IMPOSSIBLE: An entertaining evening of magical tricks and illusions

Impossible at the Noel Coward Theatre is an entertaining evening of magical tricks and illusions brought together into a circus-style show by some fantastic graphics, a great score and the loose story of a little boy learning about magic for the first time. Featuring eight skilled individuals, the evening certainly kept the audience on their toes, never lingering too long over a particular act and always driving onwards to the next performance through the shameless and effective use of special effects.

Given however, that the show was created by Anthony Owen, a director who has worked with Derren Brown, and that the show was billed as ‘the most dangerous show London has ever seen’, I was left feeling less mystified and more delightedly, willingly conned. Although the show didn’t manage to suspend the disbelief it wanted to, it certainly provided an evening of gleeful enjoyment, and for a show on during the long school holidays, you can’t say fairer than that.

Jonathan Goodwin, TV escapologist, was one of the headliners and skilfully performed some feats of the human body to his enraptured audience, such as the escape from the straightjacket in time to douse his burning trousers with a fire extinguisher. Illusionist Luis De Matos was the most assured and confident performer, engaging his audience with interactive tricks and winning them with his charm and wit. The most comedic and charismatic performer of the evening was Chris Cox, whose mind-reading stunts drew me in the most and whom I most wanted to believe in. Katherine Mills bridged the gap between croupier and magician and hers were the tricks most believable since she performed without the aid of special effects and with individual members of the audience. I certainly wouldn’t want to come up against her at a card table. Although mesmerising all of the tricks, from straight jacket escape to card games, all felt out of date with the exception of Jamie Allan’s digital light show set to music which was admittedly spell binding, a sort of Fantasia for 2015. Ben Hart, Ali Cook and Damien O’Brien were the remaining acts and all performed with skill and flair, using sleight of hand, illusion and perhaps a little hypnosis.

The appeal for a child is doubtless and any child on a school holiday would love to see this show, especially if they had any aspirations about learning the art of magic. And fear not, there are ample bendy assistants to keep an army of school-holiday-enduring Dads entertained as well. All in all it’s a great show, perhaps a little less imaginative than expected but still a wonderful watch.

Review by Annemarie Hiscott

IMPOSSIBLE, the biggest magic show in decades is set to thrill audiences in London’s West End this summer at the Noël Coward Theatre. The show will feature the very best magicians and tricksters from around the world, fusing dazzling grand stage illusions, up-close-and-personal magic, cutting-edge technological tricks and death-defying escapology in a fast-paced, breath-taking spectacular for every generation.

Celebrating its global premiere this July in London, where Harry Houdini and the superstars of illusion stunned Victorian audiences on stage, IMPOSSIBLE will re-establish the UK capital as the epicentre of innovation and spectacle, hosting the greatest magic show on Earth. Directed by Anthony Owen, the multi-award winning producer and magic consultant behind Channel 4’s Derren Brown, IMPOSSIBLE brings eight world-leading performers together live on-stage for the very first time. Featuring a stunning range of magical artistry, from astonishing acts of epic proportions to dumbfounding up-close sleight of hand, be ready to be mesmerized and baffled by these incredible illusionists.
Nothing is quite as it seems…

Listing:
Impossible
Noel Coward Theatre
Show Opened: 24th Jul 2015
Booking Until: 29th Aug 2015
Important Info:
Latecomers may not be permitted until a suitable break in the performance.
Evenings: Monday to Saturday 7.30pm
Matinees: Tuesday and Saturday 3.00pm

Friday 31st July 2015