Christopher Howell and Desireé Kongerød have a new comedy musical magic show set to tour in the U.K. The production is called Rabbits Out of the Hat, is set in 1905, and features the characters Norvil and Josephine, a brother-and-sister magician and assistant duo.
“At first, they seem to be the traditional magician and doting assistant but this assistant is a suffragette and she has other plans for the show,” Christopher Howell, whose stage character is Norvil, told THE EYE via email, later adding that the 65-minute production is “about being yourself like you’ve never seen before.”
The duo has been developing the show since 2021 with support from Arts Council England (ACE). Norvil and Josephine debuted in a street show called The Top Hat Act then, with support from ACE, developed into a theater act. “What we have done in the past two years has reminded me of the value of not rushing,” Kongerød said in a blog post about the process. “Rich discoveries come from that. Without support from ACE, we could not have created this detailed and thought through piece with the input of such a range of collaborators.”
Rabbits Out of the Hat begins touring in the U.K. in late February 2025 for a six-week spring season. It will resume for two weeks in the fall, finishing in early October. The show is recommended for those ages 7 and up.
