I haven't seen a hypnotist in well over 20 years, so I was only too delighted to come along and see "Matt Hale: Funbelievable" at the Gilded Balloon Patter House.
Hale gets the crowd pumped with an energetic entrance to 90's club music. The crowd is ecstatic and so is he.
Hale is very straightforward in explaining to the crowd that hypnotism is not mind control, and that, if it were, he would just tell us all we've seen a great show and leave. He tells us hypnotism is all about suggestion and that we can genuinely stop at any time if we feel too uncomfortable.
The whole crowd was given a brief demonstration of this as he performed some basic suggestions. It got us all giddy, and when he offered for people to take to the stage to be hypnotised, it was almost like a stampede.
Hale picked out the people who were not showing signs of suitability to be sent back to their seats and did so in a way that was honestly just so kind. The show then got started and it was just non-stop laughs and nostalgia from then on! (Funnily enough, this is the second show I've been to at fringe where the hold crowd sang "Angels" together)
Hale oozes not just charisma but a special kind. It's not full of showboating but rather full of kindness and sincerity. He seems like the kind of guy who would give you a lift, even if it was two hours out of his way. This feeds into his performance where none of the jokes are at the expense of the volunteer. Yes, some of the things they do are silly, but it's never done in such a way to make them look foolish.
I very much appreciated that as I've heard horror stories of people thinking they were naked or being attacked by bees, etc., so it was nice to see a show where everyone was just having a good time!
The show was a great time, and I left with a big smile on my face! Matt and his wife Kat have put together an amazing show that I hope continues to have great success! One might even suggest that it deserves a Fantastic Fringe Award 😉
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Did you see any great hypnotism shows while you were at the fringe? Let us know in the comments, and I hope you all had a fantastic fringe! 😁
Love,
Tony x