Reviews

Theatre Monkey - London

"A quintet of magicians delivers over two hours of mind-twisting, logic-defying entertainment." ★★★★★

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.

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.

...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.

Champions Of Magic Review from Theatre Monkey - London
Stage Door – Toronto

"...lovers of magic won’t want to miss it."

Toronto has a wide range of family entertainment options for this holiday season from traditional musicals and plays to pantos and circus. Now a new option has entered the field with Champions of Magic. Champions is not to be confused with The Illusionists – Live from Broadway, a magic revue of Australian origin which played Toronto at the end of 2016. Rather Champions premiered in the UK in 2013, had a run in London’s West End and has toured ever since. This is its first visit to Toronto and lovers of magic won’t want to miss it. The show’s five magicians impress with everything from small-scale magic to to grand illusions, but what makes the evening so enjoyable is its pervasive good humour and lack of pretence.

Both Champions and The Illusionists are magic revues, but they have important differences. Champions features only five of “the world’s finest magicians”, whereas The Illusionists featured seven. In the latter several magicians appeared only for one set making the experience much more diffuse. In Champions all five appear several times lending the show more cohesion. The Illusionists played in the 2000-seat Princess of Wales Theatre, whereas Champions plays in the 868-seat Bluma Appel Theatre, and magic always has more impact in a smaller venue. The biggest flaw in The Illusionists, one related to the venue size, was that everything in the show was projected onto a 10-by-30 foot LED monitor over the stage, so one felt more like one was watching television than live magic. Champions also uses an above-stage monitor but only to project historical images related to an act or the small-scale magic of one of the magicians. Otherwise, it serves merely as an ornamental backdrop.

While Champions claims it has five of “the world’s finest magicians”, it really is made up of only four acts since the duo of Young & Strange make up one act. They also share hosting duties with fellow British mentalist Alex McAleer. The other two performers are Mexican escapologist Fernando Velasco and American close-up magician Kayla Drescher. For first-time theatre-goers they present an excellent overview of the various disciplines that come under the heading of stage magic. For magic aficionados they all provide intriguing twists on familiar tricks and illusions.

Champions of Magic is an exhilarating show whose humour and lack of pretence are its greatest virtues, along, of course, with the expert performances of its five magicians. Since the show covers the whole range of magic from small scale to large, it makes a great introduction to any newcomers to the wide variety that the term “stage magic” includes.

It’s fascinating that at a time when we all spend so much time in the cold, digital world, that live magic should be undergoing such a renaissance. It would seem that people long to have a more direct and immediate experience of the marvellous than high tech can provide. Thus Champions of Magic arrives at the perfect time. It’s a lively show that will fill both young and old with an authentic sense of wonder.

Champions Of Magic Review from Stage Door – Toronto
Mooney On Theatre – Toronto

"Champions of Magic is a fun and entertaining night out that will please young and old alike."

Who doesn’t love a magic show? Oh, they’re the empty-calorie guilty pleasures of the performing arts, to be sure, but their unabashed spectacle and their ability to dazzle and delight makes them accessible, crowd-pleasing entertainment. Champions of Magic, is just that. Performing a three-week stint in Toronto over the holidays, the show is guaranteed to increase your dopamine levels.

As a kid, I remember going with my family to see David Copperfield perform. You don’t really see big celebrity illusionists headlining solo shows on tour like that anymore (at least outside of casinos). Instead, we see shows featuring groups of magicians like The Illusionists and the UK’s answer: Champions of Magic.

Contemporary illusionists rely on YouTube and online audiences to build their names—in fact the marketing material for this show touts the number of YouTube views the cast has collectively racked up. While the performers in the show aren’t necessarily household names, they bring their individual specialties together to create a well-balanced, tightly-paced, thoroughly entertaining evening of magic.

The duo of Young and Strange specialize in spectacular, stage-filling grand illusions, like making large objects materialize seemingly out of thin air, in between their playful back-and-forth banter.

Alex McAleer, a mentalist who just oozes British charm, wows the audience with his stunning feats of prediction.

Kayla Drescher performs amazing close-up magic, at times literally in the auditorium amidst the audience, with an “aw, shucks” bashfulness that’s quite endearing.

Rounding out the cast is Fernando Velasco, a suave escape artist who performs heart-pounding, death-defying stunts.

