REVIEW: Impossible, Noel Coward Theatre ✭✭✭✭

Luis de Mantos in Impossible. Photo: Helen Maybanks Impossible

4 stars

Noel Coward Theatre

31 July

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It’s official; magic’s back. For so long lampooned as high camp, dated trickery, shows such as Britain’s Got Talent and modern pioneers like Derren Brown have made magic trendy once more.

The fact that Impossible is filling the Noel Coward Theatre is testament to this. The high octane and slick evening skillfully mixes together contributions from a talented cast, spanning the fields of escapology, sleight of hand and mind reading.

There are a number of big ticket stunts that truly take the breath away; a car ‘disappears’, an assistant levitates and is chopped in half and a helicopter appears as if from nowhere. However fastidiously you stare at hands or look for secret trap doors, the mask does not slip and the tricks remain truly impressive.

The show is littered with verbal and graphical references to respected magicians from years gone by, adding a sense of history and showing the evolution of the craft. Whilst some of the tricks go back centuries (although are no less impressive for that) Jamie Allan, a digital marvel, was making magic happen using iPads and lasers. The mix between old and new worked well and diversity of magical genres made for an exciting evening.

The staging was dynamic and enthralling throughout, supported by some creative direction and a fast-moving set. Michael Bradley’s epic score excelled in building tension and the big screens were well used to shed light on some of the sleight of hand trickery. The narrative behind the show centred on a young boy learning the joys of magic, which whilst a tad cheesy, helped to add cohesion and emotional heft.

The strongest aspect of this production is that it knows exactly when to invite the audience in on the fun. Rather than pretending magic is some sort of closed shop of wizardry, audience members are encouraged to play a part in the acts, whether it’s volunteering to go on stage or offering suggestions to the performers. The highly charming and entertaining Luis de Matos even taught the audience to do their own magic trick, a nice touch that went down well on the night.

Jonathan Goodwin in Impossible. Photo: Helen Maybanks

The big star of the night was Jonathan Goodwin; a frighteningly chiseled and daring escapologist who put himself through all manner of pain. He freed himself from a straitjacket whilst on fire early in the show and later on succeeded in crossbowing an object from his wife’s hand, William Tell style. Goodwin has a wonderful rapport with the audience and some of his riskier stunts could only be watched from between the fingers.

On the other end of the magical spectrum, Chris Cox, a youthful and lively ‘mind reader’, is clearly one to watch, He has the manner of a sort of T4 Derren Brown, providing comic relief, as well as some very impressive audience participation tricks. Ali Cook was also a revelation, successfully re-creating Houdini’s terrifying water tank escape with panache and good humour.

Katherine Mills, who was billed to perform, sadly had to miss this performance and her absence was very much felt gender-wise. Whilst there were a few women in the company, they filled the old school ‘magician’s assistant’ role of being put in boxes and chopped into pieces. The magic industry seems to struggle to attract women and hopefully Mills’ return will inspire a new generation of female Dynamos.

Some doubted whether a magic show could thrive in the modern day West End but Impossible truly provides a first-class spectacle. It is intelligently staged and well cast, with a mix of mind-boggling tricks and stunts that will leave you thinking all the way home.

Impossible runs until 29 August at the Noel Coward Theatre