Entrancing Magic And Storytelling At Castlereagh Boutique Hotel

A marvelous show. Amusing, brilliant, warm and engaging! Felt as though we were privileged to be included in something special, and altho the audience was mostly adults our 10 year-old was invited into the magical experience of his life too and had a ball. All-round lovely evening with great magic plus engaging excursions into Sydney history and some fantastically memorable stories!

A group of eight friends, attending The Gentleman Magician's Magical Soirees, celebrating a friend's 30th birthday on Friday night, and what a fantastic night it was! The event took place at an elegant hotel that set the perfect ambience. The storytelling woven into the magician’s performance was exceptional, making each trick feel like a captivating tale. The tricks themselves were astonishing, leaving us in awe and laughter throughout the evening. The cocktail bar offered an impressive selection of drinks, and the beers on tap were superb. The food was delicious, and everything was beautifully presented. What stood out most was the swift service and fantastic customer care from the staff, ensuring we had a great experience. I highly recommend this show for any celebration, whether it’s a birthday milestone, hens or bucks or just an enjoyable night out. It was truly a memorable experience!

Bruce the magician does his show in the 100 year old heritage listed Castlereagh Hotel. Its one of Sydney's hidden sectrets and so is this show. Only 50 people. Bruce is seems subdued but the show builds with some serious magic and even more serious and hilarious audience participation. It's only $50. After the show the bar downstairs has live jazz in what could be a top end London bat.

This was quite a bit of fun but we were disappointed that despite saying there would be a complimentary wine and snacks, these were not forth coming. Otherwise an interesting and fun night.

This was an absolute treat - Glen's storytelling and engagement into each aspect of his show was and is uniquely Australian, felt more like a secret discovery tucked away in the beautiful Castlereagh Boutique Hotel CBD.

It was a great show! We all enjoyed ourselves immensely and having a small audience made it even better. Bruce's storytelling gave the show another dimension and it was very cleverly interwoven with the magic. Audience participation made the magic so much more mysterious due to their involvement. We were still talking about how the magic was done the next day. We fully recommend Bruce's show to you - a magical night in Sydney!

This was a really good event. Bruce presented a range of superb magic tricks all laced with good humour and audience participation. Highly recommended

It was the best show and funny magic Ive ever had. Thank you from kind respected magician❤️🩵❤️🩵❤️🩵❤️🩵❤️🩵❤️🩵❤️🩵❤️🩵

I had a delightful evening. "The gentleman magician" presented an enjoyable evening of stories and magic, he was charming, the venue was a lovely piece of old Sydney. I would certainly recommend it to anyone seeking a gentle bit of entertainment.

The show was excellent - lots of tricks that had us scratching our heads wondering how he did it! The experience is for everyone

Intimate setting with a charming concept, but ultimately underwhelming. The storytelling dragged and overshadowed the actual magic, which was sparse and lacked impact.

Great magic show and venue. The tricks are still puzzling right now and I can’t work out how the magician did it! Would recommend

We booked this show for my Husband's birthday. We had a drink beforehand at the beautiful Whiskey Bar downstairs. We were lucky to get the front seats, and we all got picked which made the evening even more enjoyable. We're still talking about how those magic tricks were done. Pretty amazing. I would definitely recommend this event.

The Magician Bruce Glen was brilliant. The stories he tells were interesting and I was in awe of all the magical tricks he showed through the show. If you haven’t seen his show you need to put it on your bucket list. Absolutely amazing way to spend an evening. 🫶

This is truely a fabulous experience. It does not disappoint. Great night out with the family but you could go with friends or even for a first date !

Good old fashioned live entertainment. Intimate setting in a lovely hotel, where we also stayed for the night. Champagne was plentiful and canapés lovely. A great experience.

It was worth the wait. Thanks for a great night. delicious canapes. Lovely stories and the magic tricks were mind bending. two thumbs up.

This show was excellent fantastic evening from the minute you enter the hotel to the show. Your personal experience you have with Libby and Glen is out of this world well worth a few hours out of your evening

This trip was cancelled two days before it took place, and visitor did not inform me!! I showed up, after great effort to get there, only to be told by the magician that Viator knee it had been cancelled. Not okay. Please refund my money!! My efforts to reach Viator have been futile, hence my request on this platform. I am hoping for a response!! Booking no. 1496645991

Just had fun . The strict restriction of food to keep costs down was disappointing. Maybe just a bowl of jatz and cube cheese - to assist with those the appetite is needed …….. For something different For a good laugh Something fun for date night . Just make sure you eat and drink before you go .

What a fantastic experience!! Engaging, immersive, interactive and such great fun!!! What an amazing night!! He knows how to tell a tale and keep the momentum going, old school magic, but magic it certainly is! Had us hooked from the first words! It was great, we loved it, you must go!

