Mind Mangler, Apollo Theatre Review
Henry Lewis in Mind Mangler: Member of the Tragic Circle at the Apollo Theatre, London: Photo: Pamela RaithWritten by Penny for Theatre & Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review.
Mind Mangler is the latest offering from Mischief Theatre, the brains behind smash hits The Play That Goes Wrong, Peter Pan Goes Wrong and TV’s The Goes Wrong Show. Basically, they are the experts at getting things wrong, with hilarious consequences. Their shows are a mixture of slapstick, farce and laugh out loud comedy as the actors attempt to put on a performance, only to experience mishaps with sets, props, costumes and, inevitably, the actors themselves.
The Mind Mangler was a character originally created as part of a previous Mischief show, Magic Goes Wrong, written by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields, in partnership with legendary American magicians Penn and Teller.
This new show centring around the Mind Mangler had its debut at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2022 and is now enjoying a short run in London’s West End ahead of a UK tour.
This is a tricky show to review without including major spoilers, but I’ll avoid them as far as I can so that its secrets aren’t given away.
Mind Mangler focuses on the one man (two person) show of the titular character – he’s warming up in London ahead of his dream gig, a Las Vegas residency. He’ll take us through his act, showing off his mentalist skills. There’s plenty of audience interaction. Before the show, we’re invited to write down a secret on cards provided and two or three will be selected at random during the show for its star to work out what’s on the card. There’s one obvious stooge who pops up at various times in the show (more on him later!), but I really couldn’t work out whether the other audience members were in on it or genuinely mystified. X Factor winner turned musical theatre performer Sam Bailey was one of the targets and her reactions to her guilty secret being exposed were fabulous.
The writing trio of Lewis, Sayer and Shields are core members of Mischief. They have written a cracking script, packed full of gags alongside the tricks and illusions that make up the Mind Mangler’s act. Magician Ben Hart is the show’s magic consultant and his expertise is clear in the impressive tricks. It could get dull if everything went wrong and the balance between clever and chaotic is spot on.
Offering a combination of mind reading, hypnotism, clairvoyance and death-defying stunts, admittedly there isn’t a lot here that hasn’t been done before in this sort of show. But a short recurring feature, Quick Fire Jesus, in which biblical miracles are recreated, is a great original touch that went down really well. The added brilliance in the show comes from the back story that we are given for “Keith” (the Mind Mangler’s real name). As well as his performance aspirations, we learn about his disappointing personal life so that alongside the belly laughs, there’s also a lot of heart and audience sympathy is very much on the side of this sad and rather lonely man.
Whether a trick goes right or wrong, director Hannah Sharkey pitches everything perfectly. The show runs at a great pace and it’s very slick, even when it’s apparently falling apart! She clearly understands the Mischief style and doesn’t miss an opportunity to bring out the comedy or the pathos in the fantastic script.
Henry Lewis plays the Mind Mangler. He builds an immediate rapport with the audience, interactions feel spontaneous and as his character’s frustration grows, he never crosses a line that makes people feel uncomfortable. He easily improvises when those audience interactions lead him down an unexpected path. Lewis also has fantastic chemistry with his Stooge, played by Jonathan Sayer. As the show goes on, we learn more about their relationship, and their professional conflict builds with every trick. Sayer also knows exactly how to work the audience. His character could be quite irritating in lesser hands, but Sayer easily manages to keep everyone on side as he injects real charm into his portrayal of the rather blunder-prone sidekick.
The Apollo Theatre is the perfect venue for this show. It’s a large space but somehow still manages to feel intimate and the sort of place where you’d expect to see a good, old-fashioned Vaudeville performance. Sara Perks has designed a simple but eye-catching set, and lighting (David Howe), sound (Helen Skiera) and video design (Gillian Tan) is all excellently timed and very effective.
Before and during the show, an accompanying soundtrack from regular Mischief collaborator Steve Brown sets the tone – it’s the sort of music you’d expect to go with a residency that isn’t quite Vegas. It’s just on the right side of cheesy but always adds to the atmosphere of excitement and spectacle. Sadly Steve passed away in February this year. This production is a fitting tribute to his enormous talent.
Everything about this production has been planned in meticulous detail. Some audience members will want to work out how the tricks are done. Others, like me, will be happy to just sit back and marvel at the highly entertaining “magic” of the various illusions. Whatever your preference, it’s a hugely entertaining couple of hours. You don’t have to have the Mind Mangler’s mentalist skills of premonition and mind reading to be able to predict a bright future for this massively enjoyable new addition to the Mischief catalogue.
Mind Mangler runs at the Apollo Theatre until 28th April and then tours the UK. Find out more here.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
