ANDRE THE HILARIOUS HYPNOTIST RETURNS TO DURBAN

 

Andre the Hilarious Hypnotist returns to Durban — with a uniquely South African twist.

 Bookings through Webtickets

 Stage hypnosis has been entertaining audiences in one form or another since the 1800s. The basic ingredients haven’t changed much: a hypnotist, a stage full of willing volunteers and an audience waiting to see what happens next.

After more than three decades on South African stages, Andre the Hilarious Hypnotist admits there isn’t much point in trying to reinvent something that already works remarkably well.

So this year, he isn’t changing the hypnosis. He’s changing what happens once you’re hypnotised.

Andre returns to Durban’s Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre from October 1 to 4 with a show that turns its attention firmly towards the strange, frustrating and wonderfully familiar things that make South Africans … South African.

We all know the instinctive reaction when a pothole suddenly appears in front of the car. We all have an opinion about taxi drivers. We’ve developed a rather unique relationship with electricity, water supplies and the everyday surprises of life in South Africa.

But what happens when those familiar experiences become hypnotic suggestions?

That’s where things can get very strange, very quickly.

Under hypnosis, ordinary volunteers find themselves responding to familiar South African situations in completely unexpected ways. The suggestions may be planned, but the reactions certainly aren’t - because no two volunteers experience hypnosis in exactly the same way.

That unpredictability has always been at the heart of Andre’s show.

There are no actors planted in the audience and no scripted performances from the volunteers. Every show is created around the people who walk onto the stage that night, which means no two performances can ever be quite the same.

The Durban performances are suitable for families, although volunteers must be 16 years or older to participate on stage. Younger audience members are welcome to attend and enjoy the show from the safety - and perhaps wisdom - of their seats.

Each performance runs for approximately two hours, including a 20-minute interval.

Venue: Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre, Durban

Dates: October 1–4, 2026

Sunday October 4: 15h00

Duration: Approximately 2 hours, including a 20-minute interval

Bookings: Webtickets

 

Age: Family-friendly. Volunteers must be 16 years or older.