Pure imagination: Cath Jamison and Aurora Kurth perform at the Tallarook Mechanics Institute. Photos: Faith Macale
Photo by
Faith Macale
Tallarook Mechanics Institute experienced a night of magic, mysteries and music on Saturday, March 23.
Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content
The Sass & Secrets show was in town, featuring magician and mentalist Cath Jamison and cabaret singer Aurora Kurth.
The show began with Ms Jamison explaining how she got started with magic by learning from the Boys’ Book of Conjuring, a gift from her dad when she was five.
Ms Kurth quickly established her character: sultry, classy and expressive, with a powerful voice — think Jessica Rabbit and Betty Boop combined.
The show combined Ms Kurth’s comedic performance and Ms Jamison’s mind-boggling tricks.
The venue’s intimate setting meant audience members were an integral part of the show.
Ms Kurth walked around and sang directly to audience members, while Ms Jamison would bring attendees to the front to assist her in her tricks.
I was one of the lucky ones to be invited on stage.
It was a bizarre experience.
The concept of the trick was that I would feel Ms Jamison’s touch through a fellow audience member, who was also on stage, by the magician connecting us mentally.
Ms Jamison asked us to close our eyes and focus on the sound of her voice.
What made the experience mind-boggling was that I did feel touches on my lip, the inside of my elbow, and the small of my back — I was told that Ms Jamison never touched me, but she touched the other audience member exactly where I felt the touches.
When I wasn’t on stage, I was fortunate enough to be sitting in the front row. This allowed me to interact with the performers, making the night even better.
Besides that, I had the pleasure of meeting new people, such as Seymour Railway Heritage Centre life member David Watson, who had accompanied Victorian Governor Margaret Gardner during her visit to the heritage centre on Wednesday, March 13.
Wonderland: ‘Snow’ flies out of Cath Jamison’s bare hands as Aurora Kurth belts out her rendition of A Million Dreams from The Greatest Showman.
Photo by
Faith Macale
The music performed by Ms Kurth tied the show together: upbeat tunes to start the show, a couple of love songs to interact with the audience, a karaoke-style performance for the audience to sing along to and a pop song to get the kids dancing.
Ms Kurth capped off the night with her rendition of A Million Dreams from the movie The Greatest Showman, with Ms Jamison blowing “snow” from her hand to the audience.
Sass & Secrets was entertaining for all ages.
It drew everyone in, and anyone could be a part of a magic trick, it didn’t matter if you were young or old. The main objective was that you had fun with the show — and that is precisely what the performers delivered.
The show in Tallarook was the last stop of Sass & Secrets’ Regional Arts Victoria tour.
11°C