The other performers rely on charm and humour over artistry. They’re self-aware and realize that magic has a reputation for being chintzy but smartly play into it. The finale number where Young and Strange perform a series of illusions while doing a campy, over-the-top send up of the old-school Vegas magic shows is as hilarious as it is dazzling.

The show also relishes in spectacle; there’s ample use of pyro cues and confetti canons. Yes, it’s sort of cheesy but it’s also a lot of fun and isn’t that how all good magic shows ought to be? Champions of Magic is a fun and entertaining night out that will please young and old alike.

Champions Of Magic Review from Mooney On Theatre – Toronto
Quays News

FIVE of the World’s top illusionists, one stage, a sprinkle of glitter and a stunned audience can only mean one thing; the Champions of Magic tour has landed at the Lowry theatre in Salford.

Touring since 2013 and seen by over 50,000 people, the award winning magicians are currently in the midst of their current UK tour.

And they certainly didn’t disappoint, as they gave yesterdays audience a spellbinding afternoon of truly draw dropping illusions.

As baby-faced Edward Hilsum was the first to take to the stage, we could’ve mistaken him for a warmup act. But boy were we wrong! Within seconds, the International Stage Magician of the Year had the audience in the palm of his hands, with his delivery of some old-school magic – yes you guessed it there were white doves involved.

Reappearing throughout the show, Hilsum delights the audience with a few new illusions he had tucked up his sleeve. One of which he calls Silver that took him over two years to create. The trick gives one member of the audience the chance to experience magic as up close and personal that they can get.

Hilsum soon makes way for master mind reader Alex McAleer, who steals the show with his captivating display of mentalism and engaging personality.

In the first half of his act McAleer demonstrates why we should never play cards with a mind reader. The second half includes one of the largest scale stunts he has ever done. I wont spill too much but it certainly left us questioning our own minds.

Opening the second half of the show is the Queen of close-up magic and The Magic Circle’s Close-up magician of the Year, Fay Presto. For years Fay has performed in the presence of royalty, requested on many occasions by HM The Queen. Yesterday she had the pleasure of performing here in Salford, not quite Buckingham Palace but she certainly delivered. As she rolls back the years with her close-up classics, Fay is guaranteed to have you hooked as you try to work out her tricks of the trade.

Who could step up for the closing finale of this magical show? None other than grand illusionists [Richard] Young and [Sam] Strange. This part-magic and part-comedy duo provide a fantastic round up to show. Both with engaging and endearing personalities and a relationship that resembles two bickering brothers, this pairing certainly know how to perform.

Constantly questioning, how did they do that? How did he get up there? Surely they can’t just vanish? And at times made completely speechless, (which is a hard thing to do for me) you can clearly see why these magicians are the best in the business. Their tricks are genuinely sensational and present a show that is both slick and dramatic, clearly showing that seeing truly is believing.

Champions Of Magic Review from the Hereford Times The MAGIC came to The Courtyard last night as The Champions of Magic took to the stage with a show that was slick, clever, funny ... and amazing.

When you suspend disbelief and allow yourself to be amazed, magic is mesmerising. In a world where we all seem to want to know the how and why of everything, it's a joy to witness things that seem to have no logical explanation, and what's more, not want one! This is a show that is perfectly paced, with comedy an essential part of the mix.

How, for instance, did mentalist Alex McAleer know that Ellie's favourite ice-cream was pistachio and that the word that randomly popped into her head was trampoline? More intriguingly, how did he know that the city she most wanted to visit was Rome - and then present her with an Italian phrasebook inscribed with the instruction to use it in Rome, a gift he'd had in a sealed enveloped since before the show?And how did Edward Hilsum produce not one, but six, white doves from nowhere and equally magically make them - and the cage they were in - vanish without trace? Magic looks pretty cool on the TV, but when it's live on a stage in front of you, the mystery is magnified.

Fay Presto, doyenne of close-up magic, had the audience eating out of her hand as she brought six-year-old Kayleigh out of the audience to assist - and it was magical in every sense of the word when the giant balloon suspended above the stage exploded in a shower of glitter, transformed into a multi-coloured bunch of balloons as Kayleigh watched, wide-eyed. The beauty of magic, especially magic presented as professionally and dramatically as The Champions of Magic show, is that it makes six-year-olds of us all. We want that sense of wonder, we want something we can't explain and, above all, we want to be entertained.

