TL;DR.
Lighthouse ArtSpace, Toronto ON
Last Wednesday, KOP and I made the trek to Toronto's Lighthouse ArtSpace.
- This was our second trip to this location. Just over a year ago we saw Alex McAleer - Mind Reader in this space. (If you were at the McAleer show, please note that you need to use the West entrance for The Enigmatist.)
- The performance space is one flight of stairs up from the main level. Contact the venue if you require accommodations.
- The show is about two hours long, with one 15 minute intermission.
- While there is nothing inappropriate for young children in the show, this is not a show designed for young children. The Starvox website states "The show is appropriate for children aged 6+." However, we're not sure that Kidlet would have enjoyed it much before the age of 8.
- "Hearts" ticket holders have general admission seats closest to the stage. The seats are all on the floor. "Spades" and "Clubs" ticket holders are on risers in the back half of the house.
-
Plan to arrive early. There is a preshow activity in The Puzzle
Garden. From the
Starvox website:
"The doors to the bar/lounge will open 60 minutes before curtain.
"The Puzzle Garden will open 60 minutes before curtain for Hearts ticket holders, and 30 minutes before the show for Spades and Clubs ticket holders.
"We recommend that you arrive early to solve the four puzzle walls, which will be located in the lobby area. Please plan to spend 20 to 30 minutes (in total) solving the puzzles before taking your seat inside. While not mandatory to gain entry to the performance, completing the puzzles will enhance your overall experience of the show." [Emphasis added.] - There is time to complete unfinished puzzles during the intermission.
- Puzzle tip: Some of the puzzles have a poster with important reference information on it. Use your phone to take a photo of the poster. Then you can review the details without blocking others from seeing the clues.
- David's book
How to Fool Your Parents, and his
Enigma’s Puzzle Hunt Playing Cards
are available for purchase at the venue.
On with the show...
Preshow vibes
- The performance space is intimate. Due to the general admission seating, arrive early if you wish to sit close to the stage.
- There are so many dimensions to the show, it's hard to know where to start!
- We were a little nervous about attending. The promotional material mentions of "brain twisting riddles," "cracking ciphers," and "puzzle solving" were somewhat intimidating. (This did not sound like an evening of passive entertainment.)
- All our worries were for naught!
- Yes, there are plenty of activities where the entire audience can rise to the challenge and participate!
- No, you don't have to participate if you don't want to. (But we're pretty sure you'll want to.)
- Puzzle solvers were consistently celebrated!
- Right off the bat, as David mentioned
in his interview with us, a young audience member solved the first puzzle before any of the adults!
- David treated everyone with the utmost respect.
- He is incredibly knowledgeable, has a fantastic memory, and demonstrates impressive sleight of hand.
- It is very clear that David, when designing his show, took to heart Will Shortz's quote "... a good puzzle makes the solver feel smart." The show is carefully constructed in the same fashion.
- David never made the audience feel "less than" in any way.
- The show is highly interactive. We counted around thirty volunteers in addition to multiple whole audience participation opportunities. The majority of the time, people were able to volunteer from their seats.
- This is legitimately the first time we've seen (heard?) Tom Lehrer invoked in a magic show. We approve! (Doubly so given the subject matter and the method of delivery.)
- David has an engaging stage presence, well-honed audience management skills, and excellent technical abilities! (As evidenced by a few perfect Faros, a one-handed rotational pivot cut, and some card lovely manipulation.)
The Enigmatist is magic, inside a puzzle, wrapped in
pure entertainment!*
* With apologies to Sir Winston Churchill
- The show has a solid throughline, inspired by historical figures and events, providing an intriguing narrative.
- It is clear to the magicians in the audience, that a extraordinary amount of thought, planning, and attention to detail went into this show. (Pay close attention. There are a surprising number of callbacks in the second half!)
- With few exceptions, the "magic" done in the show is presented in a very customized way, obfuscating the "trick" part of the performance while highlighting the awe and wonder of the presentation. David's use of surrogates for traditional magic props, gives the show a unique and truly personal feel.
- We tried desperately to keep up while David created an impromptu crossword puzzle. At some point we just gave in and let his spectacular vocabulary and puzzle building expertise wash over us. (And he incorporated a word we shouted out!) It was absolutely amazing to witness in real time!
- The Enigmatist is a masterclass in using magic principles as a tools to create entertainment in delightfully novel
ways!
Learn more about David by visiting his website DavidKwongMagic.com, following his Substack newsletter Enigmatology, buying his book How to Fool Your Parents, and following him on Facebook and Instagram.
Disclosure: KOP and I were guests at this show. The opinions expressed above are entirely our own. We did not receive compensation for the writing or the publishing of this article.
With thanks to Erica Fee and Starvox Entertainment for the tickets.
Don't take our word for it, see what Glenn Sumi had to say in his June 12th review "This genial nerd will make you believe in magic — not the AI kind — at ‘The Enigmatist’" in the Toronto Star. (Paywalled.):
"David Kwong’s solo show is mesmerizing, with a keen attention to detail."
Read more.
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