Illusions or hypnosis?

Quick answer

One building, two very different nights, and the right one depends mostly on who is coming. The illusion show is a family production: large props, assistants, sleight of hand and comedy for all ages, about ninety minutes long. The hypnosis show is an adults-only comedy hour, about seventy-five minutes, in which volunteers from the audience are hypnotised and the laughs come from what they do next. If children are coming, the decision is made for you. If it is a group of adults, decide whether you would rather be amazed or helpless with laughter, and whether a large record of reviews matters to you.

What an illusion show gives you

Stage illusions are the large end of magic: effects performed for big audiences in a theatre, with sizeable props and assistants. The pleasure is visual. Someone floats, vanishes, appears or is apparently cut in half, and you watch closely and still cannot see how. Between the big pieces come sleight of hand and comic patter, so the evening has rhythm rather than ninety minutes of solemn mystery. The illusion show at this theatre is billed as Las Vegas-style and all ages, with performances close to the seats and some audience members pulled into the act.

What a comedy hypnosis show gives you

Stage hypnosis is hypnosis performed for an audience as entertainment, usually in a theatre or club, and a modern show is normally played for comedy rather than as a demonstration of power. Volunteers come up from the seats, the hypnotist works with them, and the humour comes from their reactions. Why volunteers behave as they do is argued over: some see an altered state, others point to suggestion, group pressure and the wish to play along. At this theatre the hypnosis show is described as an adult show, about seventy-five minutes, with lighting, sound and effects around the volunteers.

Ages settle it for families

The hypnosis show is not suitable for anyone under 18, so a family with children or teenagers has only one option here, and it is the illusion show. That is not a consolation prize. The illusion show is built for a mixed-age audience, with comedy pitched so adults and children laugh at the same moments, and children are among the volunteers guests describe being called up. The hypnosis show is ticketed for adults only, so with anyone under 18 in the party, plan on the illusions.

Being a volunteer: the difference

In the illusion show a volunteer helps with a trick and goes back to their seat as a minor celebrity for the night. In the hypnosis show the volunteers are the show: a group of strangers spends a long stretch on stage doing what they are told, and the audience laughs with, and occasionally at, them. If someone in your party loves the spotlight, either show will give them a moment. If someone is nervous about being picked, the illusion show asks far less of them, and sitting away from the aisle usually keeps them out of it. If you would rather not take part, a seat away from the aisle and a polite shake of the head are your best tools.

Length and pace

About ninety minutes against about seventy-five. The difference is small on paper, but the illusion show's extra quarter-hour goes on spectacle, with pieces that need setting up and lighting, while the hypnosis show's shorter running time keeps the comedy tight. Both suit an evening that starts with dinner in the complex and ends with a walk by the lake. Neither includes food or drink, so plan the meal around the start time on your confirmation, which differs by date. If you are fitting a show around a long beach day, the shorter hypnosis hour is a little easier on tired adults; with children, the illusion show's length is rarely a problem because something new happens every few minutes.

Reviews: many against few

The illusion show has close to a hundred reviews on its booking page, and they are very warm. The hypnosis show has only a small number, and while most are positive, a few are lukewarm. Few reviews do not mean a poor show; they mean less evidence to judge it by, and a handful of opinions can swing the average either way. If you are booking for a group and want reassurance, the illusion show's record is the stronger one. If you are adults who enjoy a gamble on a different kind of night, the hypnosis show is easy to try.

Doing both

Nothing stops a group of adults from seeing both on different evenings, since they are separate tickets on the same forgiving terms, refundable until the final day and payable later. Seen back to back they make an odd but entertaining pair, one about what your eyes cannot explain and one about what people will do on a stage. A family with older children can also split the evenings, with the adults at the hypnosis show one night and everyone together at the illusions another.

Getting there for either show

Both shows play in the same theatre, tucked into the big shopping-and-entertainment development at the heart of Myrtle Beach, so the plan is the same whichever you book. Drive or take a taxi to the complex, then follow the map link in your booking to the theatre itself, which stands next to a chain restaurant. Allow spare minutes on a first visit, because the complex is split into themed districts and the theatre is easy to walk past. Meals sit outside both tickets, and the complex can feed you before or after either show.

Who this isn't for

A dinner theatre this is not, at either show, and neither offers close-up magic at a table. Skip the hypnosis show if you are uneasy watching people made to look foolish, however gently, or if anyone in your party is under 18. Skip the illusion show if your group would rather laugh than gasp and the children are at home. And if your heart is set on a big production with dinner on the same ticket, neither of these is the right booking.

How to choose in a minute

Is anyone under 18 coming? Book the illusion show. Is it adults only and are you after big laughs rather than big props? Try the hypnosis show, and know that its reviews are still few. Do you want the safest bet for a mixed group, with the longest record of happy audiences? The illusion show. Whichever you choose, book through the calendar on this site, keep free cancellation as a cushion, and leave time to find the theatre inside the complex. If the group cannot agree, the illusion show is the one nobody has to be talked into.

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