Cosentino’s magical world comes alive in Tasmania

“In an age of AI and digital everything, magic feels more real.” Australia’s answer to the Master of Illusion will tour Tassie this year, hoping to give audiences a night of the art of wonder.

Australia'€™s master illusionist, escape artist, and magician Cosentino is bringing his Decennium: The Greatest Hits Tour to Tasmania.

In a world dominated by screens, CGI and digital wizardry, Cosentino’s live performances are proving that magic feels more real than ever. Australia’s master illusionist, escape artist, and magician has spent decades perfecting the art of wonder, and now he’s bringing his record-breaking stage show, Decennium: The Greatest Hits Tour, to Tasmania.

“It’s really interesting because when you actually see magic live, even something quite simple like sleight of hand with cards, it’s really powerful and potent,” says Cosentino, who has won global awards for his talents.

“People don’t quite expect it. They come in, and suddenly they’re caught up in the wonder of it all.”

Australia'€™s master illusionist, escape artist, and magician Cosentino is bringing his Decennium: The Greatest Hits Tour to Tasmania.

Cosentino believes magic resonates so strongly now because it offers a tangible antidote to the artificiality of modern life. “In an age of AI and digital everything, magic feels more real. It’s analog. It’s a fantasy, but it works because it’s in front of you, you’re actually watching it happen.” he said.

But magic isn’t just about the spectacle for Cosentino; it’s about how audiences engage, and he believes that broadly, there’s two types of audience members.

“There’s the type of audience that suspends disbelief, like they would with Star Wars or Lord of the Rings. Then there’s the type that comes in wanting to dissect everything, to analyse it, to figure it out. And that’s fine too — it’s fun for them, like solving a puzzle or a Rubik’s cube.”

For Cosentino, the secret to a truly unforgettable show lies in balance. “To be a great magician, I believe you’ve got to be a really good listener. You listen to the audience. Where are they gasping? Where are they applauding? Where are they shocked? And then incorporating all those elements,” he explains. “It can’t just all be dramatic, death-defying escapes. It can’t just all be funny. It’s got to have a mix of everything: romantic, dramatic, funny, emotional, heartfelt, down-to-earth.”

Australia'€™s master illusionist, escape artist, and magician Cosentino is bringing his Decennium: The Greatest Hits Tour to Tasmania.

Cosentino’s passion for magic started young but he wasn’t confident in his abilities for a long time. “I was never that little kid that was running around trying to, you know, impress people. I was very shy and awkward.” he remembers.

At 13, he and his Mum got locked out of their house in Victoria. As he’d been practising to pick locks, she jokingly asked him to break in – and he did, in record time.

“I looked back at my mother and she looked at me and we realised that my life or career were going to go in a very different direction,” Cosentino says.

“If I had a backup career, I’d be a pretty good burglar,” he jokes.

Performance Details

Hobart: Theatre Royal, Saturday, February 1

Devonport: Paranaple Arts Centre, Tuesday, February 4

Burnie: Arts & Function Centre, Thursday, February 6

Launceston: Theatre North, Saturday, February 8

Originally published as Cosentino’s magical world comes alive in Tasmania