York Theatre Royal – until 1st May 2022
Reviewed by Aimee Liddington
5*****
Magic holds a tremendous appeal for people of all ages. If you’ve ever seen a magic show then you’ll know how it feels to be sat on the edge of your seat, wondering with a morbid curiosity just what would happen if it all went wrong. Mischief have teamed up with magic superstars Penn & Teller to satisfy our macabre minds and give us just that – a magic show where everything goes wrong.
Magic Goes Wrong follows an unfortunate gang of magicians in their mission to raise money in aid of victims of magic misfortune but they seem to have some misfortune of their own. The tricks of illusion and slight of hand go from bad to worse but the gang are wilful and tenacious and will not put a stop to the hypnotic tragedy that unfolds before them.
Direction from Adam Meggido really maximises on the actors’ skills in comedic timing and slapstick comedy. In particular, Sam Hill, Rory Fairbairn and Kiefer Moriarty shine in their roles: Hill’s portrayal of the great Sophisticato is highly entertaining as he delivers lines with a camp obliviousness to the tragedy of his character, Fairbairn is farcical in his role as the Mind Mangler and proves himself to be spontaneous and flexible in his performance by inviting a variety of audience participation and dealing hilariously with the challenges that it brings, Moriarty brings energy and enthusiasm to his role as The Blade and plays a calamitous but dedicated showman.
Magic Goes Wrong brings all the mystery and exhilaration of a magic show with the absurdity and ludicrousness of a slapstick comedy. It really is a win-win situation – just be aware – you may never enjoy a ‘normal’ magic show again.