Australian illusionist returns to south-west for all-ages show

Paul Cosentino will bring his show Deception to the Hamilton Performing Arts Centre at 7.30pm on Thursday, April 7 and Warrnambool's Lighthouse Theatre on Sunday, April 10 from 7.30 to 9pm.

The 90-minute interactive show includes a mix of death-defying escapes, stage illusions, cutting-edge street magic and dancing.

"It's a unique show for the entire family, a great experience and I guarantee people haven't seen what I'm delivering," he told The Standard.

"It's an opportunity to see a world-class show that travels around the world.

"I can't wait to get back on the road and entertain people and have a lot of fun."

Cosentino first performed at the Fun4Kids Festival in Warrnambool and showed magic to children at schools in 2006.

In 2011 he held school workshops and performed for adults.

The illusionist said during the COVID-19 pandemic he developed new material and ideas, while presenting shows and keynote addresses online.

"I toured this show in Western Australia for a month-and-a-half and another three months in Queensland," he said.

"To do that we had to get exemptions, permits to travel and permits for trucks to get through multiple borders.

"But it wasn't without pain and for people trying not to get sick, quarantining, 24 hour windows between borders closing, sneaking in and hoping that we don't get turned around - these are the war stories that will be in my next book."

Another issue COVID-19 has presented was the introduction of extra staff, in case someone got sick, Cosentino said.

"If someone has COVID-19 we have to use back-ups, which requires intense rehearsals," he said.

"The show requires two weeks of rehearsals but we're doing a crash course with them over two days - and we're talking eight hour days.

"I'm doing 16 hours days to get the shows on the road."

He said while the material was new, the formula of who he was and the way he presented was the same.

"It's my style and brand, like a singer has a style, but it's fresh and new," Cosentino said.

"There's people appearing and disappearing, melting, close-up slight of hand projected onto video screen and people (audience members) on stage half-a-metre away from me.

"There's death-defying escapes where I'm in these crazy positions."

Before the pandemic hit Cosentino's schedule was packed with shows in Australia and overseas and filming the 2017 Bleeding Steel movie with Jackie Chan.

In his downtime the past few years, Cosentino learnt new skills in photography and videography.

Tickets for the Lighthouse show are $88.10 or a family of four is $294.60 and can be purchased online, over the phone on 5559 4999, or in person at the venue's box office.

For Hamilton, tickets are $85.60 or $271.80 for a family (two children between 5-16 and two adults).

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