Obsession - A Life with Magic @ Zoo

Whether, like me, you find magic fascinating or you’re just mildly curious, Ian Kendall has a way of making it seem utterly... well, magical.

With his aptly-titled show, Obsession , Kendall takes us on a nostalgic trip, sharing with us a copy of the first magic book he bought as a youngster. He talks us fondly through his career, sprinkling and adorning his banter with tricks and illusions from card magic through to weighted dice.

Kendall is not interested in gimmicks or selling his style to you; he’s only interested in sharing what he’s learned in the hope that you’ll find it as amazing as he does.

That said, there are aspects of his performance which are lacklustre. He coyly admits he didn’t bother with music to play him on and off stage, as he’s only doing two shows this year.

The routine itself is was a bit hairy, perhaps needing to be more seamless - on more than one occasion he checks his notes to see what’s next - and while he’s too much of a pro to stumble from act to act, more showmanship would have been nice.

Slight lack of organisation aside, Kendall remains a talented, charismatic and gentlemanly performer who’s always worth seeing.