How To Be A Psychic Conman

How To Be A Psychic Conman is the brainchild of paranormal illusionist Pryce, who has spent a decade exposing the claims of supernatural tricksters and those boasting other worldly powers.

Stagetime Promotions Magician of the Year 2017, Pryce brings a mix of paranormal illusions, comedy and entertainment to The Banshee Labyrinth on Saturday.

Described by one critic as ‘a great showman’, Pryce brings a mix of entertainment, scepticism and magical treats to the stage, warning those on the front row, there will be blood.

“A lot of the time these apparent supernatural abilities are the result of sleight of hand, or a little knowledge of psychology,” explains Pryce, who is also founder of the Edinburgh Horror Festival.

He adds, “In fact, most of what you see psychics doing on TV or stage can be recreated quite easily. Sometimes it’s harmless fun, but other times it can be quite nasty.”

Pryce is referring to ‘Psychic Surgery’, a supernatural ability originating in the Philippines that claims to cure almost any ailment through the removal of tumours from the body without the use of blades.

“It looks quite impressive,” he says, “but is nothing more than a bit of trickery - and the most alarming thing is, this is being done on people who are genuinely sick and might forego legitimate medical treatment”

Although it seems like a practice that should have died out along with belief in fairies and other superstitions, you can still get yourself some psychic surgery from as little as 70 euros.

But it’s not all doom and gloom, How To Be A Psychic Conman also promises to teach you how to be the next Uri Geller by bending metal objects or reading minds. He even demonstrates some traditional stage mentalism and mind reading in a show that has packed houses for six years at the Fringe.

The show will also include demonstrations and explanations of telekinesis and remote viewing as well as look at government funded research into psychic phenomena, and the shoddy set ups that allowed ‘psychics’ to beat the legendary Zener card experiments in the 1930s.

How to be a Psychic Conman, Banshee Labyrinth, Niddrie Street, Saturday, 6pm and 8pm, free entry with donations, 0131-558 8209