Review: JAMIE ALLAN’S AMAZE, Marylebone Theatre

You’ve got to be pretty confident about your show to call it Amaze, and you've got to be even more confident to put your name right there in the title. Jamie Allan has done exactly that with Jamie Allan's Amaze, but does the title match the expectations it creates in its audience? The good news is it does. In fact, describing the audience as amazed might be something of an understatement.

Right at the start of the show, Jamie says there are usually two types of people in his audiences; the sceptics who want to know how it's all done and who see magic as a challenge to be solved, and the dreamers who just want to watch and be taken back to those first feelings of amazement they had as a child, seeing rabbits pop out of hats and flowers appear at the end of a wand. We definitely fall into the second category but by the end of Amaze, it felt as though even the sceptics might have been swayed that magic really could exist.

Amaze is a bit of a journey – before the show even starts, you’re transported, through video, graphics, and props on the stage, to the 80s, and that’s intentional. That’s when Jamie Allan first discovered magic, and it’s from here that his story unfolds because that’s the beauty of Amaze; yes, Jamie wants his audience to actually be amazed, but more than that, he wants them to be kids again, reliving that wonder and belief. That’s just one of the things that makes this show special.

Something else that makes the show special is the magic itself – it’s a blend of classic illusion and modern technology that brings the timeline right up to date. These modern touches aren’t just gimmicks either; they’re how Jamie first made his name, modernising magic for a 21st century audience, and they’re nothing short of spectacular.

The story that runs through Amaze is about Jamie’s childhood, his discovery and love of magic, and his parents – they’re a big part of the show, and it’s clear they were a huge influence on the magician. There’s something lovely about emotions that come through during the tricks, and the stories behind how each one came about, making the show much more than just some magic taking place on stage; it feels like a real journey, and by the end, you get to know who Jamie Allan is, seeing the man behind the albeit captivating stage-presence (although he’s not too flashy – this isn’t over the top and it’s not silly, which is definitely a plus-point).

If you love magic, if you want to go back in time to your childhood, if you want to watch a master at work, Jamie Allan’s Amaze is for you – dreamer or sceptic, you’ll have your sense of wonder rekindled and your belief in the impossible renewed.

**** Four stars

Reviewed by: Lisamarie Lamb

Jamie Allan’s Amaze plays at Marylebone Theatre until 24 August, with further info here.