Get ready, Gqeberha — the magical dynamic duo, Brendon Peel and Li Lau, are about to pull off their final trick for a while before flying off to Las Vegas.
In April, they will be packing up their mystery and magic for a vanishing act at the Rio Hotel & Casino, where they will be joining the legendary Penn and Teller, the American magic maestros, entertainers and ultimate sceptics.
It is going to be an epic performance, but do not blink, or you might just miss it!
In Las Vegas, they will be doing a stint with the very men — both Peel and Lau’s idols — they managed to fool on reality show Penn & Teller: Fool Us in February 2024.
The home-grown duo are set to arrive in the US on April 2, where they will spend the month.
Viva! A Vegas Magic Show was created by the duo with the aim of taking it to America.
But loyal to their Nelson Mandela Bay fans who put them on the map, locals will be the first to catch the show at Centrestage@Baywest on March 14 and 15.
Peel said the venue at Baywest Mall was the perfect platform to show locals what they had planned for abroad.
He said that after doing the show with Penn and Teller, Teller, “the shorter, quieter one”, as he described him, “particularly loved what we did, and felt we have many similarities to them as a duo magic act because there aren’t many duo magic acts in the world”.
“He invited us to hang out with him, which was mind-blowing for both myself and Li because even the producers of the TV show said this doesn’t happen very often — or at all.
“They just wanted to hang out and chat magic, which was a dream come true for both of us,” Peel said.
“Because we fooled them, they said ‘we want to work with you guys on being part of a show’.”
Peel and Lau had managed to accomplish what hundreds of magicians could only dream of — beating the world-renowned magician duo at their own game.
They were also the first African duo to compete on the show.
The winning trick was a rendition of one of the most renowned magic tricks in the industry called the “bullet catch”.
The traditional trick involved a real bullet and a gun, but Peel and Lau used a slingshot and a coin which was signed on stage in front of the live audience.
Peel, a magician and mentalist, shot the signed coin at escape artist Lau, who caught it in his mouth and pulled it out his nose.
On performing in Las Vegas, Peel said they both felt very honoured and blessed.
“We will see what happens after April. We don’t know if it [the show] will become an annual thing or happen again later in the year, but we are going to keep pushing.
“And of course we always love coming back to Gqeberha.”
Peel said he really wanted to do a big show in SA before jetting overseas.
“This is the exact show we are going to be taking on tour — Viva! A Vegas Magic Show — and it’s actually the first show that I am going to be doing in Gqeberha since my mom passed away.
“But I wanted to come back with a bang in Gqeberha and have a blast with the locals.
“Because at the end of the day, it is the Nelson Mandela Bay audience that helped us grow our brand and we couldn’t have made it this far without them.
“We will always come back to Gqeberha. This is where I owe everything to.”
VIVA! A Vegas Magic Show starring the sensational Peel and the charismatic Lau takes place at Centrestage@Baywest on Friday March 14 at 7.30pm, with a matinee show on Saturday March 15 at 3pm.
It is a breathtaking fusion of mind-blowing magic, jaw-dropping illusions and side-splitting comedy that captures the glitz and glam of Las Vegas.
Bookings can be made online through Quicket, or Wendy on 083-225-5401.
