The Place, London
Tom Cassani outlines conjuring techniques with a beguiling routine, while Compagnie Les Vagues make a teasing performance from tiny movements

Throwing shapes is expected at this dance space but throwing voices? That’s one of the connections between two pieces presented by the network Aerowaves. In Iterations, performance artist and magician Tom Cassani finds himself interrogated mid-show by his makeshift, goggle-eyed hand puppet (“Where’s it all going?”); while in W̶e̶l̶come, Compagnie Les Vagues’ ventriloquist trio hold poker faces as they greet us, name by name. It’s a clever, beguiling, lightly humorous and occasionally maddening double bill devoted to manipulation. Both acts vocalise our predicted responses and directly comment on – even dismantle – their performances.

Ambling on in a black boiler suit, Cassani has a coin trick to show us, again and again. It will be different each time, he says, “believe me” – although disbelief rises with each minute. Who hasn’t, after watching such a trick, been convinced they could catch out the magician if they could just watch again? No dice. Cassani toys with us, replaying his mystifying act with variations, even standing right among the audience.

Iterations tours Europe until 5 April. W̶e̶l̶come tours Europe until 17 May.