A drizzling Friday evening was the perfect night for a little magic and with Sydney aglow under the Vivid lights, the Playhouse was buzzing in anticipation for internationally acclaimed illusionist and mentalist Scott Silven’s new show, THE LOST THINGS.
In the foyer, before the show has even started, participation has already begun with a memory installation asking patrons to recall an object they’ve lost. My curiosity is piqued. Entering the theatre and settling into our seats, we are met with a blank card, a pencil and a mysterious white envelope with a direction, ‘Do not open your envelope until Scott tells you.’ The 400-strong audience chattered, intrigued about what it could mean. There is a QR code to scan before the journey begins. The anticipation is palpable.
We look to the stage, transformed to evoke the enchanting woods where Silven found himself lost as a child. The lighting adds a nostalgic note, and we sit back and prepare to be enchanted ourselves.
Silven is a charismatic storyteller. His Scottish accent and commanding voice draw in the audience who are all in and eager to participate. Silven tells us about an item he lost when he was twelve. It was an iPod, a gift from his father, which he describes so evocatively that we are all invested in not just the item, but also the way that recalling the memory of lost items frames the way we remember our past. Silven declares ‘This isn’t just a show, it’s a search.’ And with that, we are invited on a quest to travel back through our own memories of lost things, putting pen to paper and playing our part in a performance that is not just about magic, but is also about memory and its power to connect, liberate and inspire.
The image of Silven as a young boy lost in the woods with his iPod is a memory we keep returning and each time we do, Silven shares a different perspective, another idea and reveals more details about this experience with the audience, building trust and creating an intimate space where strangers share a kaleidoscope of memories, drawn together through simple but universally relatable questions.
Between the immersive storytelling, illusion and mentalism, director Graham McLaren is also a magician – the shows runs at a smoothly pace and with precision to keep the audience mesmerised. With every question, ‘Who here is married?’ or ‘Who is the eldest in their family’, there is always a flash of hands, fingers tingling with excitement, itching for a moment on stage. Silven creates an atmosphere where the vulnerability of sharing memories is met with grace and good humour, and it all adds to the wonder of the evening.
Leaving the theatre, we are left to marvel ‘how did he do that?’. The theories eventually die down leaving us with bigger, more personal questions about the connections that we had, that we still have, and that hope we might have again.
Scott Silven: The Lost Things runs from 11 – 29 June 2025 at the Playhouse, Sydney Opera House. Tickets start from $85 + booking fee
