Matt Penny returns to FringeWorld with his hotdog costume, ready to resume his role of Frank, the Mind Reading Hotdog, this time as a children’s show. Audiences familiar with his work directed at adult audiences may recognise some of the tricks, but while Penny watches the spice levels of his language, enough well-worn jokes slip through to entertain grown-up companions sitting in the crowd.
Frank enters to applause, his hotdog costume registering to good effect as he swigs from a tomato sauce bottle as he introduces himself amongst a flow of food-based jokes. The wide age range of his target audience (promoted as 5+) nearly guarantees that some confusion will ensue, but Penny keeps the show flowing, presenting enough material to allow something to click with each young attendee. He calls for assistants from the audience, choosing ages appropriate for each trick, from primary school beginners to teenagers. On stage, no assistant is ever disrespected or mocked, but the many looks of dismay on Frank’s face as he has been outwitted are priceless… and then the trick somehow comes back together, in the nick of time.
Young magic enthusiasts are treated to classic card tricks, mind reading via iPad, whiteboard and theatrical striding about the stage, as well as deft Rubik’s Cube manipulation. One drawback with the Rubik’s Cube trick is that it assumes knowledge – while anyone familiar with the coloured squares will appreciate the skill required to solve it rapidly behind one’s back, having the cube out of sight of the audience removes any frame of reference for small children unfamiliar with the device. The rapid swaps between tricks leave little room for awkwardness to linger – no matter how little impressed the child may be by a small cube (small children will delightfully choose a quiet moment to express their boredom, and possibly request ice-cream), wide eyes and gasps all around the tent greet the spectacular floating table trick, not least due to it being “real” with visible participation of a young audience member, obviously not colluding in any fancy trickery.
A further winning routine involves two audience members being hypnotised in full view of the audience, with spooky reactions, all the more for their sincerity and then genuine confusion when the trick is explained. Frank is unfailingly gentle with all his assistants on stage and when calling for contributions from the audience, winning trust with his consistency and keeping his audience with him by reminders to excited youngsters to save the speculation and chatter about a trick for after the show. After the show, however, stunned audience members could only ask one thing – how did he do that with the glass?!
Frank may have been willing to greet everyone with a friendly goodbye as they filed out of the tent, but he wasn’t going to give away his biggest trick.
A whimsical introduction to magic shows, suited to children with an interest in magic tricks, preferably accompanied by grown-ups with an interest in daggy jokes.
Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5
Frank, the Mind Reading Hotdog
Presented and performed by Matt Penny
The Shambles, Perth Cultural Centre, Northbridge
22-25 January 2016
FringeWorld Festival 2016
www.fringeworld.com.au
