EDINBURGH 2013 - BWW Reviews: MORGAN AND WEST: A GRAND ADVENTURE, Gilded Balloon Teviot, August 16 2013

A magic show with a twist, "Morgan And West: A Grand Adventure" features a duo of Victorian magicians on an epic quest in an era of hot air balloons, gentleman thieves and fantastic facial hair. Morgan and West make an endearing double act, adding plenty of personality to even the most classic of tricks, and it is their personalities that drive the story around which the show is structured.

Starting off with an excellent round of misdirection tricks, our heroes soon leap into the plot of the piece. Their "Book of Lies", the compendium that contains all of the details of their magical deceptions, has been stolen, and they must journey across Europe, through the hardships of yak herds on the train line and running out of tea, in order to get it back.

With a similar feel to the likes of "Around the World in Eighty Days", it is a fun way to give structure and character to a magic show, and allows them to earn plenty of laughs as they go, with many references to the nerdier side of pop culture thrown in for good measure. Along the way, there are tricks of all sorts, from escapology to mentalism, all skilfully performed to the delight of the audience.

In truth, the show didn't feel like a Fringe production, in that the performances, tricks and design would be quite at home in a large traditional theatre thanks to the excellent attention to detail. The fantastic sound design in particular deserves to be singled out, greatly adding to the atmosphere of the show as well as providing a few sound gags. The show is slick and polished, with the concept of magicians from a distant time of debonair civility successfully adding a charming style to the production.

Highly accessible to all, this is an excellent show for families, or for anyone who finds a childlike glee in being amazed by a well-performed magic trick. If you can conjure up a ticket for this spiffing adventure, the odds are you'll be left spellbound.

Morgan And West: A Grand Adventure is at the Gilded Balloon Teviot at 1615 until August 26th, and Morgan and West embark on a national tour this autumn.

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