Ensuring that the show came to a thoroughly entertaining and dramatic close were Young and Strange, who met when they were eight years old, and spent their early teenage years attempting, and failing, to make Las Vegas style illusions with cardboard and tape. They are now making illusions in style and the premise of their act is needing to up the ante - brighter lights, bigger tricks, glamorous assistant ... a tiger - to get them to Vegas. And they gave it maximum glitz and a truly impressive illusion plus all the lighting and pyrotechnics we needed to make us feel, just for a moment, that The Courtyard had been transported to The Strip!

Champions Of Magic Review from Quays News
Hereford Times

The MAGIC came to The Courtyard last night as The Champions of Magic took to the stage with a show that was slick, clever, funny ... and amazing.

When you suspend disbelief and allow yourself to be amazed, magic is mesmerising. In a world where we all seem to want to know the how and why of everything, it's a joy to witness things that seem to have no logical explanation, and what's more, not want one! This is a show that is perfectly paced, with comedy an essential part of the mix.

How, for instance, did mentalist Alex McAleer know that Ellie's favourite ice-cream was pistachio and that the word that randomly popped into her head was trampoline? More intriguingly, how did he know that the city she most wanted to visit was Rome - and then present her with an Italian phrasebook inscribed with the instruction to use it in Rome, a gift he'd had in a sealed enveloped since before the show?And how did Edward Hilsum produce not one, but six, white doves from nowhere and equally magically make them - and the cage they were in - vanish without trace? Magic looks pretty cool on the TV, but when it's live on a stage in front of you, the mystery is magnified.

Fay Presto, doyenne of close-up magic, had the audience eating out of her hand as she brought six-year-old Kayleigh out of the audience to assist - and it was magical in every sense of the word when the giant balloon suspended above the stage exploded in a shower of glitter, transformed into a multi-coloured bunch of balloons as Kayleigh watched, wide-eyed. The beauty of magic, especially magic presented as professionally and dramatically as The Champions of Magic show, is that it makes six-year-olds of us all. We want that sense of wonder, we want something we can't explain and, above all, we want to be entertained.

Ensuring that the show came to a thoroughly entertaining and dramatic close were Young and Strange, who met when they were eight years old, and spent their early teenage years attempting, and failing, to make Las Vegas style illusions with cardboard and tape. They are now making illusions in style and the premise of their act is needing to up the ante - brighter lights, bigger tricks, glamorous assistant ... a tiger - to get them to Vegas. And they gave it maximum glitz and a truly impressive illusion plus all the lighting and pyrotechnics we needed to make us feel, just for a moment, that The Courtyard had been transported to The Strip!

Champions Of Magic Review from Hereford Times
British Theatre Guide

The third such show of its kind in the region, in little more than a month, proves there’s more magic around than you can currently shake a wand at.

Maybe it’s a dividend of TV’s insatiable talent hunts, and this show certainly returns the compliment with a stage set and big screen backdrop that owes more than a little to television production values. In its clever, and tricky, combination of the folksy approach with the fantastical, it’s also as complete a variety entertainment as seen in some time.

The appeal of magic across ages, gender, culture and ethnicity was also evident in a near-capacity crowd within the ideal proportions of the Charter Theatre. Even the close-up routines are projected, for all to marvel at, on the big screen.

The Champions themselves may make a motley crew, but they share a charm and undoubted ability in their own individual skills.

International Stage Magician of The Year Edward Hilsum, for all his youth, has some of the old-style delivery of the largely-mute magician and also proves himself a young master of misdirection.

Mentalist Alex McAleer seems to mess around in the mind as much as Derren Brown and delivers the same astonishing personal facts back to members of the audience.

The near-legendary Fay Presto is not afraid to work the half-time audience, besides effortlessly serving up her take on seasoned magic ring or rope tricks.

Only a seasoned professional could sit at the stage edge and dumbfound one young fan, or baffle an entire family as she appears to plunge a bottle clear through dad’s chest.

The BIG tricks are saved to last, but come served in a spoof Las Vegas style, complete with a sultry silks performer, by grand if apparently guileless illusionists Young and Strange.

Theirs is actually a highly-sophisticated comedy double act delivered with faux naivety. It ends in a conjuring climax that will be seared on several retinas as well as memories... and left someone at Preston Guild Hall with a lot of Hoovering.

Champions Of Magic Review from British Theatre Guide
The Sussex Newspaper

***** Five Stars

It’s as if the weather has joined in to help create the perfect atmosphere for the show this evening as, on a torrentially wet and very windy Saturday evening in Tunbridge Wells, we are all here to witness the opening night of the Champions of Magic UK Tour.

