Kane & Abel are very well known to those interested in magic and attract large crowds to their performances. The duo have been performing for more than 20 years professionally as comedy magicians.
I had the opportunity to review a couple of their Zoom shows about 4 years ago which were of course excellent. At last I now had the opportunity to see them perform live and in a slightly different venue from the norm for me.
This time, as a bonus while on a cruising holiday, I was able to see Kane & Abel perform their evening theatre show in a large bar area called “The Clubhouse” onboard the P&O Arvia ship. I knew prior to the cruise that they would be onboard so was pleased to see when the performance date onboard was released.
If you are cruising with P&O this year, do look out for this show. Normally the show is performed by the duo in “The Headliners Theatre” which is on the same ship.
Cruise ships are an ideal environment for magicians to work, performing shows and also close up magic in bars. Being a massive magic enthusiast, this was a definite highlight for me.
I love comedy magic and I was not disappointed by this show. Many laugh out loud moments which were greeted with a good audience reception. My family were also with me who have seen a lot of magic. They are hard to impress and were laughing out loud as well. While enjoying the magic, I personally have not laughed out loud so hard at a comedy magic show in an age. Great jokes and constantly funny.
This review is spoiler-free as I do not want to ruin things for others. What I can say is that as well as a lot of fantastic humour, the show features mentalism, card magic, metal rings and more. I was able to take a lot of photos but have not shared them as they would be spoilers regarding show content. The photos below are from the start of the show and do not reveal show content. Content is family entertainment with a little innocent naughtiness.
As a larger venue that they performed in, I guess you could describe it as a cabaret style layout. Video was also displayed on many screens throughout the venue to enhance viewing and ease of following what is happening.
Kane & Abel were both actively working the stage well as the cabaret layout meant that they had audience members to their sides as well as forward facing. They managed this well.
Throughout the show there are a lot of surprises with original material and effects that they perform by placing their own spin on things.
Kane & Abel are twin brothers from Shropshire. Their Grandfather was also a magician (Bryan and May) and the brothers inherited some 300 plus magic books from him. Magic running in the family.
On ship, the duo also perform close up magic in the bars and run a magic workshop. I was able to join the workshop and gain selfies and signed cards. Two great and memorable additions to my collection.
The workshop was more than it sounds in all honesty and was a proper produced show for mid afternoon with 30 minutes of magic followed by 15 minutes of an introduction to magic basics. I was also impressed with this performance as it was obvious that the brothers are true professionals who work hard on presentation and material. Again, they gained a positive response from the audience.
Performance-wise, both brothers have a confident stage presence and keep the audiences captivated. The show is very interactive and volunteers near the front are able to assist from their seats without going on stage.
If you are interested in seeing the brothers perform, they are touring again this year, which includes the Edinburgh Fringe. And keep an eye out for them if you are cruising with P&O as they regularly perform.
Big thanks to the brothers for talking to me during their technical run through pre show and again after the workshop. A great opportunity to discuss magic with these performers.
And if you get the chance to see them live, do go as you won’t be disappointed. Even if you are not into magic, this is a funny show that will make you laugh. For 2024, lots of dates have been released. Take a look at their tour link below.
Thank you Kane & Abel.
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