![](https://www.sardinesmagazine.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/2929_1502096959.jpg)
Show: Wonders at Dusk
Society: Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Venue: The Dome (Venue 287)
Credits: Scott Silven. Cabaret and Variety (magic, theatre)
Type: Sardines
Author: Chris Abbott
Performance Date: 06/08/2017
Wonders at Dusk
Chris Abbott | 07 Aug 2017 09:52am
Climbing the stairs to the tea-room at one of Edinburgh’s swankiest restaurants, the Dome, with the rest of the 40-strong audience for Wonders at Dusk, I little knew that we would all be part of this performance. Scott Silven is an illusionist and mind-reader who is a regular at the Fringe and this late evening show was presented to a small audience seated at candle-lit tables.
After a clever opening which completely disarmed the audience, Silven began his story, and in many ways this was a performance enhanced most of all by a very carefully-crafted script. He is an engaging performer and manages to get his audience to believe all kinds of unlikely things are happening without going in for the showy flourishes favoured by some magicians.
Throughout the performer audience members were involved, either individually or as a group, so that by the end we were all bemused and entertained in equal measure. In particular, the framing story, seeming inconsequential at the beginning, made much more sense at the end; and the way in which a succession of reveals occured in the final moments led to continual gasps of amazement.
This was a clever match of performance and venue, and Silven made good use of the furnishing and surroundings – and it would be unfair to say more lest this spoil the enjoyment for future audiences. Scott Silven is a skilled and personable illusionist and can be seen at the top of his game in Wonders at Dusk at the Dome.
- : admin
- : 06/08/2017