The Illusionists in the UK - reviews

Discuss the latest news and rumors in the magic world.
User avatar
CraigMitchell
Posts: 1788
Joined: January 17th, 2008, 12:00 pm
Location: Magic
Contact:

The Illusionists in the UK - reviews

Postby CraigMitchell » November 23rd, 2015, 7:07 am

http://www.express.co.uk/entertainment/ ... lusionists

Express newspaper weighs in:

"THE ILLUSIONISTS has an identity crisis. Its posters make it look like a serious, Vegas spectacular and it tries to pretend it is, but it is not ...

It relies heavily on audience participation, lame gags and disappointingly small tricks....When the show is good it is great ... It is just a shame these highlights were broken up by weak, awkward segments which, I’m sad to report, mostly came from the group’s British contingent.

Verdict: 3/5"


The Guardian not impressed either:

http://www.theguardian.com/stage/2015/n ... riety-show

2/5

"This garish sleight-of-hand variety show would work better on the telly ... It is wrapped in a Britain’s Got Talent razzmatazz, with monotonously loud rock, monotonous lasers, and a dapper compere in Colin Cloud ... Crucial moments are shown on video, which is useful but rather takes away from the point of going to the theatre ... Throughout, the all-male wizards are surrounded by women prancing around admiringly, flashing their fishnets in that bent-knee gesture known only to the lovely assistants of conjurers."

Telegraph:

2/5

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/theatre/what ... re-review/

"Seven illusionists ... take to the stage, some clad in what appears to be half-hearted S&M gear, others as extras from a steampunk-themed episode of Doctor Who ... and the motley crew of talented chaps (I presume all the female magicians were busy) have some rather neat tricks up their sleeves...

Several of the acts peddle similar, close-up magic acts, which are robbed of their impact by being, well, not very close up, in the 1,500-seater venue ...

It’s telling, both about this show and British public, that the moment that really got the crowd going was when David Williamson (The Trickster) got four young children onstage for some panto-esque frolics involving a puppet and a purposely-lame card trick.

The show would do well to ease up on the hyperbole. What’s the old saying? Under-promise and over-deliver, not the other way round."

The Stage

3/5

https://www.thestage.co.uk/reviews/2015 ... -of-magic/

"All of this is played out against an electronic rock 'n' roll soundtrack, played live by musicians stationed in the stage-side boxes, that lends the evening a slightly ersatz flavour, like a revival of Jesus Christ Superstar without the good tunes.

It's clearly aiming to be Las Vegas glitzy, with regulation glamour dancers also provided, but ends up sometimes feeling a bit end-of-the-pier."


Christmas filler fodder offers a stage full of magicians that might work better at the seaside than it does in the West End




On a side note - Derren Brown's Miracle is getting good reviews

http://www.theguardian.com/stage/2015/n ... e-ministry

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... -show.html
Last edited by CraigMitchell on November 23rd, 2015, 12:43 pm, edited 2 times in total.

performer
Posts: 3508
Joined: August 7th, 2015, 10:35 pm

Re: The Illusionists in the UK - reviews

Postby performer » November 23rd, 2015, 10:51 am

I think generally speaking the British are much tougher critics. This is probably because in some ways they have seen a lot more entertainment that North American audiences and become very blase over it. I remember UK audiences being a hell of a lot tougher than the audiences over here. And I am not surprised newspaper reviews are so critical. I remember when David Copperfield came to the UK they were quite brutal to him. And of course British newspapers love to pick on Paul Daniels whenever they get the chance so what chance has anyone else got?

Ted M
Posts: 1186
Joined: January 24th, 2008, 12:00 pm
Favorite Magician: Dani DaOrtiz
Location: Madison, WI

Re: The Illusionists in the UK - reviews

Postby Ted M » November 23rd, 2015, 11:52 am

Thanks for the link. I think it's useful to see how various magic shows are being received.

At just 143 words, that's more of a notice than a review, though.

