Keith’s magic touch keeps our audience enthralled

Keith Barry – Magic Madhouse The Olympia Theatre, Dublin, until tomorrow Verdict: Mesmerising Rating:

KEITH Barry has been spellbinding audiences here and abroad for more than 20 years.

The Waterford man, who started his career on MTV special Brainwashed in 2005, has since toured worldwide with his shows hacking into his people’s brains and entertaining fans with his thoughtprovoking tricks. So what is about the charismatic magician that has bewitched us all?

Barry is a hypnotist, mentalist and magician but at heart he is a performer. His resume combines an impressive mix of TV, radio, sell-out tours and personal seminars to help people lose weight and stop smoking.

Previous credentials include movies such as Now You See Me with Woody Harrelson and his extremely successful TV series You’re Back In The Room, as well as TED talks, appearances on The Ellen DeGeneres show and radio.

Last year’s tour Hypnomagick was a soaring success — Barry decided to combine the show with as much comedy as magic — and it worked. Tapping into sport and movie influences are age old techniques of Barry’s of course, but his original content and topical subjects are what keeps fans entertained.

His new gig Magic Madhouse, which launched in the Olympia last week, sees him up to his old tricks but developing his visual comedy further — so what can audiences expect ?

Aside from his usual mind-provoking tricks and hypnotism, the show pushes the magician to perform experienced breathing techniques so that he can experiment with water.

Audiences are kept on the edges of seats as Barry attempts to unlock a metal straightjacket made with industrial-strength padlocks attached to a glass box which he steps inside, part of which is attached to a water pump.

There’s a short video of his pal Woody Harrelson where he tells the audience of Barry’s fear of drowning, a touch which ramps up the anticipation.

Barry has often said a good magician is an actor playing the part of a magician and in some parts of the show Barry’s personality and indeed his charisma keep the audience focused. His humour and engagement with the crowd are what keeps you entertained, more than the gravity of his magic.

But certainly this new show is some madcap fun for everyone.