Long before beloved plays and large-scale musicals took up residence in London’s grand theatres, these such venues played host to variety shows, bringing together music, dance, comedy, and magic in shows that thrilled the masses. After such a long period of darkness for our much-loved theatres, with only the ghost lights left on stage waiting for our return, variety returns to the heart of the West End with Wonderville: Magic and Illusion, delighting audiences with unbelievable illusions and mind-bending tricks. 

Prior to the pandemic, the Palace Theatre was home to the magical Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, so it is perhaps only right for it to be the temporary home to Wonderville with countless tricks and illusions up its sleeves. Hosted by mind reading mastermind Chris Cox, who appears throughout the show to perform himself and take part in other acts, Wonderville brings together six acts at the top of their game for a couple of hours of pure entertainment that will leave audience members of all ages gasping in surprise and wondering how on earth they made it all happen. 

Triple Magic Circle competition winner Edward Hilsum oozes class and elegance, effortlessly making doves and roses appear from nowhere and showing off a real skill for storytelling as he enchants a young audience member with a tale of a magical coin from his own childhood. He celebrates the importance of introducing children to magic and the arts, giving the audience experiences that they will hopefully never forget. Josephine Lee, the world’s leading female illusionist, earns many a gasp from the captivated audience as she uses the tales of how women through history with special powers were mistreated and hated as a backdrop for her grand illusions including disappearing acts that meet with rapturous applause. 

Magical double act Young & Strange earn some of the biggest cheers of the night with their genius mix of comedy and illusion, combining big tricks and a shared love of Siegfried and Roy, with classic jokes such as the taller of the pair Sam Strange hogging the limelight over the shorter Richard Young. With comedic flair, they pull off some of the world’s most famous illusions, such as slicing a women in half and magically making their assistants both appear and disappear, much to the delight of the audience. 

Mind reader Chris Cox amazes the audience with his skills, picking people from the audience randomly and picking details about their lives right from their minds; from their job titles, to their children’s names, to the music that is stuck in their heads and even the registration number of the car used to travel to the venue that evening. There is a wonderful sense of excitement with his every appearance on stage, a thrill of not knowing what he is going to do next and the buzz of his own excitement as a child in the audience volunteered his dad to appear on stage in a series of funny outfits. Special guest Magic Singh also impresses with his quick wit and clever tricks, inviting a young audience member onto the stage to help with a series of illusions. 

Whilst hula hooper Symoné shows off her talent, her short act feels a little bit shoehorned in between two larger magic acts and comes across as a filler more than a stand-alone act. Cameras are used throughout to project some of the more detailed sleight of hand tricks onto a screen, but this could have been done more for the benefit of the audience members further back from the stage in this vast venue. 

If you are looking for something different to enjoy in the West End and want something that will entertain the whole family, regardless of age, Wonderville really does have something for everyone. It is a shame that it has only been given a short run at the Palace. Something like this could really do well in a more permanent home, sprinkling its unique magic style over theatre land.

****’ Four and a half stars

Reviewed by: Rebecca Wallis

Wonderville: Magic & Illusion plays at the Palace Theatre until 30 August. To book tickets, please click here.

Please note this review also features on the Musical Theatre Lives In Me blog page.