User avatar
Richard Kaufman
Posts: 27047
Joined: July 18th, 2001, 12:00 pm
Favorite Magician: Theodore DeLand
Location: Washington DC
Contact:

Re: The Illusionists in the UK - reviews

Postby Richard Kaufman » November 23rd, 2015, 12:31 pm

The critic really didn't have much to say.
Subscribe today to Genii Magazine

observer
Posts: 342
Joined: August 31st, 2014, 5:32 am
Favorite Magician: Harry Kellar - Charlie Miller - Paul Rosini - Jay Marshall
Location: Chicago

Re: The Illusionists in the UK - reviews

Postby observer » November 23rd, 2015, 12:54 pm

British newspaper critics are in the business of entertaining their readers rather than informing them. Trying to entertain them, anyway. The snarkier the better is the basic principle.

User avatar
Richard Kaufman
Posts: 27047
Joined: July 18th, 2001, 12:00 pm
Favorite Magician: Theodore DeLand
Location: Washington DC
Contact:

Re: The Illusionists in the UK - reviews

Postby Richard Kaufman » November 23rd, 2015, 1:29 pm

I've noticed that.
Subscribe today to Genii Magazine

Tom Moore
Posts: 635
Joined: February 7th, 2012, 6:45 pm
Location: Europe
Contact:

Re: The Illusionists in the UK - reviews

Postby Tom Moore » November 23rd, 2015, 2:36 pm

I'm struggling to disagree with the reviews though - they are correct in that the show is VERY small compared to other Illusionist's productions with no real illusions to speak of bar KJ's pieces which he deliberately plays small. Roll in to this performers who've never been on a west-end stage before (and in some cases, basically never played any venue even close to this size) and the show does feel like a mismatch. Remember the last ensemble magic show in the West End (Impossible) was in a venue half the size yet had performers with bigger personalities, vanishing cars & helecopter and a proper set & costumes. Derren is performing just down the road in a show that has a whole truck full of set and a performer with a personality that could fill the biggest stadium; Dynamo is touring a show physically twice the size of Illusionists & the uk has a 100 year history of specially staged christmas productions with multi-million pound budgets deliberately crammed with as many epic moments of spectacle as you could possible conceive. That's the context in which this incarnation of Illusionists is being reviewed and knowing that it is odd that they chose such a big theatre but with physically such a small show and a cast who are normally used to playing audience's 1/10th the size.

It's not a bad show at all, but it's a misfire
"Ingenious" - Ben Brantley: New York Times

thomasmoorecreative

User avatar
Richard Kaufman
Posts: 27047
Joined: July 18th, 2001, 12:00 pm
Favorite Magician: Theodore DeLand
Location: Washington DC
Contact:

Re: The Illusionists in the UK - reviews

Postby Richard Kaufman » November 23rd, 2015, 3:41 pm

Isn't James Moore doing illusions in this show?
Subscribe today to Genii Magazine

Tom Moore
Posts: 635
Joined: February 7th, 2012, 6:45 pm
Location: Europe
Contact:

Re: The Illusionists in the UK - reviews

Postby Tom Moore » November 23rd, 2015, 4:23 pm

He's in the Broadway unit. All of the "big" illusion performers on the Illusionist books are in the other units (Broadway, 1903) and not currently the West-End production.

UK is MC'd by Colin Cloud with Andre Basso, Kevin James, David Williamson, Jamie Raven & Den Den. Ben Hanlin is making guest appearances in the early performances. Ben Blaque is also in the show with his crossbow act as known.
"Ingenious" - Ben Brantley: New York Times

thomasmoorecreative

observer
Posts: 342
Joined: August 31st, 2014, 5:32 am
Favorite Magician: Harry Kellar - Charlie Miller - Paul Rosini - Jay Marshall
Location: Chicago

Re: The Illusionists in the UK - reviews

Postby observer » November 23rd, 2015, 4:28 pm

Tom Moore wrote:I'm struggling to disagree with the reviews though... the last ensemble magic show in the West End (Impossible) was in a venue half the size yet had performers with bigger personalities, vanishing cars & helecopter and a proper set & costumes. Derren is performing just down the road in a show that has a whole truck full of set and a performer with a personality that could fill the biggest stadium; Dynamo is touring a show physically twice the size of Illusionists & the uk has a 100 year history of specially staged christmas productions with multi-million pound budgets deliberately crammed with as many epic moments of spectacle as you could possible conceive. ...


