ARARAT - Spellbound, entertained and intrigued would have to be the three words to best describe my emotions following a preview of mentalist and magician Nicholas Tweedy.
Tweedy visited Ararat last week in the lead up to his show at the Ararat Performing Arts Centre on April 24 and I was lucky enough to witness the master at work, turning reality on its head and amazing the audience.
I went into the preview feeling a little anxious and unsure of what to expect; was this guy going to go into my mind and expose my deepest, darkest secrets to the audience?
But I was pleasantly surprised to discover the open and funny Tweedy's show to be truly amazing and entertaining.
The master magician, mentalist and entertainer engaged the audience, surprising his volunteers from the audience while captivating the crowd.
Tweedy's charisma lies in the honesty of his illusions; I left the preview, jaw agape, wondering just how he had levitated that card and predicted those numbers.
Without giving away the illusions Tweedy will perform on the night, the audience is witness to incredible acts of levitation, mentalism and illusion which will keep them guessing beyond the end of the show.
Tweedy has performed in all corners of the globe and has a legion of fans around the world.
Born in Virginia in the USA, Tweedy, the son of a military father, moved to Okinawa, Japan at the age of five.
His mother taught English to Japanese teenagers, which opened the doors to Tweedy's path in life.
Tweedy said he clearly recalled the first day he met master Japanese mentalist Hiroshi Demura.
"I was playing tetris (a computer game), and he came to pick up his two daughters who my mother was teaching English to,'' Tweedy said.
When it came time for the girls to go, Tweedy's mother asked Mr Demura to wait until she had found the girls' papers, which were among paperwork on her desk.
"I remember he held up his hand and these two papers came flying off the desk, and they were his daughters' papers,'' Tweedy said.
After practically begging Mr Demura to teach him, Tweedy was taken under the mentalist's wing as an apprentice, learning everything he could from the master.
Tweedy credits his talents to being very privileged to have learned from a lot of people over the years.
With only 30 or so traditional mentalists left in the world, Tweedy's performance may be the last opportunity to witness some truly gifted talents in action.
Tweedy said the best part about performing in a smaller community like Ararat, as opposed to a larger city such as Sydney, is that everyone knows everyone.
"In a situation like this even if you don't know someone's name, you know their face,'' Tweedy said.
"Everyone's connected and I think the show has a greater impact on a connected audience.''
And the best part of following a career as a mentalist and magician?
"Making people smile, that's the real magic of magic,'' Tweedy said.
Nicholas Tweedy will perform at the Ararat Performing Arts Centre on Friday April 24 at 7pm. Tickets are $22.50 for adults and $15 for children aged 15 and under. For bookings, contact APAC on 5352 2181 or visit the centre between 9am and 4.45pm, Monday to Friday.
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