People news
Lecturer turns magician for tour of show first performed at Edinburgh Fringe
By: Stephanie Allen
Last updated: Wednesday, 10 March 2021
© Hugo Glendinning
A University of Sussex drama lecturer is to begin touring his new show after a successful run at Edinburgh Fringe last year.
Dr Augusto Corrieri will play the magician Vincent Gambini in ‘The Chore of Enchantment’, with the first performance of his Spring tour taking place at the Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts.
Described as ‘magic for troubling times’, in the show, Gambini plays with being disillusioned by global news events – he struggles with ‘magician’s block’ and unveils the hidden difficulties of being a conjurer, combining deadpan reflections with sleight-of-hand magic.
The show garnered 4 and 5 star reviews during its run at Edinburgh Fringe last year and was selected as 'Best of the Fest' by The Sunday Times.
Dr Augusto Corrieri, a lecturer in Drama, Theatre & Performance, trained as a magician in his teens. He said: “I was one of those strange wonder kids, practicing magic all day everyday for years. Then I put all that away and went to study theatre and performance art for several years.
“Recently, I’ve returned to doing magic, but always framed as theatre – not a ‘straight’ magic show.”
Supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England, The chore of Enchantment will tour around the UK visiting Colchester, London, Dorchester, Halifax, Leeds and Exeter.
Described by Total Theatre as a ‘lovely hybrid of theatre and magic’ the show blurs illusion and reality leaving audiences wondering whether they are witnessing theatre, real life or magic.
‘The Chore of Enchantment’ will be showing at the Attenborough Centre on 3rd March at 8pm. For more information, and to buy tickets, visit: https://www.attenboroughcentre.com/events/3515/vincent-gambini-the-chore-of-enchantment
After the Brighton performance, the tour continues:
3 March Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts, Brighton
11 March Colchester Arts Centre
14-16 April Camden People’s Theatre, London
30th April Dorchester Arts
8 May Halifax Square Chapel
10 May Slung Low, Leeds
2 June Exeter Phoenix