The following is an interview with Katrina Kroetch (Magical Katrina) regarding the production, I Am Not a Spy. This Is a Magic Show., at the 2026 Hollywood Fringe Festival. In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon chats with Kroetch about the genesis behind the production, her creative process in crafting new routines, and more!
Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief: Your production, I Am Not a Spy. This Is a Magic Show., will be appearing at the Hollywood Fringe Festival this summer. What can you tell us about the genesis behind the production, and how would you describe its premise?
Katrina Kroetch: The show originally started by accident. In 2024 I did a corporate event for Hourglass Cosmetics with a spy theme, and I built a close-up set where I played a secret agent sending guests off on their next mission. I thought it was a one-off experience. I often tailor my magic and mentalism to my clients needs, themes and desires. However it was not a one-off. I fell in love with how much spies and magicians have in common. We both deal in deception, we both make the ordinary look innocent, and we both are really good with cards for…no reason at all. I decided I needed to learn more about the universe of spies and secret agents…. so about 60 spy films and a lot of reading later I began writing the show. The premise is a comedic noir: I’m a femme fatale on a top-secret mission, the audience gets drafted into a global spy convention called “SpyCon,” and there are weirdly accurate predictions along the way. Any classified files that appear are, for legal reasons, props.
BD: We would never ask you to share the secrets behind your magic! As much as you’re comfortable, what can you tell us about your creative process in bringing your magic routine to life on the stage?
KK: I came to magic as an actor and circus performer first – I trained as an actress and went through clown school before I ever picked up a deck. So, for me, the question is never “what’s the trick,” it’s “what’s the scene.” Some routines are classics reframed inside the spy world, others are brand new, and I worked on this until the magic and the story can’t be pulled apart…where a moment plays as a trick and as a scene at the same time. My touchstones and inspiration are Rob Zabrecky and Lucy Darling, two performers who built whole worlds around a fully committed character rather than a string of effects. That’s what I’m hoping to aspire to do.
BD: What makes the Hollywood Fringe Festival the best venue for I Am Not a Spy.?
KK: Fringe is where the mission begins. You have to start with a raw stone and a chisel before you get a statue, and Fringe gives me a real audience to chisel against. I’ve said this will be the worst version of the show and I mean that as a promise, not an apology. It’s the place to take the swing, learn what lands, and build from there.
BD: The show will be appearing at The Madnani Theater from June 11–26, 2026. Are there any future plans to perform the show at other venues?
KK: Yes! In fact, the next stop is the Melbourne Magic Festival, running June 29 through July 11. The Madnani run is really the launch; the goal is to keep developing the show well past Fringe. After 13 years of performing, I’m less interested in making a living and more interested in making something worthy of the art – something I’m proud of and that inspires other people. (Please do keep me in mind for weddings, private parties, and corporate events, though!)
BD: Lastly, what would you like to tell readers who want to learn more about and purchase tickets for I Am Not a Spy. This Is a Magic Show.?
KK: The show runs at the Madnani Theater through June 26; I have 7 performances in June. Tickets are $25 here, and it’s appropriate for ages 8 and up. You can find more about me at www.magicalkatrina.com. And if you’re wondering whether I’m actually a spy…you’ll have to come to the show to find out.
*Photo by Brendan Mcguigan
