Fake
Fake debuted at the Stealing Thunder Storytelling Festival in 2025 then opened at the 2025 Edinburgh Fringe Festival to packed, adoring crowds for the whole month. It sold out at the Prague International Fringe Festival where it won both the Creative Award and Inspiration Award. The show returned to the Gilded Balloon at Edinburgh Fringe in 2026 to sell out crowds and is currently on Tour. You can book tickets for upcoming shows here.
It's pretty, but is it art? Magician and storyteller Chris Cook weaves a true tale of deception through the lives of an artist, an art forger and a magician. Three men, centuries apart, connected by illusion. A story only a magician could tell about beauty, belief and the fine line between talent and trickery.
“Clever, naughty and inviting, Fake is a masterclass in storytelling and an incredibly polished one man act” ★★★★★ — Binge Fringe
‘It’s a history lesson, a philosophical debate, and a masterclass in storytelling’ ★★★★★ - Edinburgh Reviews
‘It is a true joy to watch a show that is funny and smart and self-aware as Fake undeniably is, but takes this one step further – it aims to be truly, genuinely hopeful.” ★★★★★ - The Student
'Chris Cook regularly tests the boundaries of what can be defined as a magic show' - ★★★★★ - World Magic Review
‘The illusion may not be real, but the audiences experience of it certainly is’ - ★★★★★ - Fringe Radio
‘Combines stunning magic, standup and an inter-woven story - a thoroughly prepared recipe mixed with a hint of deception’ - ★★★★★ - Entertainment Now
‘Cook makes us laugh and makes us think, and makes us wonder, too’ ★★★★ - Everything Theatre
‘There is nothing ‘fake’ about this show; it is a sheer entertaining delight’ ★★★★★ - British Theatre Guide
‘Brilliant magic and illusions while telling the story of some of history's true fakers ’ ★★★★★ - Derek Awards
‘His enthusiastic and engaging delivery makes Cook an entirely believable host, even as he works to deliver a final fraudulent twist’ ★★★★ - All Edinburgh Theatre
‘Part magician, part comedian, part historian-come-motivational speaker, Chris Cook proves to be a charismatic and seasoned performer’ ★★★★ - Hot Take Reviews
‘A masterclass in storytelling. This is not just a magic show, it’s an art history lesson in fraud and deception, a philosophy debate and a compelling story’ ★★★★ - Scottish Field
‘Highly Recommended!’ - ★★★★ - Mervyn Stutters Pick of the Fringe
‘A delightful ambassador for his art and just as masterful a storyteller as he is an illusionist’ - British Comedy Guide
'Not just clever sleight of hand and surprise effects... it's also connections between people and occasionally poetry' - ★★★★ The Scotsman
This show is currently On Tour
Chris’s current live shows are available for bookings via our production company Snap the Arrow