See Me Live Perth review: The Four Horseman replicate mind-blowing tricks from movie franchise

Prepare to be thrown into the world of the 2013 movie Now You See Me, full of trickery and magic, with the live show inspired by the Hollywood hit — guaranteed to leave you on the edge of your seat and your mind scrambling for answers. Now You See Me Live is one incredible magic production featuring mind-blowing tricks and illusions from world-class magicians Andrew Basso, Gabriella Lester, Pablo Canovas and Matthew Pomeroy, aka The Four Horsemen. Opening at Crown Theatre on Sunday night, the show got straight into the action with Italian Basso performing Houdini’s upside-down straight-jacket escape, which garnered wowed reactions from the crowd. With the crowd already on the edge of their seats, the talent only levelled up from there. With so many tricks and illusions spellbinding the audience across the two-hour running time, each Horseman showcasing their speciality, the show is a must-see not only for fans of the franchise but for everyone of all ages. While some people may have seen similar tricks performed before, the Horsemen’s talents feel fresh, inspiring and full of mystery. At times, the magicians promise to reveal the secrets to their trade, with Spaniard Canovas telling the crowd he would explain how he pulls off his captivating disappearing act. Another act that is sure to leave most people squirming in their seats involves a frightening-looking creepy crawly — and I won’t reveal much more than that. At just 22-years-old, Canadian Lester was electric on stage with her quick wit and puzzling illusion acts. One performance saw her locked in a box with explosives, which were guaranteed to explode if she didn’t escape on time. The audience was given an almighty demonstration of the explosives going off to prove their point and everyone waited with bated breath while she pulled off the stunt. The end result is something worth seeing in person! But perhaps one of the most death-defying acts comes from true daredevil Basso, who is one of the world’s greatest living escapologists. The “modern day Houdini” performs one of the only full-view water torture cell escapes live, and the entire audience held their breath with him while he executed the heart-stopping act. Leader of the pack, Pomeroy from London-town, did a wonderful job of narrating the evening and allowing the story to flow while letting himself shine with card tricks and razor-sharp charm. The experience of seeing live magic of this calibre set to a suspenseful soundtrack and featuring high-quality props and baffling sleight of hand is sure to be one of the most entertaining productions you will witness in Perth this year. Set to the theme of the popular movie series — a third film Now You See Me: Now You Don’t was released last year — it mirrors elements that fans know and love. Expertly combining humour and seriousness, the night was thrilling, hilarious and mind-bending with the performers leaving Perth hungry for more. Guests were left racking their brains for answers, but perhaps the secrets of trade should be left to the professionals, so we can all enjoy a little bit of magic in our lives. Perth’s Four Horsemen certainly redefined the expectation of stage magic and wrapped up their show with a final message: “The closer you look the less you actually see”. 4/5 stars Now You See Me Live is showing at Crown Theatre now until February 1. Tickets start from $69.