Theatre Royal, Glasgow 25 January 2023
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Honestly, I had no idea what I was going to! From Mischief Comedy, the same people who gave us 'The play that goes wrong' I thought 'The Mind Mangler' was maybe a play about a magician?
Wrong! It's stand-up comedy almost, with the performer being in character as a downtrodden, struggling magician and mind reader - amongst other things! The whole show is really well produced - the stage set and props are excellent, and the action is slick and cleverly managed. The Mangler obviously has a lot of help from unseen hands off stage, but the result is a funny, fast-paced, perfectly choreographed performance.
Part comedy, part magic show - the Mind Mangler himself (Henry Lewis) is hilarious, and some of his magic tricks are genuinely baffling.
The comedy is funny! I particularly enjoyed the 'Quick Fire Jesus' skits. And the headlines on the newspaper that was being torn up were a touch of genius. There is a lot of audience interaction and I think he must've spoken with half of the stalls by the end. The audience all seemed up for being involved. If you don't want to risk it, sit upstairs if you are able. The show makes much use of close up cameras on stage and in the audience too - we always see the Mind Manglers hands and tricks up close, beamed onto a screen on stage. So for people with not-the-best eyesight like myself, that is a major bonus.
The second character in the show is The Stooge (Jonathan Sayer), an 'audience member' who is plucked from the stalls more than a few times, is quite clearly a plant, and who gets everything wrong. I don't know if there were any other stooges in the audience - I think there must've been? If there weren't, then I've just seen some of the greatest mind reading and magic I've ever seen. The trick at the end of the show is truly magnificent; I have no idea how they did it. Mischief Comedy have some great shows currently playing across the UK and London. They do what they do exceptionally well. The Mind Mangler must be pretty unique in its offering. I've certainly never seen anything like it. Kudos! Catch the Mind Mangler on tour now - if you dare.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
[Review first posted on Instagram 25 January 2023]
🐊 Read my review of Mischief Comedy's latest offering Peter Pan Goes Wrong here
⭐ REVIEW: The Mind Mangler (UK tour) by Mischief Comedy at Glasgow Theatre Royal January 2023. Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer, Theatre, Comedy, Magic ⭐
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