Fringe review: Matt Tarrant – More Unsolved
Award-winning Adelaide magician Matt Tarrant returns to Fringe this year with a show featuring tricks and illusions both new and old. ★★★½
Photo: Andre Goosen
MORE Unsolved is a solid, traditional magic show built on audience participation, with those participants picked at random as a plush toy is thrown around the tent. Matt Tarrant encourages his audience to perform the tricks themselves — with a little help.
This is a performance full of card tricks and mind reading, with some modern touches. A hand-held camera offers a close-up look at shuffled playing cards and quick reveals, and Bruce the Mind Reading Goose makes an appearance – delivering a truly disgusting Uber Eats burger to one unlucky audience member.
Tarrant’’s best trick is also the hardest. He shuffles through a deck of cards as a soundtrack of pop music predicts which ones will appear next. It’s upbeat, fun, and flawless.
There is plenty of laughing, but also a lot of waiting for the next audience members to be chosen and for the trick to pay off.
MORE Unsolved is a little predictable, but Tarrant is popular for a reason - he is an endearing local success story, and the Adelaide audience is on his side. Those who are awe-struck by illusion and sleight-of-hand will enjoy the classic magic that he does so well.
Matt Tarrant: MORE Unsolved is at Gluttony until March 17. See more Adelaide Fringe reviews and stories here.