And all of those shows featured numerous "female magicians", did they? And eschewed anything so unenlightened as "glamour dancers", one must suppose?

Tom Moore
Posts: 635
Joined: February 7th, 2012, 6:45 pm
Location: Europe
Contact:

Re: The Illusionists in the UK - reviews

Postby Tom Moore » November 23rd, 2015, 4:50 pm

I've already written plenty about the terrible machismo and lack of female performers in other shows as well as how the majority of the magic/illusion shows on the market are trapped in a terrible 90's aesthetic and mindset. It's worth noting that Derren & Dynamo's shows both manage to avoid using cliched female glamour assistants and outdated sexy dancing.
"Ingenious" - Ben Brantley: New York Times

thomasmoorecreative

User avatar
Richard Kaufman
Posts: 27047
Joined: July 18th, 2001, 12:00 pm
Favorite Magician: Theodore DeLand
Location: Washington DC
Contact:

Re: The Illusionists in the UK - reviews

Postby Richard Kaufman » November 23rd, 2015, 6:02 pm

There are no scantily clad females in David Copperfield's show, either.
Subscribe today to Genii Magazine

observer
Posts: 342
Joined: August 31st, 2014, 5:32 am
Favorite Magician: Harry Kellar - Charlie Miller - Paul Rosini - Jay Marshall
Location: Chicago

Re: The Illusionists in the UK - reviews

Postby observer » November 23rd, 2015, 6:20 pm

Well it's good to know that the West End has embraced (if that's not too suggestive a word) the prudery of 1950s USA. The march of progress is so inspiring.

And really, one would think that with so many "female magicians" in the UK, "The Illusionists" might have asked three or four to join their show.

User avatar
Richard Kaufman
Posts: 27047
Joined: July 18th, 2001, 12:00 pm
Favorite Magician: Theodore DeLand
Location: Washington DC
Contact:

Re: The Illusionists in the UK - reviews

Postby Richard Kaufman » November 23rd, 2015, 7:15 pm

Aren't both Jinger Kalin and Sherry Frye in The Illusionists 1903?
Subscribe today to Genii Magazine

hugmagic
Posts: 288
Joined: January 20th, 2008, 12:00 pm
Location: OHIO
Contact:

Re: The Illusionists in the UK - reviews

Postby hugmagic » November 24th, 2015, 8:19 pm

Yes Jinger and Sherrie are both in the 1903 version.

All I can think is that how bad the New York papers panned this show last year. Yet, they set record numbers on Broadway and Touring. Maybe they know something the critics don't.

It is a different type of magic show then most of us are used to. But I can honestly say that it was one of the best magic shows I have seen in probably 25 years. The acts are strong, the flow and pace is fast. There is no padding in this show. It is like a variety show on steriods.

Richard

`
Richard Hughes
www.hughesmagic.com

User avatar
Q. Kumber
Posts: 1851
Joined: January 17th, 2008, 12:00 pm
Favorite Magician: Tom Whitestone

Re: The Illusionists in the UK - reviews

Postby Q. Kumber » November 25th, 2015, 5:23 am

Article on magic shows on London's West End

http://www.theguardian.com/stage/2015/n ... end-london

and (of possible interest) an article about Jimmy Carr's 'politically incorrect' two-word joke.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/bbc/120 ... fires.html

User avatar
CraigMitchell
Posts: 1788
Joined: January 17th, 2008, 12:00 pm
Location: Magic
Contact:

Re: The Illusionists in the UK - reviews

Postby CraigMitchell » December 4th, 2015, 6:24 pm

Just returned from The Illusionists - and despite what the UK critics are saying - this is an incredibly fun show that the audience are lapping up.

David Williamson steals the show completely - ( the consummate professional ! ) and new for me was Colin Mcleod - who has a fantastic stage presence about him. He sells his Sherlock Holmes character with aplomb. During Den Den's manipulation sequence you could have heard a pin drop.

Slickly produced, some great magic - and high entertainment. It's not without its issues ( Jamie Raven is the weakest link in the show - along with the horribly unnecessary '80s dancers ) but for holiday entertainment - it's packing the crowds in one of the world's top entertainment hubs. 1100 people in the West End on a Friday night seeing some top class performances ... that's true magic!


Return to “Buzz”