EDITORIAL: ‘Mathemagician’ Asks What Happens When Maths Meets Magic

Are you ready for an evening full of belly laughter? A night of ridiculousness and magical maths, Mathemagician is a must watch!  

For your viewing pleasure and mental maths stimulation, indulge the Mathemagician as scholars and non-scholars alike are welcomed into the equation to play through group counting, silly maths duels and the hilarity in the probability of magic. Mathemagician was a stunningly sidesplitting show for self proclaimed scholars or if the chicken-egg problem really stumps you. 

What mysteries keep you up at night? Relationships that have gone sour, everyday conspiracies and notions we trust in the experts. Mathemagician from Emily Jeffers makes you consider how you can use your deductions to make sense of this world. By melting the absolute nature of maths with the curiosity of magic, Mathemagician pushes both avenues into the realm of absolute ridiculousness until the audience is happily tangled somewhere between the two.

Centre stage dons a wooden table adorned with sand timers, scrolls, bells and feathered quills, candle lit bathed in a soft pink-orange wash. Stage right on a smaller table holds a cloth covered secret and stage left poses an easel and historically accurate tea-stained paper. Emerges from the wings is an aloof Merlin-type, bushy-haired and bearded, decked out in a green velvet robe.

Emily Jeffers as the Mathemagician is whimsical, wise, a bro at heart based on the conclusions he’s made about his ex. With the most poignant glares and on point commentary and jokes, it was hard to find a second in the theatre not consumed with unadulterated laughter.

Jeffers magical control and presence is undeniable, cleverly cueing the house lights to make connection with the audience, brilliant comedic timing from the stage manager, softly pulsing the “Rudy” gobo to punch comedic moments. Emily Jeffers as the Mathemagician is a masterclass in clowning, convincingly absurd maths solutions; perfectly holding suspense just long enough before snapping into a punchline and many puns, testament to the amazing writing from Jeffers and creative input from Hana Holubec. 

Ridiculous, brainy and brilliantly funny.  Don’t expect foolproof magical cures here, just magic tricks that will eventually work, it will just take a really long time. You haven’t thought about the probability, have you?

Performances of EMILY JEFFERS PRESENTS: THE MATHEMAGICIAN have now concluded at the Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival 2026.