If you’re seeing Stuart Lightbody this FRINGE WORLD Festival season, one thing’s for sure: there are no fancy shenanigans or charades — just simply magic.

Instilling a sense of childlike wonder in all of us, Stuart Lightbody kept us all thoroughly involved in the tricks lined up for the night.

As he proceeded to talk us through his journey as a young magician and his love for the history of magic, it was apparent that he had spent long mastering his own craft to put on such a wonderful show for us.

From the use of simple everyday props to self-induced hypnosis, Stuart Lightbody cuts right to the chase in providing high entertainment value with very little on stage.

Brandishing his trusty deck of cards, he takes mindreading to a whole new level with a cleverly paced card routine. Not only do we witness the pleasure of him guessing the audience’s picks, but he also manages to name every single sequence in a randomly shuffled deck for us.

Most incredulously, he demonstrates the superhuman abilities of extreme arithmetic, memorisation and (as you’ll come to find out) a steel gut.

What was particularly fun was the opportunity for us to learn a great deal about his inspirations such as the famous Houdini, as he excitedly paid homage to all of them.

As a magician from Cape Town, South Africa, he even notes the sense of geographical isolation that would typically deter one from pursuing magic. However, his dedication is evident; he is a fountain of knowledge, and this aspect is most complementary indeed to his performance.

As far as magicians go, Stuart Body is amongst those who truly keep the mystery of magic alive.

At the end of the show, you might even find yourself exclaiming, “How exactly did he do it?”