Billed as a magic and illusion show, the rather baffling array of cabaret, panto and camp showmanship has opened on London’s West End, directed by Annabel Mutale Reed.
Wonderville is something of a curiosity in amongst the more traditional West End fare that’s started to reopen post-lockdown. Playing in the currently-vacant Palace Theatre (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child isn’t reopening until the autumn), the space is being used to create a very different brand of magic. It’s a variety show with a wide assortment of talent, much of which is familiar affair but with a few twists.
The magic is pretty clever but rarely does it have a ‘wow’ factor. Edward Hilsum, a Magic Circle champion, impresses by conjuring a seemingly endless supply of doves from thin air, and exercises remarkable control over them. However, most of his other tricks – making handkerchiefs appear, tie in knots and untie, and making table tennis-size balls appear and disappear – it feels a little underwhelming on a stage so grand. They didn’t feel like particularly spectacular tricks from where we were sat in the stalls – we’re not convinced they would read well from the back of the circle.
Double act Young and Strange probably dazzle the most – their act one routine of spears-through-a-box is a little predictable, although it has an amusing punchline. However, they up the ante in the second act with a Las Vegas-style segment. Again, the tricks are likely the sort you’ll have before, but there’s a lot more razzle-dazzle to this – it’s probably the only moment in the evening which sufficiently fills the stage and energises the whole audience.
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