It was a summery Friday evening and expectations were running high for Doug Segal’s new show, I Can Make You A Mentalist. Segal’s 2012 show was one of the festival highlights, and as a performer he’s utterly engaging.

The premise of the new show is that Segal selects a member of the audience and makes them exhibit various skills he’s famous for, including mind reading and planting ideas from the power of suggestion.

The girl chosen for the mentalist treatment was sweet and likeable, but the shift of focus from performer to participant wasn’t too successful.

As with any shows that rely on audience participation, there’s an element of luck involved, and whilst her friends and family were probably enthralled, it wasn’t too interesting viewing for those without a personal link.

This was a much more ambitious show than last year’s, with video sections and elaborate props. Unfortunately technical difficulties experienced throughout included videos being played much too loud and a squeaky microphone.

Segal’s talents rely on the power of suggestion and verbal tricks, so when you can’t hear him properly, it’s much harder to follow.  Still, he’s a professional, and that shone through as he battled the glitches.