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FRINGE FEST REVIEW: Dirk Darrow: NcSSi (Not completely Serious Supernatural investigator)

Downtown Activity Centre, 755 Pandora Ave. Aug. 28, 9:45 p.m.; Sept. 1, 7 p.m.

Dirk Darrow, a comedy magic act, has a great setup and plenty of guffaw-inspiring one-liners, but gets dragged down by less than awe-inspiring magic and, for the performance I attended at least, a few mistakes.

But you can't accuse the Australia-based Tim Motley of not giving it his all as he works in audience participation while deftly carrying out his film noir gumshoe bit.

If you're a fan of puns, Motley is your man, and his enthusiasm is infectious. Unfortunately, the magic ends up getting in the way of the jokes, spoiling what could otherwise be a festival highlight.

Downtown Activity Centre, 755 Pandora Ave. Aug. 28, 9:45 p.m.; Sept. 1, 7 p.m.

Check out Kyle Wells' cenefile blog here.

Find more Fringe shows here.