Technical issues prevent the show from starting on time but, once again, this simply helps to ramp up the atmosphere and the sense of tension in the audience but, once the show is underway, we soon see that the intricate nature of the tricks being performed, must require a huge amount of preparation and so the short wait is soon forgiven.

Opening the show is classic conjurer Edward Hilsum. Although now in his mid-twenties, I am sure that his boyish looks have him reaching for his ID in most pubs! His act offers a contemporary twist to the “traditional” magician’s act with handkerchiefs, candles and doves appearing at every opportunity and then disappearing again in the most baffling of ways.

Using a TV camera to help the huge audience see what is happening on stage, his sleight of hand trick “Silver” is nothing short of mesmerising and for us in the audience, and the one lady lucky enough to be sitting on stage right next to the action, a superb highlight of his act.

A few weeks before the tour started I was lucky enough to interview the second performer, mind-reader Alex McAleer. He completely stunned me then, but to see his full act in the grand setting of a thousand seat theatre, was, quite simply, mind blowing.

Whether his “victims” are with him on stage or half way back in the auditorium, his ability to “read” them is quite phenomenal and is so brilliant that, no matter what words I can think of to describe it, nothing I can say will prepare you for his stunningly scary powers. I am sure I am not the only one still asking myself, how does he do that?

I first witnessed Fay Presto’s close-up magic skills more years ago than either of us would care to accurately count (I am talking in excess of thirty here) and, like the very finest of wines, what started as near perfection has somehow improved even further with age.

She is, without doubt, one of the finest exponents of close-up table magic and her relaxed style, comic one-liners, consummate skill and endearing personality have, over the years, turned her into what many of the young children in the audience would easily regard as the coolest “Nan” that any of them could wish for.

The final performers on the bill are Grand Illusionists, Young and Strange. They perform the “big box” tricks for which they use a number of… you guessed it, big boxes. Each is used for a different and, as the act goes on, more impressive illusion, culmination in the biggest box of all – which contains a full sized metal industrial fan – just the sort of thing that you want to walk through in front of a, stunned into silence, family audience.

There is no doubt that magic holds a very special place in the world of entertainment. It’s performers, like the late, great, Paul Daniels earn a very special place in our hearts because, although we know that what we are seeing cannot possibly be happening, somehow it is.

The tour is now working it’s way around the country and I urge you to quickly get whatever tickets are still available because Champions of Magic is a show that has to be seen to be disbelieved!

Champions Of Magic Review from The Sussex Newspaper
Hampshire Chronicle

COMPLETING a 12-date UK tour this exciting show delighted a family matinee audience. Five very different and accomplished magicians create an eerie, puzzling and enormously enjoyable atmosphere.

Using professional film cameras to provide close-ups of the intricate tricks on overhead projection screens, adds depth and detail to the show. Young Edward Hilsum is a traditional, old-school performer with a smooth careful style. Fay Presto (get it? – groan!) specialises in some adroit close-up work. Making your brain ache with impressive mind reading is the astonishing Alex McAleer. With an engaging personality and some insightful audience member revelations, McAleer is similar to Derren Brown. Is he just a very smooth magician, a genuine mystical psychic or merely a clever conman?

Topping the bill is the charismatic double act Young and Strange. Their relationship as a duo is engaging and endearing, their chemistry developing successfully, and some of the tricks are genuinely sensational. Their act is slick and dramatic, many illusions bafflingly top-class. How did one of them shrink into a tiny box? How did their glamorous girl assistant completely disappear? And how did they walk through the spinning blades of a giant industrial fan?

Together with some shuddering pyrotechnics, spectacular lighting effects and atmospherically spooky stage fog, this is a wonderful magic show.

Champions Of Magic Review from Hampshire Chronicle
York Press

Magic shows are curious things. Crowds pay to be skilfully duped and are happy to revel in perplexity so long as the methods behind the duping remain inexplicable under their keen, watchful eyes.

‘Champions of Magic’ managed this with spectacular regularity.

With a roster this esteemed, it was no surprise that incredulous gasps of ‘How did they do that?’ were commonplace amongst the eager crowd.

Edward Hilsum magicked some doves from thin air, Fay Presto baffled everybody into a stupor with just a newspaper and some string, Alex McAleer casually read minds, and one-time ‘Penn and Teller, Fool Us’ participants, Young and Strange, rounded off the show with grandeur.

