Press: South Africa’s Top Comedians and Illusionists to perform at the Stars of Comedy and Magic Gal

Cape Town’s captivating Artscape Theatre will be buzzing with prime South African comedic and magical talent as the nation’s top performers Riaad Moosa, Conrad Koch, Chester Missing, Stuart Taylor and more take to the stage for the dazzling Stars of Comedy and Magic gala show on Saturday 9 May, 2015 at 20h00.

Hosted by the world-renowned College of Magic, the Mother City’s only magical arts organisation, the Stars of Comedy and Magic show forms part of the College’s 35th anniversary celebrations.

Moosa, Taylor and Koch, proud graduates of the College, will join forces with their fellow South African stars of stage and screen, special international guests, and a showcase of incredible magical talent for one night only to support the organisation`s outreach initiatives in this exclusive glittering gala event.

To have so much talent on a single South African stage is a rare treat indeed - from mind-blowing magic to side-splitting comedy and incredible illusions, an evening full of laughter, mystery and surprises await!

Highlights of the fantastic, must-see line-up includes:

• Riaad Moosa, a silver medallion graduate of the College of Magic, is well-known as the country’s favourite comedy doctor and has been keeping audiences in stitches with his 'Doctor’s Orders' tour. He most recently starred as struggle hero Ahmed Kathrada in Anant Singh’s epic Oscar and Golden Globe nominated movie ‘Mandela – Long Walk to Freedom' as well as the lead character in the local comedy Material, for which he won the SAFTA (South African Film and Television Award) for Best Actor.

• Stuart Taylor, a former South African Comedy Magic Champion, was last seen on stage in Cape Town in his hugely popular ninth one man stand-up show, BeSpoke. Taylor has enchanted audiences globally with his headline, stand-up comedy and magic shows, including the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the Berlin International Comedy Festival and his sold-out comedy-magic theatre productions throughout South Africa.

• Conrad Koch, South Africa’s top ventriloquist and his outspoken puppet Chester Missing are trailblazing their way through the entertainment stratosphere with weekly appearances on e.tv’s satirical news show Late Night News (LLN) and being a regular feature at major local comedy festivals, including the SA London Comedy Festival and Jive (formerly Vodacom) Funny Festival. Koch honed his ventriloquism craft at the College of Magic and is the winner of the Entertainer of the Year award for 2010.

• Andre the Hilarious Hypnotist has been captivating crowds with his dry wit, his strange sense of humour and his ability to get members of the public to do various strange weird and incredibly entertaining routines on stage for more than 20 years. This award-winning performer will next be seen onstage at Monte Casino Theatre in Johannesburg.

• Stuart Lightbody is a multi-award winning sleight of hand artist and psychological illusionist, who has astounded audiences the world over with his magical artistry. A lecturer at the College of Magic, Lightbody is a South African National Magic Champion. The three time Silver Ovation Award winner, a title bestowed on him by the South African National Arts Festival, has most recently received an ABC 720 Perth Theatre Award nomination at the Fringe World Perth in Australia for his performance in his latest show, Devilish.

• Louis Cason, renowned South African juggler, first drew the country’s attention as one of the hot favourites in the first season of local reality TV show, SA’s Got Talent. He is sure to amaze audiences with his juggling high numbers, spinning multiple objects and incredible balancing act.

• Larry Soffer, international mentalist and one of the country’s foremost experts in the power of the mind. His incredible skills have seen him reduce forks and spoons to liquid metal, cross over the radio waves and fix broken watches, making light bulbs burst and glass shatter, reading minds and extracting thoughts through unexplained phenomena. It’s a roller-coaster ride into the impossible!

2015 is a big year for the College of Magic, the only organisation of its kind in the world, as it celebrates three and a half decades of training adults and children in the theatrical performance art of magic and its allied arts.

Tickets for the Stars of Comedy and Magic start from R160 and are vanishing fast! Book yours now at Computicket.

For more information please visit www.collegeofmagic.com or call +27 (0) 21 683 5480.

Press Release provided by Fazielah Williams obo the College of Magic.