Esoterica, - a word which defines something that reserved for the elite few - is a novel take on a typical magic act.

With his gleaming shaved head illuminated by the stage lights and sharp suit Walton cuts an imposing figure onstage. Until he speaks that is, at which point a well spoken accent of the illusionist comes to the fore to put you at ease along with a whole raft of facial expressions. Walton has ambidextrous eyebrows, and knows how to use them.

In the depths of the Baby Belly, with the White Stripes Seven Nation Army seeping through from above, Walton takes you through an hour of what he calls intellectual swashbuckling with tricks and games designed to examine ‘enigmatic ideas outside the normal context’.

With a stream of fancy language deployed to the best of his ability it’s not long before Walton lulls you with this oratory skills, drowning in an ocean of knowledge as he explains with guile the lesser known swindles of the past; from Oliver Twist card sharking to an explanation of our inability to hide a lie.

There’s no doubt that Walton is an accomplished magician and his show covers most common illusionist bases with a steady flow of card tricks and a dips into mind reading, but Walton doesn’t stop there. Instead he attempts to stamp his persona on the show through his esoteric theme.

He enjoys dabbling with the idea that he isn’t always on the audience’s side – to be honest he probably isn’t - maintaining an aura of duplicity throughout any trick which uses audience participation, “Paul do you really think I am here to help” Walton quips with a raised brow as he easily beats a member of the audience in a gambling game before launching into a historical anecdote of an encounter between Houdini and card shark in London.

Highlighting the historical nuances of each trick, theme or card scam adds an extra element to the show which is already entertaining enough.

By the end you are entranced by his ability to intrigue, leaning forward on the seat to see just how he’s managing to pull off remembering a whole deck of cards while reading out capitals of US states – by audience suggestion – while simultaneously pulling of a feat of mental arithmetic, a finale which would be a shame to reveal.

Tim Clark

Eric Walton's Esoterica on at 9.05pm at the Underbelly's Baby Belly until the 24th August.