Champions Of Magic Review from York Press
MagicAndMentalismReview.com

Champions of Magic is the summer blockbuster of magic shows, or at least aims to be- it is the Avengers of magicians. It is not your average, every day magic show (if there is such a thing), where you have to commit yourself to embracing one style, one skillset of magic. Instead, you are given four different magic shows in one, meshed together in an unforgettable night of wonderment.

The first of the magicians to kick off the show was a young magician with an old-school style, Edward Hilsum, conjuring doves with impressive flair. The magicians cycled their acts through the night, so we saw him again a few times over the course of the show, but one of the particularly impressive aspects of two of Hilsum’s three sets was his ability to remain captivating with a wordless act. In fact, his talent at maintaining attention meant that I did not even realize he hadn’t said a word until several minutes into the show!

Following Hilsum’s fist set was that of Alex McAleer, the mind-reader. I’ve reviewed McAleer here before, from his Edinburgh Fringe show. Here he had a much larger stage, and one he managed dominate impressively. Mind reading more than any other form of magic relies on audience participation and response, and McAleer undeniably had the personability and flair to make the crowd comfortable and increasingly eager to interact. Over his sets he wowed the audience with his skill at seemingly picking thoughts and images straight out of their minds, knowing everything from a card they were thinking of to unexpected personal details.

Fay Presto took the stage next, taking what initially seemed like it would be the most standard magic staple into a completely different, funny direction. Doing classic magic tricks can verge into boring the audience, I have learned, but she turned this potential around into something unexpected, a delightful turn of magic refusing to take itself too seriously. Presto particularly excelled when including children in her acts, her encouragement making them visibly increasingly confident with being onstage and involved.

The final part of this show was done by the magician duo Young & Strange. Their act coming last was a commendable choice, as they provided a burst of silly, snarky energy. While bordering on ridiculousness, the dedication of the two in playing off each other absolutely worked. Young & Strange were the epitome of a big finish, pulling out all the stops with huge intimidating mechanics, bright lights, a sweet story, and a glamorous assistant.

Champions Of Magic Review from MagicAndMentalismReview.com
The Student Rag

When baby-faced magician Edward Hilsum appeared on stage in Ayr we could have been forgiven for thinking we’d accidently wandered into the Gaiety Theatre’s crèche. But within seconds the young performer had the audience spellbound with his enthusiastic delivery of some proper old- school magic.

The traditional stuff might not be to everyone’s taste, but the beauty of this show is that it showcases a variety of styles – ensuring everyone’s a winner.

They don’t call it Champions of Magic for nothing you know! It all crackles along at a fair old pace, too, with Hilsum soon making way for mind-reader Alex McAleer – think Derren Brown’s better-looking but equally charismatic apprentice and you’re just about there.

McAleer steals the show with a mesmerising display of mentalism, culminating in him metaphorically ripping open an audience member’s brain in the name of entertainment. And entertaining it was too!

Fay Presto (gettit?) then rolls back the years with an act right out of the ‘traditional’ school of close-up magic. Presto’s appearance may prompt your brain to recall an eccentric great aunt, but having performed for both theatre royalty and the actual Queen, she’s guaranteed to have you hooked with a combination of quality trickery and vaguely-related anecdotes.

McAleer may steal the show, but it’s the part-magic, part-comedy pairing of (Richard) Young and (Sam) Strange who end it. The duo’s easy charm and boundless enthusiasm ensures there’s no let-up in the pace as the evening reaches a thrilling climax. But, I hear you ask, can Strange actually walk through a giant fan without being ripped to shreds by it’s rotating metal blades? Well, that’s for you to find out…

Champions Of Magic Review from The Student Rag
Mums In the Know

We were delighted to be invited along to the Champions of Magic adventurous autumn 2014 tour at The Watford Colosseum last night, read on for Mums in the Know Hemel Hempstead, Berkhamsted & Tring’s family review of the show.

Champions of Magic was an excellent mixture of the serious and the silly. Each magician had their own style of entertainment, from showy Vegas and unnerving mind games to classic tricks and panto comedy. While the jokes were a bit cheesy at times, it was a good giggle. Couple this with the fact that the illusions were always impressive, the whole show made for a great night out.

The organisers had the foresight in the intermission to provide entertainment for the kids with one of the performers doing close-up magic in the audience, and another meeting people in the foyer (a nice change from seeing your child disappear into your bag for your phone or tablet). From first hand experience, close-up magic can be even more exciting than the prospect of a trip to the ice-cream stand!

