Review: The Illusionists

Oh wow. Mind officially blown.

I am still absolutely buzzing after last nights premier of The Illusionists. Which is a suprise because I was fully prepared to not go when I reaslied I was double book. I wasn’t that fussed about a magic show because it sounded corny and tacky and you can always work out how they’re doing it and it’s not that exciting, right?

WRONG.

And if you think what I thought about magic shows then get yo’ self to The Illusionists and prepare to take back all of the snarky judgey things you thought about magic shows.

In brief, 7 of the world greatest magicians form a sort of League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (and 1 woman) Team. They all have their own specialties, and the show is made up of lots of different pieces from each of them.

It’s very smooth, very Vegas and completely enchanting. I was filled with child-like wonder, my face was contorted in a how-do-they-DO-THAT frown, my jaw frequently dropped as low as it could go. I was charmed, scared, amused and amazed. I spent a large part of the show trying to work out how it was done. And every time I thought I’d sussed it, they read my mind and promptly proved me wrong.

I don’t want to give too much away in case you go and see it BUT there were a few pieces done on Good Morning which I will link to so that you can see some of it yourself. SPOILER ALERT: the tricks done by the Gentleman and The Enchantress and The Trickster are done in the show, the others aren’t.

Here is The Gentleman and The Enchantress, The Anti-Conjouror, The Mind-Reader, The Escapologist, The Inventor and crowd fav The Trickster.

Truly though, it’s got nothing on last night’s performance which felt like it was bursting off the stage with energy. I am still on a buzz from it and am imploring you as forcefully as one can in a review to go and see this brilliant show.