THE HONEST TRUTH ABOUT THE BIGGEST LIES.
Pete Booth & Sean Mergard are Turning Tricks, a magic duo based in Brisbane. Pete, a comedy magician and Sean, a mentalist, combine their skills to tell the stories of scammers, pranksters, hoaxers, and the downright unusual. The first show, Turning Tricks, was written and performed for the Brisbane Fringe Festival in 2013, and was re-staged for Anywhere Theatre Festival and Wonderland Festival at Brisbane Powerhouse in 2014. The original show explains the workings behind history's biggest scams and deceptions, including the mind-reading acts performed by charlatans
in past centuries.
In 2015, Turning Tricks returned to the Anywhere Theatre Festival with Mystics, Maniacs and Murderers, their second show, culminating in a live seance that attempts to contact a suspected Jack the Ripper suspect. The show was performed to sold out audiences at the festival, and again on Halloween at Metro Arts.
In 2016, Miracle Mongers was born, that tells the stories of eccentric personalities throughout history, with performances at Brisbane Powerhouse and Anywhere Festival.
In 2019, the duo return with a revised version of the show that started it all, Turning Tricks, with two performances this August.
Turning Tricks is also available for corporate and private events to present selections from their theatre shows.
THE PERFORMERS
Pete Booth developed an interest in magic at the age of five, courtesy of Expo 88, Brisbane’s international festival showcasing performers from all over the globe. After many books, magic sets and lonely nights, he had an act.
Pete now performs for comedy clubs, corporate shows and private parties.
Pete writes about the paranormal for Skeptic magazine and has lectured on the subject for Griffith University. These pieces first found their way to the stage in his show, The Barnum Effect, covering secrets of psychics and Victorian Seances.
Pete can be contacted at petebooth.com
At 30 years of age, Sean Mergard has had the privilege of performing for and working with many of the best names in magic, and in 2009 was invited to perform in Toronto, Canada, with 31 of the world’s most innovative and distinctive magicians and learn from magic's greatest historians.
Over the last twelve years, Sean has made the move from traditional magic to Mentalism - often considered magic's last unexplainable frontier. Sean's interest in the human mind, and it's powers of memory and suggestibility form the basis of his current performances.
Sean can be contacted at seanmergard.com.au