Colin Cloud: HOAX ⭐⭐⭐⭐

“In this brand new show, everything you think you know will be challenged. What do we believe, why do we believe it, and what does it take to change a mind? In a world where reality is shaped at the touch of a button, truth feels flexible and trust feels dangerous. Blending jaw-dropping mentalism with razor sharp comedy, Cloud dismantles assumptions, bends reality, and makes the impossible uncomfortably personal. Hoax is designed to blow your mind, shake you to your core, and linger long after the lights fade. You will not leave the same person inside.”

There is something particularly enjoyable about watching a mentalist confidently tell you that you are in control of your own thoughts, before promptly proving that you really are not. Colin Cloud’s Hoax is a slick, intelligent and frequently astonishing evening that understands precisely how to play with an audience’s expectations, and, occasionally, with their sanity.

Direction is assured and considered, making excellent use of the space. Every movement feels purposeful, and there is a pleasing sense that nothing has been placed on stage simply because there happened to be room for it. The staging keeps the momentum moving without ever feeling frantic.

LX brings plenty of energy and dynamism to the performance, helping to keep the show visually fresh. I particularly liked the use of the spot when Cloud directly addresses the audience; it creates an immediate sense of intimacy, as though he has temporarily stopped performing at us and started performing for us. Which, given what he subsequently does to our brains, is a little dangerous.

Sound strikes a nice balance, supporting the atmosphere and comedy without ever fighting for attention. It knows when to be present and, importantly, when to get out of the way.

The set provides a strong framework for the evening, giving Cloud the space he needs to move between the theatrical, the comedic, and the absolutely bewildering.

Projections & live camera work are particularly well handled. Such elements are necessary in a show where the audience needs to see exactly what is happening, but they never become a gimmick. It would be very easy for live video to turn into the theatrical equivalent of someone repeatedly saying, “Look! We have a camera!” Thankfully, that never happens here. Instead, it is used tastefully and effectively, improving the experience rather than distracting from it.

Book by Cloud gives Hoax more to chew on than the average evening of tricks and revelations. Beneath the mentalism is a genuine invitation to question how we form opinions, why we trust certain things and how easily our perception could be manipulated. There is also a surprisingly moving emotional section which gives the show a welcome dose of humanity. For all the cleverness, this is ultimately a show interested in people, and that is where it becomes most interesting.

Colin Cloud's performance is, unsurprisingly, the main event. The sheer skill on display is incredible, but technical ability alone does not make a great mentalist. Cloud has the showmanship to match it. He is utterly engaging, effortlessly confident and always maintains an air of mystery. Even when you think you have worked out where he is going, he has usually already taken a completely different route.

There are moments where the intellectual side of Hoax threatens to become slightly heavier than the entertainment around it. Still, Cloud’s charisma and comedic timing continually pull the show back into balance. It is at its best when it lets the audience sit back, enjoy the impossible, and wonder how on earth they have just been fooled. And fooled you will be.

Hoax is a polished, intelligent and thoroughly entertaining piece of mentalism that combines impressive technical skill with genuine theatricality. It is funny without relying entirely on the obvious punchline, thoughtful without becoming a lecture and, most importantly, astonishing without constantly needing to shout about how astonishing it is.

Colin Cloud: Hoax plays at Pleasance Courtyard – Grand (Venue 33) from the 5–30th at 7:30 pm and runs for approximately 60 minutes.

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