Your Mission, Should You Choose to Accept It: A Review of I Am Not a Spy. This Is a Magic Show.

​Magical Katrina delivers a playful and inventive magic show that is easy to recommend and even easier to enjoy. Clever, charming, and full of surprises, it is the kind of Fringe experience that reminds you why it is worth taking a chance on something new. Consider this your invitation to accept this mission.

I Am Not a Spy. This Is a Magic Show.
Created and performed by Magical Katrina
Madnani Theater 6760 Lexington Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90038
Runtime: Approximately 45 minutes
Recommended for ages 8+
Tickets and information: Available here

You may know Magical Katrina from Penn & Teller: Fool Us or as the magician featured alongside Chappell Roan in the music video for “Red Wine Supernova.” Her brand-new show, I Am Not a Spy. This Is a Magic Show., is now premiering at the Hollywood Fringe Festival and takes the audience along for a fun mission of espionage filled with magic, mentalism, comedy, and plenty of surprises.

I do not want to give too much away because this is the type of show that is best experienced by simply showing up and letting yourself be taken along for the ride. Katrina portrays a spy, while the audience plays the part of her fellow spies congregating at SpyCon. From there, she brings the audience directly into the story, using clever props, audience participation, sharp humor, and some genuinely impressive tricks to pull us deeper into the mission as it unfolds.
There is a playful theatricality to the entire show, from her entrance to the increasingly elaborate situations she finds herself in. Katrina clearly understands how to make the audience feel like an active part of the adventure rather than simply spectators watching from the outside.

What stood out to me most was how naturally she handled the audience participation. That can sometimes be the part of a magic show where things start to feel awkward or slow down, but Katrina never lets that happen. She is charming, funny, and quick on her feet. She knows how to improvise with the people in the room without ever making anyone feel uncomfortable or put on the spot. By the end, the audience was completely on board with the mission and absolutely delighted by where it took us.

There were a few minor audio hiccups near the beginning of the performance, but I understand that the show I saw was a preview, and there is always the chance of some small bugs. Those issues were quickly resolved and didnt linger long during the show. Truthfully, my only real complaint is that I wanted even more. The concept has so much potential that I would love to see Katrina continue to expand it into an even larger production, with more room to build out the world she has created.

The payoff is more than worth it, and the show contains so many fun and clever moments. Because the experience is shaped so much by the audience, I also imagine it would be fun to see more than once. Each crowd would likely create a slightly different version of the mission.

Magical Katrina’s greatest superpower is not only her prodigious talent as a magician, but the warmth she brings to the stage. She never makes the audience feel foolish for being amazed. Instead, she puts everyone at ease and makes you want to root for her from the moment she steps into the room.
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This is exactly the kind of show that makes the Hollywood Fringe Festival so much fun. Show up, accept your assignment, allow yourself to get swept up in the adventure, and prepare to have a great time, should you choose to accept the mission.