Some words of warning: get ready for some thrilling big bangs and flashes as the in-show fireworks are bound to have you jumping off your seat. You needn’t worry about being too scared to participate; they won’t ask you to do anything too embarrassing, it was all good fun. The only downside I can mention was the (somewhat accidental – as they recovered quickly) use of mild expletives on two occasions, which could cause offence.

Overall, we really enjoyed the evening (as well as guessing how the tricks were done afterwards) and I would recommend it to any family with children aged 6 and up, or like us get a babysitter and have an entertaining adult evening!

Champions Of Magic Review from Mums In the Know
ONinLondon

On Friday 21 November, Queens Theatre Hornchurch, I witnessed a mesmerising display of magic from five phenomenally talented entertainers, Edward Hilsum; Magic’s Latest Sensation offering us some good old fashioned magic tricks and producing five doves that were very well behaved if I may say so myself.

Alex McAleer; Master Mind Reader and an extremely funny man. Fay Presto; Queen of sleight of hand performing tricks right under spectators noses and even more cunningly in the palm of their hands and last but not Young & Strange; Grand Illusionists and dynamic duo, four words, RED LIGHT GREEN LIGHT haha (insider joke).

The venue, only a stone’s throw from my home did the show proud with this flawless production. The show brought me right back to my childhood and fiery pyrotechnics and stunning lighting was a well-placed bonus. Great family entertainment and a pleasure to watch

Champions Of Magic Review from ONinLondon
PaperCity

Some magicians take themselves way too seriously (and not just Arrested Development‘s Gob), but that’s not an issue at Champions of Magic, the rollicking, action-packed show that’s running at the Hobby Center over the weekend. This touring band of illusionists knows magic needs to be fun to have any real chance of surviving in a video game and Instagram world.

Indeed, one of the best moments of Thursday night’s opener comes impromptu when illusionist Sam Strange cannot get an inflatable life vest off. This sends Strange and his partner magician Richard Young into authentic hysterics on stage. It turns out that if you ever have to pull the cord to blow up one of those airplane life vests, you may need a crowbar to help pry it off your neck.

Of course, the fact the Strange and Young made a sailboat seemingly appear out of nowhere moments before makes life vest gate much more funny. It turns out even the pros of the pros can’t always anticipate quite everything in magic. Champions of Magic has fun with that — and almost everything else.

Strange also manages to turn a simple red light, green light bit (fake finger tips that light up red and green) into a running gag that never misses. My 10-year-old was all in on plunking down $20 to buy his own Red Light, Green Light after the show.

And Champions of Magic is certainly a show. Including the 15-minute intermission, it’s nearly a two and a half hour night at the theater. These magic makers certainly give everyone their money’s worth.

There is nothing small time or held back with this production. There are big stage bits worthy of the Hobby’s massive starry theater (20-year-old Mexican-American escape artist Fernando Velasco scores big with his straightjacketed Jaws of Death escape when he gets out just before the crushing snap, while his handcuffed upside down Houdini Water Torture Chamber trick loses much of its drama when a curtain is placed over the whole glass tube, blocking the audience from seeing how he gets out). There is audible disappointment in the seats around me when that curtain goes down.

As with any show, some acts impress more than others. Young & Strange’s faux Las Vegas magic show homage finale certainly redeems the big stage bits. The sad and annoyed looking guy in a tiger suit and an aerialist who isn’t just a girl in a box (Rachael Kean), even if she does one girl in the box trick, add an extra touch to this Vegas parody/impressive trick spree combo.

Still, close-up magician Kayla Drescher almost steals the show with her antics involving the five of hearts, rubber band escapes and a love story gone bad. Drescher’s facial expressions alone are more entertaining than some Broadway shows. This is someone who knows how to sell a trick — and a moment.

Mind reader Alex McAleer brings more humor and plenty of audience participation (he turns an attractive, well dressed woman named Celine into a near star on this night). I guessed the secret word (Astros) he revealed on stage from the moment he started setting up the trick at the end of the first act — there could not be a more predictable word to go with in Houston at the moment — but it still proved to be a crowd pleaser.

A Young & Strange Future
If there is a Champion of Magic, it’s definitely Sam Strange though. While Strange made a joke of that premise, deploying a crown to great effect, he and Young seem like sure future standalone headliners. Childhood buddies from Oxford, England, Strange and Young know how to play off of each other and the audience. When they make it snow near the end of the show, it’s a surprisingly near touching moment.

