Lake of magic

The laws of existence were shattered during illusionist Rob Lake’s first performance in India

- POOJA BIRAIA

In an age of cynicism, Las Vegas-based illusionist Rob Lake's recent performance at Mumbai's Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) was nothing short of a masterclass in the art of awe. In those few minutes, reality was suspended, and one existed in an alternate plane where magic was not trickery, but a manoeuvring of the mind to see and feel the impossible.

From the moment he asked a woman to step into a towering box, reality began to unravel. He started folding it into smaller boxes, until no human being could possibly fit inside. The suspense deepened as he, almost with ritualistic precision, stabbed the box with swords on every side. Then, as if reversing time itself, Lake removed the swords and unfolded it. With a magician's flourish, he opened the door to let the woman emerge unscathed, but white as a sheet. She snapped open a Japanese fan, and with one swift flick, the colour returned to her face. It was a perfect crescendo of illusion and a reminder that, in the hands of a skilled magician, the rules of existence can easily fall apart.