Influence

When I first heard about Kit Young working on a one-man magic show, I couldn’t wait to see it. Not many actors can claim to be able to pull off any role. Kit has proven his broad acting range time and again, and there isn’t anything he can’t master. But a one-man show in front of a diverse audience is a huge responsibility, even guided by the fantastic script of the brilliant Stockroom Writers (Chris York, Georgia Crowther, Maheni Arthur). Of course, Kit isn’t the one to shy away from a challenge. Thank the universe for that.

 

Collective Theatre is a nice and cozy environment with a wonderfully kind staff that makes one feel welcomed from the first moment. Even though I flew in alone and didn’t know anyone, I immediately felt at home among the impressively large group of people who had gathered from all over the world to celebrate the show’s first performance night. And we were not disappointed.

 

I must admit that as I was booking my flight to London ahead of the first preview night, I wasn’t sure what awaited me. All I could count on was that it would be worth hours of journey, crossing multiple countries, and the post-Brexit hassle of finding where I had put my passport! 

We, the audience, are all de facto sworn to secrecy about what happens in the show, and it would be extreme cruelty to spoil such a magnificent script. But I believe I’m permitted to discuss some of the themes that were the focus of this production. Let’s say there are connections made between the power of influencing people’s minds and decisions, and the broader scope of how our current societies are influenced by the pseudo-celebrities dubbed the Influencers. With power comes consequences.

As a scientist, I carry that innate curiosity yet also skepticism, especially about anything supernatural. I never had any inclination to attend a magic show. And a few I was forced to watch were usually unimpressive, especially since I’ve watched many documentaries explaining all the common tricks and techniques. But Influence is not just any magic show. It is art, social critique, and theater at its best. The kind that sweeps you away into another reality, making you forget your mundane life for an hour or two. The kind that plays with your mind, makes you feel your body and soul to the fullest, and experience the range of emotions beyond what you would allow yourself to express under mundane circumstances.

Through it all, Kit manages the ultimate deception, making the audience forget he’s a fantastic actor. I laughed so hard that my cheeks hurt and shed tears as he wrenched my heart out of my chest. By the end, Influence flushes out all those emotions tangled-up in the viewer’s subconscious mind to give them the deep release that only a true theater masterpiece can hope to achieve.

I highly recommend everyone watch Influence live at Collective Theatre. And if you can, it definitely is worth watching a second time. I had to dedicate three days to a very tiring trip and spend over 30 times the ticket price to fly into London from the EU just to attend the first two performances. If you live in London, you really have no excuse not to go see Kit bring his magic on stage. I recommend buying your tickets before the rest of the world realizes what a magnificent show Influence is and all the performances sell out.

So, head to the Collective Theatre webpage at:

https://collectivetheatre.co.uk/production/influence/

And let there be a spark of magic in your life.