Abdullatif Al-Saleh, Ayed Abdullah, Khalid Al-Muharib talk with Kuwait Times about their upcoming show, overcoming challenges to creating an illusion show in Kuwait and the growing popularity of live performances in Kuwait. File photos show some of the Imagine team’s previous performaces. — Photos by Joseph Shagra and courtesy Imagine team

Shows of illusion are rare in the Gulf. Some think they involve magic, which is haram. But a group of young Kuwaitis are trying to change local perceptions, offering a fun and entertaining performance through the group, Imagine.

Formed by Abdullatif Al-Saleh, Ayed Abdullah, Khalid Al-Muharib and others, Imagine presents sleight of hand tricks and illusions in a comedic way. "We are the only illusionist comedians in the Middle East. We also interact with the audience. Our shows are for adults, but children from the age of 10 will also enjoy them, as the shows include animals, in addition to visual tricks," Saleh told Kuwait Times.

Saleh, the founder of Imagine, got the idea to form the team in 2014, and in March 2015, he brought this idea to fruition. "In January 2016, the last member joined our team. Although our team is complete now, I don't mind if a new member seeks to join us. We are the best in what we do, but we don't mind having another member if he has new skills or a special talent that is different," he pointed out.

Presenting tricks and illusions is the sole source of livelihood for some members, while others do it as part-time job or hobby, along with studying or working in other jobs. "I was an employee before starting this activity. I then resigned to be fully dedicated to my hobby and passion. It was hard in the beginning, but it's getting better now, and I can live off it. I also did standup comedy in 2015, and it was one of the biggest shows," said Saleh.

Imagine have presented shows in various places. "Besides this theatre, we have held joint shows in Arraya, Hilton, Hamra Mall and Discovery Mall. These shows were organized by companies and charity organizations. We also held a show in Qatar during a national festival held there. Now we are planning to hold shows in London, Dublin and the US," he noted.

The show presents popular tricks Kuwaiti style. "We use some of the common props used in magic shows such as the big box for cutting a person, flying instruments and other popular tricks. But we present them in a local style, as the presenter wears the national outfit and headdress, and we use Kuwaiti music and songs during the show, in addition to special lights," explained Saleh.

He also revealed some tricks. "I don't mind telling the secret of my tricks, as I'm not a magician - I'm just an illusionist. So when I do the disappearing trick, we manipulate the audience with light effects, and when one person disappears, another replaces him from the backstage, but they don't notice. Many people think a genie is helping us make people disappear, but they have to understand it's just an illusion," he stated.

Muharib is still a student and performs with Imagine in the evenings. He learned his tricks from the Internet, books and other shows. During this interview, he showed this reporter some quick yet very interesting tricks - one with a playing card and another with a ring he was wearing. He wants to continue working with the team even after graduation, but he is not sure if it would be his main job or a part-time one.

Abdullah is a director and also participates in some segments of the show. He has also acted in a local soap opera. His and Khalid's family were against such shows as they thought they involved magic, which is unacceptable by religion and society. But they eventually came around, and now attend all shows.

Imagine will present a show Sept 29, 2016 at the Hmeli Theatre (previously the Medical Professions Theatre) in Jabriya. "This will be our third big show and the 17th in total. It will be the first to have live animals participating, in addition to the animal mascots that we usually use. This show will be completely different from the previous big one, as we have been preparing for it for the whole year, and have presented some parts of it at small joint shows," he added.

The upcoming show that will take place on Sept 29 will include 40 minutes of performances presented for the first time in the world - and it's a Kuwaiti idea. "The show will include Ghost Protocol, Blue Light, Khifa Show and others. The entire team that is working on this show, including those in backstage, decor, lights and other areas all are Kuwaitis," concluded Saleh.

Imagine can be found on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @ImagineKUW. They also have a website: www.imaginekuw.com

By Nawara Fattahova