Criterion Theatre, Piccadilly- until 7th April 2024
Reviewer Alec Legge
5*****
A magic show performed by actors instead of conjurors/magicians? This idea came from the mind of Andrew O’Connor, writer and director, later joined by Darren Brown and Andy Nyman, and resulted in the show,’Unbelievable‘.
Not being a great fan of the genre, nevertheless I went along with an open mind expecting to see a magic show as of old!
Wow was I wrong in spades. Right from the outset it was very different and spectacular.
It opened with the appearance of a quartet of musicians led on stage by Laura Andresen Guimaraes, playing a saxophone almost as big as herself They were marvellous and entertaining and their performance started to dispel the thought that this was just another magic show!
Then came the magic part of the show. Masses of audience participation, mind blowing magic tricks with the whole cast being involved, on stage cameras showing close ups on screens so the audience could see what was happening, what a performance!
I don’t want to spoil future audience’s enjoyment by recounting the details of the tricks, suffice to say that the use of actors instead of professional magicians certainly brought a freshness to the show which justified Andrew O’Connor’s original idea of using actors.
The cast, Laura Andresen Guimaraes, Izalni Batista Nascimento Junior, Alexander Bean, Samuel Creasey, Simon Lipkin, Yolanda Ovide and Hannah Price all played there parts excellently and all deserve praise for their performances. I’m not about to single out any one of them for special praise but Simon, Andrew and Yolanda were prominent in performing the tricks whilst Laura, Izalni, Alexander and Hannah were equally prominent as the musicians. Well done all of them!
From the simplest to the most complicated all the tricks were presented skilfully and with dexterity, and I for one was really baffled by the results. I have given 5 stars for this show and they were well deserved. I would encourage everyone to see the show be they lovers of magic shows or not.
The Criterion Theatre itself is a medium sized theatre of 585 seats and is a gem. It has been extensively refurbished and the décor is fabulous. The stage was in view with no obstructions and it provided a wonderful setting for this production. It is in Piccadilly Circus just opposite Eros and round the corner from Piccadilly Underground Station.