Tricks, illusions and a night of magic
An evening of illusions, magic, acrobatic feats and the sweet story of a man and his lamp unfolded at the opening night of the third Gibraltar International Magic Festival.
The line-up including Magic Unlimited, Luis Dalton, Rocco Silano, Jordan Lopez, Patrick Lehnen, Po-Cheng Lai, Sos and Victoria, and Jerome Murat kept the audience captivated on Wednesday evening.
The Magic Festival at the John Mackintosh Hall will see a performance tonight and over the weekend with the event coming to a close on Sunday.
The fun atmosphere saw each illusionist performance their signature act with magician Hans Kazan presenting the show with a few of his own tricks.
Opening the show was Patrick Lehnen who specialises in close-up magic. His heart-warming routine of a hard-working man who forms a friendship with a magical, and very annoying, desk lamp proved to be a hit with the audience.
Young children watched on as the lamp and Mr Lehnen played tricks on each other and formed a bond.
Po-Cheng Lai followed with his first of two-performances giving the audience a taster of what was to come next. The Taiwanese magician is known for his fan manipulating tricks which sees the fans change in colour, size and number.
Gibraltar magician Jordan Lopez, who also organises of the Festival as director of GibMedia, took to the stage with his fun act.
Without giving any too much of his act, with the help of some young volunteers Mr Lopez was prove right his prediction sealed in an envelope.
Quick change artists Sos and Victoria are Guinness World Record holders and brought their high-speed costume changes to the stage.
Their record including 16 costume changes in 120 seconds, and on the Gibraltar stage they entertained with change after change.
The suave Rocco Silano gave an effortless performance smoking a cigarette with rock music in the playing in the background.
His tricks with fire, confetti, strings and snickers bars made his popular with the children who clambered to receive a chocolate from the magician.
The American magician is a regular performer at Monday Night Magic in New York City and the Magic Castle in Hollywood, and has performed for Queen Elizabeth, Michael Jackson and Muhammed Ali.
Mime-puppeteer Jerome Murat brought his unique act to the stage with a double-headed ‘Living Statue’ act.
Mr Murat has performed all over the world and his local performance was of the heads annoyance and ultimately their love of one another.
Luis Dalton is a fourth-generation circus act. The circus is in Mr Daltons blood with his great-grandfather, grandfather, and father in the circus as well as his cousins and three sisters.
Mr Dalton performed a difficult headstand on the top of a bottle, leaving the audience in awe of his balancing skills and strength.
Magic Unlimited closed the show with their classic illusionist acts.
Dutch illusionists Oscar, Renzo and Mara Kazan started their careers when they were just teenagers. They took of the stage with their polished routine with the audience stunned of their escape acts.
Their act saw a chair disappear as well as Mara disappear, escape and be sliced in a box.
The International Magic Festival continues until this Sunday at the John Mackintosh Hall. Magic workshops for children and a ‘magicians only’ lecture will also take place over the weekend.
Pics by Gabriella Peralta