Magic Goes Wrong has opened at Cambridge Art Theatre.

Angela Singer reviews the show, which can be seen at the theatre until Saturday, August 21.

Dunmow Broadcast: Magic Goes Wrong can be seen on stage at Cambridge Arts Theatre.Magic Goes Wrong can be seen on stage at Cambridge Arts Theatre. (Image: Pamela Raith)


This is a clever show. It’s a spectacular. It has the atmosphere of pantomime. It’s a series of sketches with magic at the heart of each one.

The brilliance of it is that, as with true magicians, so many of the tricks that appear at first to go wrong, do actually work.

Dunmow Broadcast: Magic Goes Wrong can be seen on stage at Cambridge Arts Theatre.Magic Goes Wrong can be seen on stage at Cambridge Arts Theatre. (Image: Pamela Raith)

We see a woman fired from a cannon, a very tall lady sawn in half, card tricks and mind-reading.

This show is fun. It’s summer. This is a great way to return to live theatre.

Dunmow Broadcast: Magic Goes Wrong can be seen on stage at Cambridge Arts Theatre.Magic Goes Wrong can be seen on stage at Cambridge Arts Theatre. (Image: Pamela Raith)

It’s been a hard year and a half, we needed something to laugh at. Jokes are built on surprises and there are plenty here.

Presented by Mischief Theatre, this 'Goes Wrong' show has less slapstick and people falling through the scenery than others in the series, but it has plenty of tricks where people turn up in unexpected places, leaving the audience wondering how they got there.

There is plenty of magic that goes right.

Dunmow Broadcast: Magic Goes Wrong can be seen on stage at Cambridge Arts Theatre.Magic Goes Wrong can be seen on stage at Cambridge Arts Theatre. (Image: Pamela Raith)

The story, such as it is, winds round Mickey (Daniel Anthony), who has inherited his magic wand and his tricks from his late father.

He introduces Eugenia (Valerie Cutko), who glitters like a fairy godmother.

He is also compère to The Blade (Kiefer Moriarty), who gets impaled on knives and has bits of him caught in mouse traps.

Dunmow Broadcast: Magic Goes Wrong can be seen on stage at Cambridge Arts Theatre.Magic Goes Wrong can be seen on stage at Cambridge Arts Theatre. (Image: Pamela Raith)

Glamour comes from the athletic and balletic German twins, Spitzmaus (Jocelyn Prah) and Bär (Chloe Tannenbaum) who parody the role of the magician’s assistant.

There is a cameo appearance on film from Derren Brown who has donated his fee for this production to Great Ormond Street.

Plaudits must go to director Adam Meggido and movement director Ali James for a complicated show that flows.

Dunmow Broadcast: Magic Goes Wrong can be seen on stage at Cambridge Arts Theatre.Magic Goes Wrong can be seen on stage at Cambridge Arts Theatre. (Image: Pamela Raith)

And I loved the well-over-the-top set by Will Bowen, evoking Saturday Night at the London Palladium in its heyday and every game show you have ever seen. Everything sparkled.

With an extended run for the summer holidays, this is family entertainment at its best.

Dunmow Broadcast: Magic Goes Wrong can be seen on stage at Cambridge Arts Theatre.Magic Goes Wrong can be seen on stage at Cambridge Arts Theatre. (Image: Pamela Raith)

Dunmow Broadcast: Magic Goes Wrong can be seen on stage at Cambridge Arts Theatre.Magic Goes Wrong can be seen on stage at Cambridge Arts Theatre. (Image: Pamela Raith)

Dunmow Broadcast: Magic Goes Wrong can be seen on stage at Cambridge Arts Theatre.Magic Goes Wrong can be seen on stage at Cambridge Arts Theatre. (Image: Pamela Raith)

Dunmow Broadcast: Magic Goes Wrong can be seen on stage at Cambridge Arts Theatre.Magic Goes Wrong can be seen on stage at Cambridge Arts Theatre. (Image: Pamela Raith)

Dunmow Broadcast: Magic Goes Wrong can be seen on stage at Cambridge Arts Theatre.Magic Goes Wrong can be seen on stage at Cambridge Arts Theatre. (Image: Pamela Raith)

Dunmow Broadcast: Magic Goes Wrong can be seen on stage at Cambridge Arts Theatre.Magic Goes Wrong can be seen on stage at Cambridge Arts Theatre. (Image: Pamela Raith)

Dunmow Broadcast: Magic Goes Wrong can be seen on stage at Cambridge Arts Theatre.Magic Goes Wrong can be seen on stage at Cambridge Arts Theatre. (Image: Pamela Raith)

Dunmow Broadcast: Magic Goes Wrong can be seen on stage at Cambridge Arts Theatre.Magic Goes Wrong can be seen on stage at Cambridge Arts Theatre. (Image: Pamela Raith)

Dunmow Broadcast: Magic Goes Wrong can be seen on stage at Cambridge Arts Theatre.Magic Goes Wrong can be seen on stage at Cambridge Arts Theatre. (Image: Pamela Raith)