Scott Silven Asks You To Think On ‘The Lost Things’ In New, Mind-Melting Show

Perhaps fittingly for a showman who makes people question the very world around them, it doesn’t feel real to Scott Silven that he’ll be premiering his new show The Lost Things at the Sydney Opera House in just a few days – at least, not yet.

“I’ve been creating this show for some time in between breaks of my other show,” the Scottish-born, New York-based mentalist and illusionist tells City Hub after touching down in Australia a day prior. “It’s felt so intangible for so long, and now we’re here and ready to put on the show… I’m so excited about it!”

“I’ve performed at the Opera House before in 2022, and I experienced the incredible energy and sense of history there. I knew that it was the place where, if possible, I’d love to premiere the new show. The challenge has been making the work from the other side of the world, but it’s been wonderful for all of us and the Opera House have been perfect partners.”

Renowned the world over as a mind-bending illusionist and mentalist, Scott Silven is using a unique mix of psychology, hypnosis and theatre to make The Lost Things an exploration of memory, liberation and connection with a strong sense of narrative.

The Lost Things inspired by Scott’s own life

Inspired by an experience getting lost in the Scottish woods as a boy, Scott is fascinated with the idea of things that have been lost to time, and the liberation that comes with one getting lost.

“When I ran away from home and got lost in the woods, it was this period of change. In this moment I should have felt great fear and strangeness, but I was overcome by a sense of liberation and wonder,” he says.

“In that moment, I realised my life could go in any direction. We often think that the path we’re on is predetermined, that we should stay in the same job and settle down, do this and that. I wanted to shake audiences up with the idea that leaning into the unknown of your life is sometimes a really powerful and exciting thing.”

He also elaborates on the show’s title: “We also explore the idea of the lost things, the moments and experiences and versions of ourselves we’ve lost. What would happen if we could bring those back? The show poses the question from the get go, where you’re asked to focus on something you’ve lost in your life, and then everyone in the audience is sharing the same headspace, which is very rare and exciting.”

“The audience is the real star of the show, because they’re involved at every moment”

As such, you can expect a more cerebral, theatrical show from The Lost Things than other ‘magic’ shows. Inspired by the works of masters like Alfred Hitchcock, Doug Aiken, Olafur Eliasson and especially Daivd Lynch, Scott’s intention with the show is to foster a uniquely collective sense of connection and memory with a set reminiscent of those Scottish woods the mentalist found himself lost in.

“They soon realise that the memory I’m sharing is not something that’s just personal to me, but something that connects all of them,” Scott says. “So I see my role as a facilitator, a guide on the journey into that forest. The audience is the real star of the show, because they’re involved at every moment. It means every show is different, too, which is terrifying but I love taking that bit of risk!”

Scott further explains the value of connection and the audience in The Lost Things: “If I were a card magician, I could sit at a table and shuffle the cards and do a trick. As a mentalist, I cannot do any of it without an audience. It isn’t about me doing these showstopping things up front, it’s about setting off on a journey and hopefully feeling connected to one another in a really deep way by the end of it.”

“This will feel unlike any magic show you’ve ever seen before”

The fact that the interactive element makes the show different every time means it was a rewarding challenge to work on the show alongside veteran Scottish theatre director Graham McLaren on the show.

“We both initially approached it from very different places; he doesn’t know magic and certainly not mentalism!” Scott says. “But what he liked about my work is that it felt unlike any magic he’d seen before – it felt personal, real and like a piece of theatre.

“We pushed that further with The Lost Things, and he’s really helped hone my skills as a performer. The hope is that nothing feels frivolous on stage, that everything feels real and part of the show.”

Scott’s excited to debut The Lost Things for the first time to Australian audiences, who he says are measurably different from the Americans he’s been performing for. “I just love Australian audiences,” he says. “Like in the UK and Scotland there’s a sense of scepticism, but also an honesty and sincerity to it, which I’ve missed living in the States for so long.”

Scott concludes with his final recommendation of the show: “This will hopefully feel unlike any magic show you’ve ever seen before. I want you to feel inspired, connected and transformed when you leave the theatre. And I know that’s a big ask! But I think we can go on that journey together, and it’ll be incredible.”

Scott Silven: The Lost Things is playing at the Sydney Opera House from June 11th to 29th. For more info and to book tickets, click here.