Chris Cox claims to be a man who can’t do what he does indeed do. He can’t, apparently, read minds, plant thoughts in others’ heads or lead a roomful of people to divulge information he did not already predict – if he could do all that, this evening would be impressive, but because he can’t and it still happens its sublime. Evenings based on mind tricks can often tend towards the laborious, but this gem at the Pleasance King Dome could not be better. Cox has real stage presence and slips from friendly master of ceremonies to heartbroken story teller effortlessly, and his concoction of tricks from the basic magic through to some really quite staggering displays of mental manipulation are fabulous. The random toss of a soft toy determines volunteers, and those people often choose the next, so any whispers of “plants” are soon hushed.
Its a slick and mind boggling evening of entertainment with some staggering showmanship and some ludicrously exciting moments, Chris Cox is a very talented man, but I would warn anyone – never engage him in a game of Pictionary. ‘I Love Cox’ his complimentary badges profess, and after seeing his show, I entirely agree with their sentiment!
