We take a look at what is being said about this spin-off from Magic Goes Wrong…
London Theatre.co.uk: *** “Both performers have amiability to spare and can trade on familiarity with a crowd who greet them like the old friends that both Sayer and Lewis by this point are. You have to commend anyone (in this case, Lewis) who references the interval as “a highlight of the show”, and full marks to the most unexpectedly pointed political barb in the West End in years.”
Time Out: “Well, most of the audience seems to love it. The Mind Mangler tries and fails to predict our names, gets accidentally trapped inside a guillotine and has the questionable assistance of a hapless ‘audience member’ (Sayer). But things start to feel very repetitive. Long sections of audience participation are dragged out. There’s some tired attempts to ‘smell’ people’s professions. As the first act comes to a close, you can’t shake the feeling that there’s not much more we can get from an evening of jokes about failed magic.”
West End Best Friend: **** “The show is side-splittingly funny, it is well written and doesn’t dwell too long on certain jokes. As we have come to expect with Mischief shows the comic timing is impeccable.”
Everything Theatre.co.uk: **** “Sayer is impressively silly and speedy, playing multiple daft roles and popping up in different costumes around the auditorium. The relationship between him and Lewis is magic itself, as they navigate the precipices of corpsing, or together reveal Keith’s pathetic background story. The characters’ sadly dysfunctional friendship unexpectedly adds an incisive, warm and beautifully human element to the otherwise laughable narrative. They do say there’s no comedy without tragedy, right?”
First Night Magazine.com: “While staying truthful to the troupe’s style of humour, Mind Mangler manages to stand alone by preserving its originality all through the rendition. Of course there will be dirty jokes. And yes, you will be dealing with moment so stupid, it will make your first time look like a Greek philosophers’ gathering (wait a minute…).”
The Stage: *** “Mischief Theatre’s latest is silly, predictable but unarguably funny.”
There Ought to be Clowns: “A spin-off of a character from Magic Goes Wrong, Mind Mangler manages a canny balancing act between comedy and magic, mixing in a huge amount of audience participation (avoid the stalls if you’re shy and retiring) and technological wizardry with improvised riffing on the responses of the lucky few thrust into the spotlight. Plus there’s all the magic that goes wrong, as well as the magic that goes right.”
The Upcoming: **** “And yet again the Mischief team has written a comedic masterpiece. There isn’t a single joke that doesn’t meet their exceedingly high standards. Some audience participation bits could be tighter – but given the unpredictability, it’s still very well done.”
Broadway World: *** “Lewis does manage to steer the ship back on course with some sublime help from Sayer. The duo play out the theatrical subplot with all the confidence, consummate ease and superlative timing one would expect from this experienced partnership and their back-and-forth is the glue which keeps this production together. Much of the magic either happens in lightning bursts or takes forever.”
The Reviews Hub: *** 1/2 “While Mind Mangler: Member of the Tragic Circle isn’t a revolutionary or even particularly original production, it is well-scripted, well-performed and very funny.”
Theatre & Tonic: ***** “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.”
The Spy in the Stalls: **** “It takes great charisma to successfully portray a character who has no charisma. Just as it takes great talent to convincingly depict the talentless. This pair have it in spades. Lewis is imposing yet relaxed. Quick witted, he is a master at reading his audience (though evidently not their minds) and reacting with finely honed improvisatory skills. Sayer emerges from the auditorium as a planted audience member, making much of this concept throughout.”
Theatre Weekly: ***** “With a clever script and slick staging, Henry Lewis works the crowd like a Las Vegas stalwart, and Jonathan Sayer provides all the ammunition required to make Mind Mangler a blast.”
Lou Reviews: *** 1/2 “Lewis is a master of timing and the tragic (in both senses of the word), and his Mind Mangler‘s woes are hilarious.”
All Things Theatre: ***** “In conclusion, “Mind Mangler: Member of the Tragic Circle” is a must-see theatrical extravaganza that delivers laughs, thrills, and surprises in equal measure. With its masterful comedy, ingenious audience interaction, and seamless integration of illusion and technical elements, it’s a show that appeals to audiences of all ages. Don’t miss your chance to experience the magic – grab your tickets now and prepare to be amazed!”
Fairy Powered Productions: ***** “Henry Lewis rattled off his performance with just a touch of magic but this a show that “goes wrong” and it goes wrong in such a clever way. With the Mind Mangler soon going from pompous to irate as the tricks go wrong and things begin to fall apart. Beware audience participation and the shovel-nosed guitar fish! But there’s a lot of heart and poignant moments in the midst of the hilarity. And at the heart of the it, this show is about friendship.”
Theatre Cat: ” We just kept on laughing, my millennial companion and I and some 700 hundred others, just as I did nearly eleven years ago when Mischief first flowered. That’s valuable, more than ever after the Covid years. Mischief have done the state some service, and we know it. Here’s to them.”
Mind Mangler: Member of the Tragic Circle continues to play at the Apollo Theatre until the 28th April. You can also book tickets via London Box Office, From the Box Office, London Theatre Direct or Love Theatre.com.