American comedy provocateur Natalie Palamides teamed up with Las Vegas-based circus trailblazers Spiegelworld to build their next multimillion-dollar Las Vegas Strip spectacle, live and in full view of audiences at the 2025 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Lady Magic, written and directed by Palamides, is a chaotic, clown-led work in progress that sees a troupe of long-suffering magician’s assistants finally seize the spotlight. Wild, unpredictable, and still in the making, Fringe audiences were given a rare, behind-the-scenes glimpse into how a major Las Vegas production is born.

Throughout history, the magician’s assistant has put up with a lot: being sawn in half, dodging flying knives – all while wearing high heels, a skimpy costume, and a smile. Lady Magic is a show where the assistants finally get their chance to make the magician disappear, in increasingly desperate, deadly ways. It’s a show of foolish mayhem (and illusions that wouldn’t fool anyone) for anyone who has ever hated their boss.

MAGIC DIRECTOR - STEVE CUIFFO