6 Quick Dick Tricks: A Dirk Darrow Investigation
Kaj Hasselriis | CBC News | Posted: July 16, 2016 10:17 PM | Last Updated: July 18, 2016
THREE STARS | 'A lot of Motley's tricks took so long to unfold that they outlasted my attention span'
Rating: ★★★
Company: Tim Motley, Melbourne, Australia
Genre: Magic
Venue: 17 — PTE (Colin Jackson Studio)
Private detective Dirk Darrow, also known as Fringe veteran Tim Motley, returns to the festival for yet another hour of magic tricks and corny gags.
If you've seen Motley do his trench-coated shtick before, you'll know exactly what you're in for. The afternoon crowd that surrounded me at Motley's latest show sure did. In fact, there were so many repeat customers from previous years he had a hard time finding fresh faces with whom to test his new (yet still old-school) tricks.
Most of Motley's happy customers leapt to their feet for a standing ovation. My view of his new show is less enthusiastic. - Kaj Hasselriis
Most of Motley's happy customers leapt to their feet for a standing ovation. My view of his new show is less enthusiastic. Sure, I laughed at his groaners and grinned at his repartee with audience members. But a lot of Motley's low-stakes tricks took so long to unfold that they outlasted my attention span. He also struggled to stick to his 1940s-era character.
If you've lapped up Motley's shows in the past, I'm sure you'll enjoy his latest outing, too. But if you've only got time at the Fringe for one or two magic shows, keep reading for better options.