Mind games with The Illusionists 2.0 in Adelaide Adam Trent has been described as Justin Timberlake meets David Copperfield. IMPOSSIBLE feats that defy belief are standard practice for these magic men, plus singing, dancing and stand-up comedy. Cutting himself in half is all in a night's work for American magician Adam Trent. This very modern trickster says that, sometimes, the old magic is just too good to pass up. Trent is one of the magnificent seven magicians assembled for this year's version of a hip, edgy magic show that blitzed Australia last summer. The Illusionists was a huge hit and it looks set to do big business again in its second incarnation - The Illusionists 2.0, which opens at Her Majesty's Theatre on December 27. There's plenty of music, dancing and theatricals but also old staples that lovers of magic demand. "Cutting myself in half is my version of an old magic trick that has been done for years," Trent says. It's usually the magician sawing some woman in a box in half but I use a modern blade and I cut myself in half and people can clearly see the separation. It's a perfect example of my outlook . . . take traditional magic and make it more interesting. You can see Trent's awesome trick on video on his website and it will leave you asking the question that you should ask whenever good magic is done. That is - how the hell does he do that? Years of practice, of course, by a bloke who has been described as "Justin Timberlake meets David Copperfield." That's appropriate since Trent is a talented singer and dancer and his magic is awesome, and was inspired by Copperfield, one of his idols. "David Copperfield was always in a league of his own and I was just eight when I first saw him perform," Trent says. His show was so entertaining and one minute he would be funny, then he would amaze you with some major illusion and then there was great storytelling to go with it. I got to meet him after a show years later and I think it was more exciting for me than it was for him. I mean, he's a busy guy and though it was the biggest thing in the world for me, I think he just wanted to go and have his dinner really. Trent, 28, does a show that is part magic, part stand-up comedy routine and part concert. "I like to mix it up and I use cutting-edge technology as well as magic," he says. He is dubbed "The Futurist" in The Illusionists 2.0 and his use of the best the 21st century has to offer is one of the things that made him so attractive to the show's producer, Los Angeles-based Simon Painter. Painter and his business partner, Tim Lawson, whose production Chitty Chitty Bang Bang was performed in Adelaide earlier this year, brought a group of top magicians out for a show last summer. That show, The Illusionists, went gang busters, according to Painter. "There hadn't been a really successful live magic show for 20 years, but last year's show was so popular and we are so proud to have brought magic back to the mainstream," Painter says. Part of the show's success was because it was very much a family affair. We didn't realise how cross-generational it would be, but people bring kids and it seemed to appeal to everyone from five year olds to grandparents. Whether people come to try to figure the tricks out or just to be entertained we're not sure, but we're happy it worked. The new show has a whole new cast - seven new world-class magicians in a show that is hipper with more technology but the same "wow" factor and family appeal. Painter says getting Adam Trent was a coup because he's one of the hottest magicians in the world right now. If you enjoy magic and you're a fan of global magic superstars such as Criss Angel and Dynamo, then keep an eye on Trent because he's the next big thing. "I saw Adam live at The Magic Castle nightclub in LA and I think he will become enormously famous so we're lucky to have him," Painter says. He suits the new show perfectly with its accent on technology. We've introduced new elements this year and some of the acts even require the audience to wear 3D glasses. People are going to love this show and we made sure we have an Australian in it, Raymond Crowe, who did so well on Australia's Got Talent. This guy is terrific live. Multiply that by seven and, boy, do they have a show. The Illusionists 2.0, Her Majesty's Theatre, December 27-January 5. Bookings at BASS 131 246. Illusionist Tom London gives a magical touch to a surprise marriage proposal.