(seen at the performance on 3rd April 2022)
The Apollo Hammersmith in London has an air of Wembley Stadium about it for magicians. With a broad, shallow stage, no orchestra pit distancing the stalls and a dress circle set far back enough for a performer not to worry about those upstairs seeing “behind” the illusion it can hardly be bettered.
The very high seating capacity, however, means that only the best – of the order of Penn & Teller - can hope to fill it. Hence, to be booked to play it means living up to the title of this show. You must indeed be among the Champions of Magic.
Fortunately, these are. Even better than Cirque de Soleil’s “The Illusionists,” a quintet of magicians delivers over two hours of mind-twisting, logic-defying entertainment.
Alex McAleer has uncanny ability to guess the word or person an audience member is thinking of (and help break the news of a belly-button piercing intention to a teenager’s father – c’mon, we all want to know what happened next on THAT one). The outcome of a later game of cards with an 11 year old boy is even spookier than the kid’s self-confidence at that tender age too. Best of all, McAleer is wonderfully warm, his act presented to entertain friends rather than chill as so many mentalists are prone to do.
If it’s chills you require, though, Fernando Velasco is up there with the best escapologists in the business. “Jaws of Death” in the first half gives him 60 seconds (he used 57) to avoid a vast spiked suspended trap closing on his body as the rope burns away. Second suicide bid (he doesn’t do this for fun, surely?) sees him, "the youngest person in the world to perform" the Houdini Water Torture Cell. Sure, you’ve seen the ‘guy escape from a tank’ a hundred times, but dressed up with presenting Houdini’s own handcuffs and with a neat worried entrance from the stage manager, you’ll hold your breath for even longer than he does.
In the opposite direction, Hollie England claims to “do magic with everyday objects.” Her “burning autograph” routine is a little gem both up close and on the big screen used so the folks not quick enough to grab tickets down the front can see it. The retired dancer caps it later by taking us literally into her home for a cup of tea and sewing session. Another classic presented with the style and grace you would expect of someone with her background experience.
Also providing a graceful dance interlude, Marissa Maiorana holds the audience spellbound (no pun intended) with an aerial silk rope performance, before Young and Strange do their worst, er, best to literally halve her act.
Given considerably more room to demonstrate their skills than in their last West End appearance at the Palace Theatre in Summer 2021, this duo are clearly heading for their own solo season sometime soon. Velasco had the right idea sabotaging Young, but Strange is better at it, cheerfully plunging wooden stakes into him while worrying about his own splinters.
Much of the finale belongs to them, as one “big box” gives way to the next. People appear, vanish, are sliced until the magicians come together to be given the perfect end to the presentation.
To say more would spoil the enjoyment of those lucky enough to catch any leg of the tour. Suffice to say there are many wonderful details in every artiste’s routine – from Young’s “open-fingered” card manipulation to England’s up-to-the-minute quips about the recent Oscars scandal.
Best of all, the cast take a little time out at the start of the second half to talk about themselves, their magical histories and what got them into this hidden world that delights us so much when allowed a peek into it.
A true outing for all the family. If you don’t “know how its done” you’ll be musing for days. If you do, you’ll be marvelling at just how finely honed their skills are. Either way, it is unlikely this calibre of magic show is going to pass through the UK again for a good while, so catch it while you can is the monkey advice.
5 stars.
Tour details: https://www.championsofmagic.co.uk/.