Catch some sleight enjoyment at the Winnipeg Fringe Festival this year with Greg Wood, magicianary extraordinaire.

"Fun," is the primary word used by the illusionist when asked about what he does. It's fun for him to perform, fun to do magic, and fun to make people laugh.

But most importantly, it's fun to help people discover Jesus, and this year, Wood has an opportunity to do so to an audience of all ages with his universally-entertaining bag of tricks.

"We've been in Fringe for a number of years but as a children's event and I ticked the wrong box this year, apparently," said Wood. His play, though, had not been drawn for performance in two years at Fringe, which uses a lottery-esque style in selecting which shows will be performed each year.

"It is the luck of the draw," he shrugged, and despite his surprise at performing for an older audience this year, he couldn't have been more thrilled.

"The whole purpose of this show is to have fun. I think magic was created originally to be fun, to have a good time."

Wood, who is also on staff with Children's Camps International as vice president of creative entertainment, has become known as a local magicianary through his work; a term coined, he says, by a friend who was trying to grasp what he did.

"I was a magician, I was doing magic, and then I was going (sic) into becoming a missionary," Wood explained, to which the friend responded, "'so he's a magicianary!'

The illusionist chuckes in remembrance. "I thought, 'well that works!'"

Wood acknowledges, of course, the improper uses of magic as outlined both in the Bible and by historical use. "It's been misused by different people at different times; we can go back to Pharaoh's court for that," he quipped, "but I think it's just supposed to be fun."

As a magician of faith, Wood has studied what parts of the magical realm should not be taken lightly. Trying to foresee the future is the key piece of magic that God prohibits, he says: "That's wrong, God doesn't want you to do that... those are the problem things."

But Wood doesn't believe simple sleight of hand is an evil-doing, having seen hundreds come to faith in Christ through his biblically-based presentations. In fact, magic and faith go hand-in-hand for the illusionist.

"I know it's okay with God if he's willing to use it to reach other people through me."

While his latest Fringe show isn't an outright ministry, it does still guide those in attendance with biblical principles interwoven.

"Everyone likes to laugh and everyone likes the comedy that's involved, and that's what I like to offer."

When it comes to magic as simple entertainment, sleight of hand is Wood's speciality and a fun, clean show of tricks and comedy is exactly what Wood has up his sleeve for his show this year.

"I want people to go away saying, 'I haven't laughed that hard,' or 'I haven't had that good a time in a long time.' That's what I want them to remember is having a good time."

Catch Greg Wood having a grand old time performing The Comedy Illusions of Greg Wood during Winnipeg's Fringe Festival at venue #5 (Son of Warehouse, 140 Rupert Avenue) until Sunday, July 28, 2019.