EDINBURGH 2014 - BWW Reviews: MORGAN & WEST: PARLOUR TRICKS, Pleasance Dome, July 31 2014

What sets Morgan and West apart from other magicians gracing the Fringe this year? According to the men themselves, "Better waistcoats, better facial hair....and time travel!" As seen on ITV's Penn and Teller: Fool Us, the eponymous double act are Victorian gentleman magicians, evoking not just a awe and applause for their tricks, but also some great comedy, as they bring a sense of a more civilised age to a modern audience.

Their latest show sees them welcoming audiences into their parlour for an hour full of paradoxes and prestidigitation, as we see them experimenting with time travel and then having to fix some of its unintended consequences. Where other magicians may just flow from trick to trick, much of the fun of this show is in the banter between the duo and the warm atmosphere it creates where laughs are as frequent as applause. It also proves that magic is as much about the showmanship and performance as it is about the trickery, with Mr Morgan in particular showing a gift for drawing out suspense.

There is plenty of audience participation and anyone sitting in the first few rows can expect to find themselves asked to assist with a trick at some point. Perhaps a slightly better balance of this could be found, as rather a lot of tricks relied on a single audience member confirming the veracity of a feat rather than letting the whole audience see for themselves. I did find it a little lacking in more visual magic, compared to the sleight of hand that made last year's Fringe outing "A Grand Adventure" so delightful. However, there are still many marvellous moments of magic that must not be spoiled, and the finale in particular is excellent.

Parlour Tricks is a great show that the whole family will enjoy, as evidenced by the varied audience taking it in at the Pleasance, from men in suits catching a show after work to the little boy speculating in the queue on whether or not the debonair tailcoated illusionists ever wore trainers and normal clothes. I do hope not - it would, after all, rather ruin the magic!

Morgan & West: Parlour Tricks is on at the Pleasance Dome each day at 7pm until the 25th August.

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