MEDIA RELEASE
Simon Taylor’s ILLUSINATION
The Stage Show, When Magic Meets Psychology
Simon Taylor defines the difference between sleight of hand and sleight of mind magic. Through studies in psychology, practice of hypnosis and experience in the performing arts, he is able to blend a range of skills into an unforgettable presentation of illusion. Simon’s personable demeanour and energetic performance style allows him to deliver high powered entertainment with intellectually captivating content. Whether it’s magic, mind reading, or hypnosis, Simon is a pioneer in presenting entertainment for the mind, about the mind.
As a psychology student, Simon has always derived immense enjoyment from sharing the things that excite him about his studies. Now with his stage show, Illusination, Simon is able to present incredible magic entertainment blended with some of the most intriguing psychological principles.
The performance is divided into two acts, the first focuses on social psychology and the second on cognition.
ACT ONE: How well can you read others? How well can you influence others? Being able to influence behaviour, detect lies, and infer people’s thoughts from non-verbal communication are some of the most powerful skills one could have. Simon begins by explaining some of these principles and then demonstrates them for the audience. Through an immensely interactive process the audience gets directly involved in these demonstrations. Before the interval, a mind-blowing twist is delivered to the audience, who are left to ponder the show’s impact on their psyche during the break.
ACT TWO: What sort of relationship does our mind have with our body? Is everything we perceive real? Simon delves into the mysterious world of our own perception, explores the capacity for memory, experiments with his own pulse and shares insight into the nature of fear. It’s thrilling entertainment that will forever change your conception of illusion.
Illusination -Guild Theatre, University of Melbourne
11th-14th and the 17th-21st of March
Doors open : 8 PM