Reviewed by:
FIFTY+SA
Review by Anastasia Vento |
05 March 2024
Crowds of people swarmed to The Peacock at Gluttony, all, I would imagine, very eager to witness HYPNOTIC by Isaac Lomman. Heâs an award winning, international stage hypnotist, who will have you entertained from beginning to end.
Lomman is an Adelaide local, who offers clinical hypnotherapy applications in areas such as insomnia, relaxation, phobias, and trauma release (to name a few) from a Payneham clinic. But his Adelaide Fringe shows run a little different, where instead, he uses his masterful skill for our amusement.
The mood was instantly set from the moment I took my seat: a hypnotic circle spiralled on a large screen behind the stage, where I counted 12 chairs for voluntary participants. Within minutes, Isaac appeared, and he got right into it.
He asked the audience to participate in a small, hypnotic activity. And as I watched the people around me, I saw them ease into the experience, following Isaacâs direction. From here, people were invited on stage to take part in the whole experience at their free will, while the rest of us sat and watched in anticipation.
And so, the 12 seats were occupied, and maybe some of them were sure or unsure where it was going to go.
Isaac, with his deep and calming voice, started by putting the participants in a deeper sleep. After a few special techniques, he finished by saying a quick and sharp âsleepâ and ta-da, everyone was asleep in their chair.
From here, things got even more interesting. The participantsâ minds were taken on a mesmerising journey. Though, before I go on, itâs important to note that some participants woke from their trance, no longer able to be hypnotised and take part in the experience. This was not an issue for Lomman or the other participants â the show went on!
Without giving too much away, the participants were âtakenâ to hot beach destinations, another was told sheâd won the lottery, and we even saw some martial arts. Another believed she was having dinner with Hugh Jackman!
I suspect each show will go a little different as Lomman depends on audience participation and the sorts of things they deliver. This show is mostly for all ages, where Iâm sure young children and teenagers will laugh out loud at Lommanâs antics.
My experience was a great one, and many times I heard myself saying âwowâ in disbelief. The crowd watched on in amusement, as did Lomman, who steered his participants on a 60-minute journey of the mind.