Gasp! At incredible psychic powers. Wonder! At feats of shear impossibility. Thrill! To banter and fine comedy.
Bamboozlement is a fantastic piece of performance theatre, where two (handsome, they point out) young men in Victorian costume amaze and delight their audience with act after act of apparent telepathy and magical splendour. The common man, yours truly included, is left baffled and delighted, as his ignorant preconceptions of what is possible are shattered time and time again.
But though you may come for the magic, you will stay for the entertainment. We’ve all seen magic shows before, and though they can be pretty amazing, in a post-Derren Brown world it will take a lot to stimulate the cynical public.
Luckily, Bamboozlement is not merely a magic show; it has the extra shtik of being a tribute to Victorian magical comedy as well. The lads dress up in charming apparel and keep up the manner of Victorian entertainers (‘step right up, folks, step right up!’) throughout, occasionally falling into modern banter for effect. The jokes come thick and fast, with ever-present good humour and genuine easy wit. No laughs were forced and all amazement was genuine. A true achievement.
Rob West and Rhys Morgan keep the energy levels sky-high throughout and manage to fully engage the crowd with completely, and amazingly, non-confrontational audience participation. No man could wish for more.
Morgan and West will be taking Bamboozlement to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival this year, where they will be appearing at the Gilded Balloon between the 5th and 31st of August, at 5pm. If you’re planning to go to Fringe then you might as well put this information into your mobile now. You will not be disappointed.
More info at www.morganandwest.co.uk