Penn & Teller to perform at Arts Centre Melbourne

From humble beginnings busking on the streets of Philadelphia to acclaimed sold-out runs on Broadway to the longest running, and one of the most-beloved resident headline acts in Las Vegas history, magic’s legendary duo continues to defy labels – and at times physics and good taste – by redefining the genre of magic and inventing their own very distinct niche in comedy.

The lifelong friends – also authors, directors and documentary makers with a career together spanning almost half a century – are known for their unusual mix of mind-blowing magic tricks and comedy.

Their record-breaking Las Vegas show at The Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino has an amazing eight wins as “Las Vegas Magicians of the Year” and was called “The single best show in Vegas” by the Los Angeles Times.

“I just love Australia. I learned to scuba dive in Cairns. I’ve eaten gelato at Circular Quay and enjoyed Shakespeare at the Opera House. I’ve scouted an underwater TV special near Melbourne, I’ve been bug-eyed at MONA and some of my dearest friends live there so it’s about bloody time we brought our show down under, don’t you think? It’s once in a lifetime! See you in winter! … What? It’s winter in June??,” says Teller.

The pair are the stars of hit series Penn & Teller: Fool Us! for The CW Network, on which up-and-comers and magic veterans try to fool Penn & Teller for a chance to star in the pair’s hit Las Vegas stage show. It  was nominated for a Critic’s Choice Award and returned for an eighth season in late 2021. The Showtime series, Penn & Teller: BS! was nominated for 13 Emmys and was the longest-running series in the history of the network.

True pop culture stalwarts, the duo has performed in hit television shows including Friends, The Big Bang Theory, Modern Family and The Simpsons as well as their own TV specials which have earnt them an Emmy and Writer’s Guild Award. They also share a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Their highly anticipated return to Broadway was the highest-grossing non-musical on Broadway for its entire six-week run. In recent years, they’ve become acclaimed documentarians with the BAFTA-nominated Sony Pictures Classic release Tim’s Vermeer, as well as producing the critically lauded feature The Aristocrats and the Showtime short The Gambler’s Ballad.

In 2020, Penn & Teller celebrated 45 years of their professional partnership.

Penn & Teller’s Australian tour will also take them to the Sydney Opera House (1 – 11 June) and Queensland Performing Arts Centre (22 June – 3 July).