I was somewhat baffled by the title "The Gentleman Magician" as all the magicians I know dress well and speak mellifuously. The price tag seemed quite high (over a hundred dollars) but I assumed the title 'soiree' meant a meal and a show. The hungry will leave dissatisfied. We received a glass of bubbly on arrival and three items of finger food. Bruce Glen demonstrated some very basic magic tricks that were well practiced and expertly executed. A well researched patter keeps the audience engaged. Some of his explanations were a little too long leaving too great a gap between tricks. Perhaps some quick simple sleight of hand as he builds to the climax of a bigger trick ? Why didn't his assistant get sawn in half ? Too expensive for children, the real audience for this sort of show. My partner enjoyed it immensely. Invited to join Bruce at the bar we instead went for pizza.

Best magic show ever with lots of interesting stories. A very intimate and interactive experience. Highly recommended when you visit Sydney. Can be done multiple times as well because the stories and tricks change.

Fantastic show. Very entertaining and intimate space with small crowd. Some audience participation which we really enjoyed. Amazing tricks we have no idea how he did any of them! Really worth seeing a highly recommended fun evening. Even better if your staying at the Sir Stamford!

This was a wonderful surprise for me. I did not have high expectations but this show was really good!! When you arive you are served champagne and hors d'oeuvres. Then you enter the room with approximately 40 others. So it is an intimate gathering. My 24 yr old neice was with me and she really loved it as well. I highly recommend spending an evening with The Gentleman Magician!

A well hosted wonderful show. There was a variety of truly amazing magical episodes which were quite often completely unexpected. It was a delightful evening.

The whole family (In-laws, husband, teens) loved the show and were talking about it for days. Bruce’s magic, stories and jokes were engaging and Laura was a delight. The food was delicious and the venue was a beautiful bonus.

Very professional and entertaining. We really enjoyed the night. It was only a small audience of about 16. The venue is excellent. Such a beautifully restored and furnished old building. Go to the bar downstairs afterward for a drink. It is lovely.

We enjoyed the experience from A to Z. The setting, old guy and his more than capable assistant helped us relax and enjoy the whole experience. From bubbles to Snack’s that looked wonderful we didn’t try since we just finished dinner. The show itself was amazing and full of surprises. Much history was shared but no secrets revealed. Well worth the price of admission for the cozy (25 or less) audience experience. Would go again in a minute if in town again.

Great evening out. What an amazing magician. Great assortment of food and drinks provided. Would recommend while in Sydney.

Scam of a Soiree. Sparkling wine and quiche served were good.Chicken satay(?) was cold and rubbery. Venue was fitting for the theme. I sat for more than an hour watching elementary school tricks and lousy storytelling. I love magic/illusion shows and was looking forward to be blown away but this show was such a let down.I want my money back. I don't even know why this has a 5 star rating.

What an exceptional experience. One to remember. Very classy My partner booked sets at the show as a surprise birthday present, preceded by dinner at the Sir Stamford. Hint hint to others if you are looking for a unique gift for that special occasion- or to make an occasion special! The historical venue was the perfect backdrop for the show and the storytelling that was such a special part of the show. A special shout out to Libby, the gentleman Magician's dutiful assistant. I was fascinated the whole time and enjoyed the interactive parts of the show but b please know there was no pressure to participate. The show appealed to all ages and it was great to see kids enthralled by the show. Well Done Bruce and thank you for sharing your craft with us - I'm still trying to work out how you did the tricks!!!!!! Alex

This show was enchanting and the magic was amazing! The Magician’s tales created a wonderful atmosphere for the magic tricks. The room at the Sir Stamford is lovely and feels like a salon. Bubbles and great canapés are part of the package. The whole experience was well worth the price of entry and there is an option of after show drinks in the Highlander Whiskey bar where the Magician offers table magic tricks! This is a must do if you love great magic!

Thoroughly enjoyed the evening. Libby the assistant make everyone welcome from the get go. The ambience was just perfect. Bruce is a brilliant showman, fantastic magic along with some amazing stories.Time just flew by. Highly recommended If you want to escape the world for a couple of hours and feel good in the process. Was also wonderful to have a chat with Bruce at the Highlander bar afterwards. - Stefan

A true gentleman magician and a great story teller, A great experience and amazing interactive magic show. Friendly assistant and staff. Highly recommended.

Pretty expensive for an average show. One trick was flawed with an "oh well". Even I know how he could have covered the mistake

'The Gentleman Magician', variously described in the advertising literature as a 'captivating, entrancing magical soiree' was a huge disappointment. Upon our arrival at the hotel my group of 20 retirement village residents were required to navigate the labyrinth of below stairs laundry/food preparation areas since the hotel lift was inoperative and the only alternative to the stairs was to walk around the side of the hotel in icy outdoor temperatures. We were then directed to a somewhat tired and gloomy room where the light fittings were barely attached to the walls-no evidence of the splendid chandeliers featured in the advertisements. We sat in rows to receive two savoury and one sweet canapes and a glass of 'champagne'. No atmosphere whatsoever. The show itself was as tired as the decor. The gentleman magician was elegant and courteous but his magic fell well short of baffling wonderment indeed, some of his tricks went awry. As we retraced our way through the laundry labyrinth many of us questioned the $95 price tag for tickets for the show. Personally, I would have preferred to remain in the comfort of my own home enjoying a Netflix night!

