Every year at the Edinburgh Fringe I always find it exciting to hear about the sheer variety of shows in the programme, from theatre to comedy and dance to circus and more. One of the sides of the Fringe that I haven’t explored as much is the Cabaret and Variety genre, specifically magic and immersive entertainment. For 2026, one of the artists in this category is mind reader, mentalist and psychological entertainer Mason King, who is returning to the festival with a reworked version of his 2025 show Mason King – The Mind Spy. Deeply intrigued by this award-winning piece that is inspired by the ‘Project Stargate’ Cold War psychic experiments, I recently had the opportunity to ask the entertainer some questions about how he got into the art form and what’s involved in the show itself.
How did you get into mind reading and mentalism?
I’ve always been fascinated by the art of mind reading and mentalism. The idea that you could create moments that felt genuinely impossible intrigued me from a young age. What started as a hobby quickly became a passion, and over time that passion grew into a career. I love the fact that mentalism sits in a unique space between psychology, intuition, suggestion and mystery, allowing audiences to experience something they can’t quite explain.
This year you are returning to Edinburgh with your solo show Mason King – The Mind Spy, which is inspired by the ‘Project Stargate’ Cold War psychic experiments. What inspired you to look to this 1970s to 1990s US military project for the show?
Possibly due to my background in mentalism, I’ve always been quite sceptical when it comes to psychics and paranormal claims. At the same time, I’ve always been fascinated by the possibility that there may be things we don’t yet fully understand.
Several years ago, I had an experience that I couldn’t easily explain, which led me to explore the world of remote viewing and psychic research.
That journey eventually brought me to Project Stargate, a genuine US military programme that investigated whether psychic abilities could be used to gather intelligence during the Cold War. I found the idea fascinating. Here was a covert operation, backed by one of the world’s superpowers, exploring concepts that many people would dismiss outright.
The research raises far more questions than answers, and that sense of uncertainty became the perfect foundation on which to build The Mind Spy.
With this being an immersive piece, how do you approach audience participation in the show?
Thankfully, most people who attend are already excited about being involved, which makes my job much easier. Throughout the show I’m constantly assessing the audience and looking for the right people for each experiment. Different moments require different personalities, so a large part of the performance is selecting participants who will help create the strongest possible experience for everyone in the room. In many ways, that’s one of the most challenging aspects of the show.
Last October you won ‘Best Original Show’ and ‘Best Technical Design’ at the Liverpool Fringe Festival. How did it feel to receive these exciting accolades for your work?
Before creating The Mind Spy, I had performed several mentalism shows at festivals such as Edinburgh and Liverpool Fringe. They were always well received, but if I’m being honest, I never felt they were particularly unique. They served an important purpose by helping me develop material that I could later perform at corporate events, weddings and private functions.
With The Mind Spy, I wanted to challenge myself creatively and build something that felt completely original. It was the first time I’d really focused on creating a theatrical experience rather than simply presenting a collection of mind-reading demonstrations. Receiving those awards felt like validation that the risk had been worth taking and that audiences connected with what I was trying to create.
Catch The Mind Spy at the 2026 festival
I personally think the show sounds absolutely fascinating and Mason has clearly taken the time to create a unique experience for audiences that draws on historic investigations into intelligence gathering. If you are looking for something that is a bit different to see at the festival this year, Mason King – The Mind Spy is based at Theatre 3 at theSpace @ Surgeons’ Hall (venue 53) from 17th – 19th and 23rd – 29th August. Performances start at 17:10 (50 minutes), with the show on sale via the EdFringe website now.
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