Painfully funny and incredibly well performed: the Mischief company’s newest production, ‘Magic goes wrong’ goes down well with all. This hilarious comedy about a magic fundraiser (for those that have been killed by magic tricks) that goes horribly off course left children and adults alike splitting their sides and the incredibly dramatic and over-the-top characters made it impossible for the audience not to enjoy themselves.
This performance included some amazing actors, most memorably Henry Lewis (also one of the playwrights) who played the role of the mind-mangler, a mind reader, so well that my family were repeating his lines for days. Generally, the characters were full of humour, albeit some more than others, and the characters combined well with everything that ‘goes wrong’ to make the audience laugh all the way through.
Although the set isn’t the most elaborate, it is used very well to add to the humour by lighting up different sentences in the background as well as leading up to a surprise at the end. The relationship between the characters and the set is also clearly well thought out with the two sides combining to create the feeling that the magic fundraiser is going wrong. Furthermore, the play uses lighting and sound effects seemingly at the wrong time to enhance the idea of everything in the play not going to plan as lighting appears mistimed and sound is used at the wrong times and this makes the performance even more comical.
Zach Nicholls, who saw the production in late December described it as ‘an incredible experience’. Whilst he did think that perhaps it was ‘too much of the same genre’, he concluded that he would ‘recommend it to everyone he knows.’
Another crucial part of the play was the frequent use of audience participation. People were picked on for magic tricks and assistance and this helped keep all the audience feel a part of the show which made it easier to relax and enjoy the comedy. The laid-back feel between the audience and actors also lead to the audience engaging in the performance as people were shouting things out and generally creating a lively and friendly atmosphere.
‘Magic goes wrong’ definitely lived up to the high standards set by ‘the play that goes wrong’ and other of the Mischief company’s productions, as its friendly, comical and dramatic performance had everyone laughing all the way through. I would thoroughly recommend this play to anyone in the mood for a good time: it is continuing until the end of May 2020 so book now!
Eve Nicholls
