The Upper Forum – Thursday 2 – Sunday 26 April (excluding Mondays)

Bookings at www.ticketek.com.au or 13 2849

“Meet magic’s best card shark”

– Sydney Morning Herald 

‘Galea is a winning mix of bravado and youthful candour’

– The Australian 

Australian Magician of the Year James Galea is about to hit the 2009 Melbourne International Comedy Festival with his latest show I Hate Rabbits. Breathing new life into the dying art of magic, James trades the traditional rigid tuxedo and stiff top hat for a pair of sneakers, ripped jeans and a tee shirt. 

Direct from sell out shows last year at the Flamingo Casino in Las Vegas, and Hollywood’s Magic Castle – the Holy Grail for magicians – James’ show is vastly different to the stereotypical ‘pull a rabbit out of a hat’ performances from most magicians: ‘Often you see the same tricks, by the same people, in the same format. I wanted to create a show that I knew my friends and I would want to see’. 

James started learning magic at age 14. He thought his mentor was a musician, but: ‘the guy was a professional card shark. I didn’t know that at the time. He took me under his wing and when I thought I was learning magic I was actually learning some expert card techniques’.   

It was in the field of close up magic that James discovered his unique talent. His charismatic performances soon attracted notice and in 2000 at just 20 years of age, James was awarded ‘Magician of the Year’.  

With his unique blend of magic, music and comedy, James Galea disarms audiences with his youthful charm and astonishes them with his talent. Energetic and effortlessly cool, James and I Hate Rabbits breathe new life into the art of close up magic, combining spectacular illusions and original music with a wicked charm and a hell of a lot of fun.