Theatre is the place where magic happens… but what happens when the magic goes wrong?
Well, you get a show that is a sublime mix of knockabout comedy and jaw-dropping illusions and tricks.
So says Sam Hill and he should know. He’s starring in Magic Goes Wrong at His Majesty’s Theatre from Wednesday night.
It promises to bring together the slapstick genius of Olivier award-winning theatre company Mischief – who created The Play That Goes Wrong – and the world-renowned magic of Penn & Teller.
“There’s lots of physical comedy but I think what marks this out from other Mischief shows is that it’s a genuine magic show,” said Sam.
“There’s a lot that goes wrong, but there’s an awful lot of magic that goes right as well.”
Sam plays Sophisticato, one of the hapless magicians who stage an evening of illusion to raise charity cash, only for accidents and mayhem to abound. If you’ve seen The Play That Goes Wrong, or the BBC series The Goes Wrong Show, you’ll get the gist.
Penn & Teller’s big repertoire is in Magic Goes Wrong
Sam said: “I can’t give too much away but we play a lot with the idea of what could go wrong. A good example is the sawing a person in half trick. But in the execution of it, the magic is going right, even if the characters are experiencing a pretty horrific situation.”
The actor said Magic Goes Wrong goes out to make people gasp in astonishment at the tricks as much as laugh out loud at the knockabout comedy.
“We need to both. One of the challenges of performing the show is that you need to get a big laugh, but also a jaw-dropping moment,” he said.
And the cast have the best in the business guiding them through the illusions, which were created by Penn & Teller, the magicians known around the world for their “how-did-they-do-that” tricks.
“A lot of Penn & Teller’s big repertoire is in the show. The sawing trick is Penn & Teller. We do Penn & Teller’s water tank card trick, which is my favourite to perform,” said Sam.
“It’s a card trick performed while one another actor is holding his breath underwater while I improvise with two audience members – genuine audience members, they are not stooges.
“There’s a wonderful character, played brilliantly by Rory Fairbairn, called the Mind Mangler who manages to have the audience read his mind, which gives you another good idea of how we’re playing with the idea of magic and the things that go wrong.”
Top magician Ben Hart works with the cast on illusions
Top magician Ben Hart has been working with the cast on behalf of Penn & Teller, teaching them how to make sure they get the magic and illusions spot on.
After all, before you can make magic go wrong, you need to have the skills to make it go right. So how hard was it for the cast to learn how to be spellbinding.
“Very hard and it’s still ongoing, although it’s at another level now,” said Sam.
“A really good magician can do something where it almost feels like they’ve done it by accident. That’s the level we’re at now.”
“We are a slightly magic obsessed company now so if you hang around in the pub afterwards we’ll probably force magic tricks on you. I’m fascinated by coin magic, for example.”
Sam, whose only dabbling in the art of illusion before was having a magic set as a kid, said sleight of hand is now a tick on his resume and something that will stick with him for the rest of his career.
“I know that I’m going to take into every show I do from now on the skills that I’ve learnt from magic and the skills I’ve learnt from Ben. What it teaches an actor is about how to engage with a live audience, which is the bedrock of acting.
“I might not become a magician, but I will take magic with me throughout the rest of my career.”
Sam’s first aim, though, is to delight and astonish audiences at His Majesty’s – while making them laugh out loud.
How to get tickets for Magic Goes Wrong
“This show is so absolutely for its audience, there’s no fourth wall, it’s not about shutting people off. It’s about involving people in the room. Every show is different because it’s completely dependent on what audience we have that day.”
And the actor has a simple message for people who want to see Magic Go Wrong.
“Come and have an absolutely amazing time and see some great magic, because right now it is pretty much the best magic show you can see.
“After all we’ve been through with lockdown it’s the perfect show to celebrate life and just enjoy yourself.”
Magic Goes Wrong is at His Majesty’s Theatre from Wednesday February 2 to Saturday February 5.
For more information go to aberdeenperformingarts.com