The love’s real in this magic act. Better yet, the 21st-century-worthy entertainment is too.

I went to the opener with my 10 and 12-year-old sons and two twentysomething young professionals and I’m not sure which twosome enjoyed it more. Now, that’s magic.

Champions Of Magic Review from PaperCity
Assorted Sources

“So mind-boggling that I won’t even attempt to describe it” - Wales Online

“Spectacular feats of mindreading, vanishing tricks and close-up magic will have you guessing for weeks” - The List

“Not being a great fan of magic tricks I am not usually impressed by all that smoke and mirrors… In the space of a few seconds this world class illusionist had won me over” - Wiltshire Times

“Amazing feats of mind-reading, breathtaking close-ups, daring illusions and a death-defying finale” - Hertfordshire Mercury

“The West End troupe, made up of mind-blowing illusionists and magicians… perplex, astound and thrill their family audience” - Gazette & Observer

“If you like your magic big, bold and baffling, this is the show for you” - Biggin Hill News

“World-class illusionists... you will have to go to see what happens” - Jersey Evening Post

“Spectacular family show... take a seat and prepare to be astounded, astonished and amazed” - Heart FM

“Surprising the audience with tricks only your imagination could fulfil” - Basingstoke Observer

“5 of the world’s finest magicians” - Broadway World

“A great night of mystery that will leave you baffled” - Birmingham Mail

“The ultimate circle of home-grown illusionists” - Essential Surrey

“Champions Of Magic will leave you speechless” - Surrey Advertiser

“Move over David Blaine, there’s a host of new magicians in town. With a live video feed, fiery pyrotechnics and stunning lighting, the show is an immersive experience in the art of magic” - Western Mail

“It’s all kinds of magic – delivered by the experts” - Western Morning News

“A night of mind blowing magic and mystery” - Worcester News

“If you’re looking for something entirely different, how about leaving the theatre spellbound after Champions Of Magic” - West Sussex County Times

“A must see” - The Guildford Magazine

“The worldwide scene seems to be dominated by several famous names; David Blaine, Derren Brown, Dynamo and Harry Potter... until now. It’s time for the Champions Of Magic” - ONIN London

“The UK’s top illusionists... fast becoming household names with their high energy and spectacular tricks... theirs is a pulse racing performance like no other” - Hereford Times

“The UK’s top tricksters” - Kentish Gazette

“A spectacular night of entertainment” - Basingstoke Observer

“Stylish and unbelievable” - The Packet

“A night of spectacular magic and illusion” - West Briton

“A combination of elegant classics & cutting edge alternative magic” - Cornish Guardian

“Some of the foremost magic performers” - PirateFM

Quotes taken from ticket buyer surveys carried out by our ticketing agents.

Assorted Audience Reviews

"What I will say is it was the best show I have been to, my son who is 9 loved it and couldn't believe what he was seeing. My partner was absolutely loved it. Thank you so much… such a great experience."


"We were certainly kept on the edge of our seats the whole way through of the show, my Mum was so engrossed in the Magic being performed she did not open her bag of sweets.”


"Well what a night it was at the Champions Of Magic Show at Theatre Brycheiniog last night, a fantastic evening show filled with laughter and some spectacular magic tricks and illusions to boot. I attended the event with my wife, and we totally immersed ourselves in the experience. We were welcomed with open arms by the Theatre staff, and were in awe of the stunning show that unfolded before our very eyes.”


“It truly was a great evening that me and my wife will remember for the foreseeable future… I fully recommend the show to all, if it’s excitement and intrigue you are after look no further, the Champions Of Magic show will truly have you on the edge of your seat.”


“Stunning show! Pure escapism, pure elixir for the mind and soul. Simply unmissable for fans of pure magic! A wonderful experience to share with family and friends of all ages. There were so many highlights!”


“Best magic show I’ve experienced! Highly recommended. Took my partner to the event as we are both magic lovers and was expecting a decent show, what we experienced was a highly energetic, entertaining show from start to finish. Would highly recommend for all ages of magic lovers.”


“A magic afternoon. I took my 88 year old Mom as a birthday treat and we thoroughly enjoyed it. Good family entertainment.”


