Magic Goes Wrong at Apollo Theatre

Magic. Pure, ridiculous, crazy, hilarious magic.

When The Play that Goes Wrong first hit theatres, some thought “Funny concept, but that’ll get old soon”. Then came Peter Pan Goes Wrong, two feature-length BBC Christmas Goes Wrong specials, The Goes Wrong Show that has just finished its second series (watch it on iPlayer, it’s excellent) and now, Magic Goes Wrong. And pretty much everyone is still hoping for more. It seems, ironically, there’s not much Mischief Theatre can do wrong.

Mischief Theatre have teamed up with American magic legends Penn and Teller to create Magic Goes Wrong, a show that both manages to go spectacularly wrong at every turn and wow the audience with some actually brilliant magic tricks.

The audience joins Sophisticato, Mind Mangler, Madame Escapade and Blade as they perform their own unique brands of magic for the Disasters in Magic Charity Fundraiser – a show that begins with a recorded warning from Penn about the use of flashing lights, possibly too much glitter and live bears, and ends in complete chaos. Each magician has their own B-story with their respective assistants, including a professional sabotage and a strained mother-daughter relationship.  

Once again, Mischief writers Henry Lewis, Henry Shields and Jonathon Sayer have created something brutally funny that’ll have audiences waking up with laughter the next day. The jokes are non-stop, but it’s not just funny, it’s well paced, it’s emotionally involving, it has great character development and, thanks to Penn and Teller, it has all sorts of misdirection and magic.  

Henry Lewis is in fine form as Mind Mangler with his patented shouty frustration, and is undoubtedly the best part of the show – though Scott Hunter manages to steal hearts as magical assistant Mel.

There are few shows currently in the UK, let alone on the West End, that are as funny and give as much unbridled joy as Magic Goes Wrong (and most of the others that do are also from Mischief Theatre). It would be surprising to find anyone who doesn’t love this production – and possibly deeply disturbing. That person, if they exist, should get themselves checked out. 

Jim Compton-Hall
Photos: Helen Maybanks

Magic Goes Wrong is at Apollo Theatre from 21^st October until 27^th February 2022. For further information or to book visit the theatre’s website here.