‘The Purple Rabbit’ // Brisbane Festival and Strut and Fret

‘The Purple Rabbit’ was spectacular.

There is no better way to spend a Tuesday evening than with a little bit of “mischief, magic and mind-blowing mayhem” as ‘The Purple Rabbit’ takes over the Southbank Piazza in one of Brisbane Festivals’ most action-packed weeks. Among dozens of outstanding shows, performances, installations and celebrations, audiences will find this tantalising gem that tickles the senses, befuddles the eyes and challenges the mind. 

From the creators of one of Australia’s most successful and alluring circus cabaret’s, ‘Blanc de Blanc,’ comes this magic show with a seductive twist. Featuring an alcoholic sleight-of-hand mastermind, a sexually promiscuous psychic-ologist, a nerdy magician, and so much more, there truly is something for everyone (over the age of 18) to enjoy!

While the Southbank Piazza isn’t exactly the first venue that comes to mind when you think of ‘cabaret,’ the converted space was aesthetically pleasing and brilliantly designed to create a velvet-lounge-style performance space. There were pink and purple elements surrounding the open space and a bright pink-material chandelier to accent the lighting throughout the venue. 

Host and master magician, Dom Chambers, set the pace for the evening with a spectacularly crafted, boozy, sleight-of-hand display that delighted and surprised the packed audience. While cracking joke after joke, he pulled pints of beers out of jacket sleeves, shoes, and from underneath paper bags in lightning-fast time and with incredible precision. He was quirky, sharp, highly skilled and an all-round incredibly talented magician.

Continuing on the magic theme was Vincent Kuo, another brilliant sleight-of-hand magician who performed a mind-boggling routine with nothing but Rubik’s Cubes and a nerdy, tongue-in-cheek humour. His second appearance, which came a little later in the evening, was a little more risque with Kuo taking off his kit in a, “Is this your card?” styled routine, with the outcome being revealed in ink on his bare behind. 

Emma Phillips stunned the audience with a unique foot juggling performance that featured everything from cloths to Japanese parasols and even a table. Her precision, balance and focus were insurmountable in a routine that she has made famous on Australian soil. 

In a variety show that was primarily focused on magic, comedy and seduction, Australian beat-box champion Christopher Gale was somewhat of an odd inclusion in the line-up, however, the audience resonated well with his electronic rave-inspired vocals.

Sexual Pyschic-ologist, Harper Jones, added a flare for the abnormal to the list of stellar performers with her eccentric mind-reading that featured a seductive twist. Her quirky routine had the audience in stitches as she used her sexual psychic link with members of the audience to generate predictions about their love lives or intimate details. 

Throughout the evening, the cast performed a range of larger-scale tricks as well, which utilised a number of the performers to deceive and amaze the crowd. As someone who has seen a significant amount of magic over the last two decades, I was pleasantly surprised at the quality, range and overall execution of the tricks that were performed during the show. From up-close sleight-of-hand to games of chance and perception, their understanding of magic and ability to deliver high-quality tricks, while blending a story of seduction and fantasy into the mix, was superb. 

‘The Purple Rabbit’ delivered above and beyond its promise of being a night of mischief and magic, and took a vibrant, raunchy and exhilarating journey down the rabbit hole.

‘The Purple Rabbit’ performed until Saturday, 24 September 2022 at The Southbank Piazza. For more information, visit the Brisbane Festival website.