“We saw the show in London and couldn’t believe it. It was great for all ages and the illusions were incredible. Would definitely recommend for anyone looking for a fun night out for the whole family. The production on the show is really spectacular – incredible lighting and special effects. 5 stars”


“A truly excellent night of magic. 5 very different magicians come together to give a fast moving variety of styles, each different to the next and as equally entertaining. I thoroughly recommend seeing this magic show."


"A brilliant show… the tricks were amazing… Take all your family and friends as everyone will leave with a big smile on their face, and be thinking of it long after they have left the venue. I felt very lucky to these impressive magicians in such an intimate venue. If’ you’re looking for the best show in London, five brilliant magicians are staging the most entertaining family show. There is something for all ages. Be prepared to be amazed and amused. A magical experience!"


"A good all round family show. Great illusions performed by very good magicians. Well worth going to see."


"Left the venue feeling as if we had been thoroughly entertained from beginning to end. A really entertaining show for the whole family. Awesome."


"This show has magic for all, and all styles of magic; elegant sleight of hand with Edward Hilsum, sharp, comic mind reader Alex McAleer, seasoned trooper Fay Presto, and illusionists with a touch of hip hop Young & Strange. I found it hard to clap because most of the time my hands were over my face in wonder as I thought, “how did they do that?” If you like magic, book a ticket for an evening of exciting wonderment."


"A magic show for all tastes ad ages featuring close-up magic, mentalism, light hearted magic for kids and grand illusion. Impossible to be bored or less than stumped. Time simply flew by The performers are all at the top of their game and each gave 100%."

"Make no mistake, this is a very entertaining and well put-together magic show by a number of different magicians. I saw Impossible last year in the West End with a number of magicians which was a huge disappointment and this show is streets ahead of that one. . That’s what makes a magic show – you genuinely don’t know how they did it!"


"Great fun, family show. Suitable for young and old alike. Top class magicians in a large venue. Catch it if you can."


"A thoroughly entertaining, feel-good show for all ages! A real delight! A friend and I went after work and found ourselves in the audience with families as well as other adults of all ages. Not only did the magic acts make us gasp and say ‘how did they do that?!’ but there was a lot of laughter too – some great humour! And I have to say, I also loved the use of music and lighting to create some lovely wordless moments. I loved this show – it had warmth, humour and heart."


"5 great magicians interacting with the audience. Great comedy magic of all kinds shown in two parts Thoroughly entertaining night, would recommend you to go before it ends."


"Great magic show for adults and kids. 5 talented artists that will make your draw drop. Worth seeing it!"


"Really fantastic, spell-binding and humorous night out! Not only was the magic good, there was also excellent showmanship all round with humour that was family friendly (with a few jokes sneaked in for the adults too!) A definite go-see."


"One of the best shows we have ever seen. The acts were timed perfectly. Will definitely go again."


"This magic show combines the amazement of magic and the adorable personalities of the magicians. Fun for the entire family. Do not miss it!"


"If you enjoy magic you will NOT want to miss Champions Of Magic! It has something for everyone! It’s a show you can take your whole family to and everyone will leacve the theatre with a smile on their face. I have seen the show twice over the coutse of two years and I can tell you that the second time was just as thrilling as the first time, if not better! I can’t think of a better show! Lots of interaction with the audience too! Members of the audience are never talked down to, or made fun of, instead many become part of the show! Champions Of Magic is a great way to be a kid again... when this show comes to your town grab your ticket! You will NOT be disappointed!"


"All 5 of the magicians are top notch performers... and heartbreakers! The magic just happened right infront of our eyes! All 5 of them will blow your mind, while stealing your heart! I would gladly pay to see them perform again! Truly a magical experience!"


"Amazing show that kept us on our toes the entire time! Highly recommend not missing out on a great show for all ages."


"What a great way to change it up with the family! Out did expectations!"


"My husband and I took our 3 kids to see this show and we all loved it. Our boys love magic and were fascinated the whole time. It was funny, exciting, thrilling and overall a great show. I really enjoyed all the different types of magic that the show had to offer. I would highly recommend this show to everyone!"


"We have been to many magic shows - and this was truly the most entertaining. The entire family loved it. Would love to see these 5 again."


"This show was great for the whole family! We were blown away and would definitely see Champions Of Magic again!"


"Great show with action going on constantly. My 8 year old was never bored and on the edge of his seat during the escapes. Second time I have seen these talented performers and highly recommend their show!"


"The show was amazing! Very talented artists and they put a lot of comedy into the show as well. Very entertaining!"