Spellbound: The Mind’s Deepest Secrets Unfold In New Illusionist Show

Those who enjoy professional illusionists should not hesitate in seeing Indian mentalist Suhani Shah in her brand-new show Spellbound, which promises to do just that – spellbound audiences with illusions that defy human logic.

Suhani Shah is a mentalist and magician who has performed over 5000 shows worldwide and has a YouTube channel with over 3.9 million subscribers.

Shah recently sat down with City Hub to talk about her show which she is excited for Sydneysiders to attend.

She explained that she wasn’t born reading minds but rather was just deeply curious, always watching people how they reacted when they were hiding something and over time, she built the ability to read between the lines.

“Nobody in my family is a mentalist or remotely connected to the world of entertainment. I don’t think of it as a gift that I was given, but more something I built out of passion, obsession and years of showing up and doing the work.”

Shah has been performing since the age of seven after being fascinated by a magic program she watched on television. She didn’t just want to watch magic; she wanted to be the magician. She never had training in the traditional sense at a magic school but believes that learning doesn’t always happen in classrooms but more aptly is in the doing.

She explained that each show she has performed taught her something new, such as how people think and how silence can speak louder than words. In her early performances she failed at times in her mentalism acts but was adamant that each mistake became part of her training.

“Each confused look from the audience member taught me more than a standing ovation ever could. I never received any formal training, but I never stopped training because in this art you are never done learning.”

Shah said that Spellbound is not a show with one special effect that follows the other, but an experience that plays with the audience’s expectations, their memories, and their decisions until they start questioning how much they saw was under their control.

“It’s a very fast paced show, funny, interactive and at times surprisingly emotional. You’ll laugh, you’ll question reality and hopefully you’ll leave the theatre with a little curiosity about your own mind, and that’s the real magic for me.”

When asked whether audiences attending the show will believe that what is seemingly ‘impossible mind reading,’ is actually possible, Shah was quick to respond.

“They will definitely witness things that feel impossible. I never pretend to have supernatural powers but what I do comes from years of observation, practice and a deep understanding of human behaviour.”

Shah enthused that the most satisfying part of her performances is seeing the jaw-dropping reactions from the audiences, those moments of absolute disbelief when someone realises they have witnessed something they can’t explain.

And how would Shah respond to critics who claim the show is rigged?

“Honestly, I’d take it as a compliment because it means I made something so convincing that people can’t imagine it happening any other way. But no, my shows are not rigged. That’s what makes it exciting for me too.

“I never know what’s going to happen. If it was scripted or pre-planned, I’d be really bored – Every show is different and I like the risk and need the unpredictability, that’s what keeps it alive for me and the audience.”

Asked what she hopes audiences will take home from the show, Shah paused momentarily.

“If someone walks out thinking, ‘how did she do that?’ That’s fantastic. But if they walk out thinking what else in their lives have they assumed was impossible, that’s even better. I want people to feel that spark again – the one that reminds you that your mind is powerful, your dreams are valid and that the world is still full of mysteries and possibilities.”

Spellbound is an immersive show that would appeal to anybody who enjoys unravelling mysteries, witnessing astounding mentalism and mind-blowing illusions that should doubtlessly leave all audiences, including sceptics speechless.

Spellbound is on from Aug 7 – 10 at The Grand Electric.