The show we saw in May 2021 was presented in the Old Ritz Carleton, now named "The Sir Stamford" in a downstairs room. Some other guests had problems with the stairs. This was not the splendid room in the publicity photographs. Somehow the whole thing was disappointing and didn't live up to its publicity. The promised canapes (3) and the glass of bubbly was served to us sitting in our seats before the show began. Bruce has a good chatter and the magic, though dated, was almost OK, but for a member of of any Magic Circle to fluff two "forces" in a 2 hour performance is unforgivable. This happened during his presentation to us. His involvement with two of the members of the audience was well handled. It bore the hallmarks of a Show which has been going for a very long time and now needs a rethink and revival about what it is actually presenting. It is poor value for the admission price in its present form. It should stop advertising that it is number 2 on the Trip advisor "Shows and concerts" as it is actually 11 or 28 depending on where you look on the trip advisor website. We were underwhelmed and disappointed by our evenings entertainment.

We booked for the experience of a magic show with Bubbly and canapés beforehand. The event was held in a pokey room down a flight of stairs. Seating was in rows of chairs. Ambience was non existent. Canapés consisted of one prawn dumpling served on a spoon with soy sauce; one pizza , slightly larger than a 50 cent coin and one small tart. The Gentleman (which indeed he is) magician certainly had the patter but the show was underwhelming. The rope trick (using cords) is clever but dated. A couple of tricks were fairly obvious but another couple or so were indeed baffling. I have seen better magicians and tricks at a party for young children. Wish we had gone out for a meal instead. It would have been cheaper than this overpriced show.

Bruce was a definitely a gentleman and a very kind man. The magic however was extremely old and not at all outstanding or baffling. He talked far far too much and did too little. No trick left you amazed or bewildered. For $95, I would want to be far more entertained and gobsmacked. He started with the equal length rope trick which has been around since Botany Bay was discovered ...one trick didn't work and another was faulty though he was quick enough to glaze over the mistake. I really think your money would be spent far better on a boat cruise or some other activity. I do not say this unkindly, but as one who cannot afford to throw or spend $190 on a night that is so ordinary. I honestly believe $20 for this hour would have been a fair price.

Bruce is an amazing showman, his show really is a lovely step back in time. Baffling magic is interwoven with beautiful storytelling. It is a wonderful evening out, away from the norm.

Perfectly located at the Sir Stamford Hotel this show was such a lovely and unusual thing to do. Starting with Champagne and canapes, we were treated to a charming show of stories, magic and lots of laughs too. Every trick was woven into a fabulous narrative by Bruce, the Gentleman magician, with a little Sydney history thrown in too. Magical and old worldy, a great night that I highly recommend. Tip: Book a table in the whisky bar after the show dinner and drinks

Beautiful venue with a wonderfully elegant man in Bruce. It was a lovely evening with amazing magic. I would highly recommend for anyone to attend one of Bruce's shows for a fun and classy night on the town.

A fun, up close and personal experience of magic and mind reading. The organisation was good and took into account the COVID requirements ...the room lighting and seating lacked a little atmosphere, but this may have been in part due to these restrictions. Overall it was a fun way to celebrate our wedding anniversary ... keeping the magic alive

A wonderful evening of magic delivered by this aptly self titled Gentleman Magician. Bruce entertains with wit, story telling, and the wonders of magic. His show took us ‘away from the everyday’. If you’re looking for a night out at a show that avoids the queues and the hustle and bustle of seating, with the entertainer on a stage in the distance, give this one a go.

This evening was a wonderful gift to my husband. We decided not to read up about it prior to going so we could enjoy the evening without expectations. We we had a wonderful evening full of ‘how?’ and ‘what just happened’ and more how, how and how. We were greeted with a glass of ‘bubbles’ and lovely canapés while mingling with other guest. Then we were entertained in an intimate setting. We could see and hear everything very well. It was a truely enjoyable and magically evening.

Polished, respectful and lots of fun Mystical magic for everyone A warm welcome, tasty refreshments plus a wonder-ful show The evening left us with much wonder and a warm inner glow

I booked this for my friend (who was celebrating her birthday) and I. From the moment we arrived we felt welcomed so warmly into this intimate evening. The magic was fun, not overblown like TV magic shows (and definitely not cringeworthy like I was fearing) and so often left us wondering how he did his tricks. Echoing other reviews the real magic was the storytelling and Bruce's personality. A real classy evening - I'd recommend it.

Well this was a surprise. The show has magic but I think the real magic is watching a gentleman present a show with the quality of past performers. I thoroughly enjoyed this show. Interestingly a young person seated beside me was in awe of the showmanship of our host. Bruce was a joy to listen to and his show will give you a taste of a bygone era. Amazing.