In the middle of a heatwave, and because we are nothing if not honest at BOTI, we didn’t exactly relish the thought of spending a sunny Sunday afternoon indoors. But within minutes of Ronnie ‘Flash’ Fontaine taking his seat at the table, we’d completely forgotten about the beach, the sunshine and the hundreds of drunk tourists outside.
Held in The Nightingale, the intimate upstairs room at The Grand Central pub, Close-Up and Criminal is part magic show, part storytelling session. With just 12 audience members gathered around a table decked in a red tablecloth, there’s nowhere to hide and that’s exactly what makes it work.
Ronnie, a former London gangster turned magician, cuts a memorable figure. With slicked-back salt-and-pepper hair and a sharp black suit, red shirt, loose tie and impossibly shiny shoes, Ronnie’s the epitome of an old-school gangster geezer. And the man knows how to work a room.
He transported us back to the underworld of London’s East End, captivating us with colourful tales from his crime-ridden past, using them as the perfect foil for his sleight-of-hand prowess as he performed close-up magic inches from our noses.
What makes the show stand out is the setting. Magic can be impressive on a stage, but it’s another thing entirely when you’re sat a couple of feet away and still can’t spot what’s going on. Several audience members – including us, we’ve always fancied being a glamorous magician’s assistant – were drafted in to help throughout the show and, as all-too-willing volunteers, we can confirm that at least one of his tricks left us completely baffled. We’re still thinking about it now.
We’re not about to spoil any of Ronnie’s secrets here – if he brings the show back, you need to see him for yourself. Half the fun is spending the evening trying to work out how on earth he pulled it off.
Unfortunately, we caught him on the last day of his limited Fringe run, so you might have to wait to catch his next show, but he does take private bookings. We’ve already popped him in our little black (magic) book, ready for the next BOTI party. Wonder if he can turn water into wine…
By Kemi Ayoola
