Magical Escapism at The Palace!
What better tonic to bring us out of lockdown than Wonderville a variety show of magic, illusions and mind reading. This show is suitable for the whole family providing you haven’t got children with a circular saw who want to practise sawing mummy in half on the kitchen table! This show has to come with a “Don’t Try This At Home” warning.
Cheerful Chris Cox of CCBC and The Illusionists fame introduces the show and does some incredible mind reading. We were asked to fill out cards and seal them in envelopes before the show and the box containing them was in our view and I noticed that different questions were on my companion’s card but I didn’t see his answers. It is done very well and we were still trying to work out how it was done after the show!
Edward Hilsum was voted stage Magician of the Year in 2018 by the Magic Circle. He was invited to join the Magic Circle at just 18, and sponsored to develop a successful show in Las Vegas. He starts in a spectacular way throwing what seemed like a fire cracker into the audience, like liquid flame flying through the air. He magics multiplying red balls with no idea where they come from and producing the sweetest white doves from nowhere. He is a charming and smiley magician and works with a six year old from the audience in a delightful way. There is French music accompanying his act.
Young and Strange are considerably more sinister, especially Strange who is tall and moves uncomfortably making us believe he really is strange! Their act has an altogether darker edge as he pushes sharpened stakes through a cardboard box and out the other side when Richard Young was in the box. 22 Sticks are positioned in this mind boggling way.
Hoopla artiste Symoné skates to music. Was that a Moonwalk on skates? She forms amazing rainbow, translucent bubbles with holographic producing, gravity defying metallic hoops. She is a Guinness world record holder. Emily England from America’s Got Talent will perform contortions with a light stick and produce cards from nowhere in a Harlequin inspired costume.
Young and Strange will find original ways to chop their assistant in half and you’ll be relieved that no tigers are hurt in the making of this family friendly show!
Production Notes
Wonderville
Director and Additional Writing: Annabel Mutale Reed
Cast
Starring:
Chris Cox
Josephine Lee
Young and Strange
Edward Hilsum
Symoné
Amazi
With:
Louise Douglas
Annalisa Midolo
Lee Pratt
Mervin Noronha
Kat Hudson
Harry De Cruz
Magical Bones
Emily England
Magic Singh
Creatives
Director: Annabel Mutale Reed
Set Designer: Justin Williams
Costume Design: Penn O’Gara
Head of Sound: Ollie Dudman
Information
Running Time: Two hours 15 minutes with an interval
Booking to 5th September 2021
Theatre:
The Palace Theatre
113 Shaftesbury Avenue
London
W1D 5AY
Phone: 0330 333 4813
Website: www.nimaxtheatres.com
Tube: Leicester Square
Reviewed by Lizzie Loveridge at the Palace Theatre
on 23rd June 2021