The eerie world of the Victorian seance is set to be revived as part of a Fringe show mixing storytelling, drama and magic.
Inspired by the roles of female magicians and mediums from the turn of the 20th century, Sylvia Sceptre will be appearing at Buxton Fringe next month (July) with her Phantasmagorical show.
Featuring ‘psychological artifice and impossible mind-reading’, performances run on Monday July 9th at 5.30pm, Tuesday July 10th at 4.15pm, Wednesday July 11th at 10pm and Thursday July 19th at 10pm at Underground at the Old Clubhouse.
A scene from the show won first place at an American stage magic competition focused on mind reading and bizarre magical presentations, while Reece Shearsmith, League of Gentlemen writer and actor, described it as: “Timeless, elegant and beautifully Victorian. Brilliant!”
Sylvia’s character and the Phantasmagorical show were devised by Careena Fenton, one of the few female members of the Magic Circle, inspired by Gothic art, films and literature.
Based in the Midlands, Careena is well known for performing magic at private events when not in character as Ms Sceptre. She trained with Philippe Gaulier in Paris and Desmond Jones in London, having begun her magic studies in 2006 and was accepted unanimously into the Circle two years later.
She said: “The show is aimed at those who enjoy their entertainment with a hint of the supernatural and emulates the uncanny thrills of the Golden Age of Spiritualism.
“It has been very well received wherever I’ve performed it around the world so I’m really looking forward to sharing it with audiences at Buxton Fringe.”
For more information visit underthefringe.com to buy tickets costing between £7 and £9.