Review: IMPOSSIBLE, New Alexandra Theatre Birmingham, February 16 2016

Fresh from its hugely successful run in the West End, Impossible is a brand new stage spectacle featuring six of the best magicians and illusionists that this country has to offer. From death-defying stunts to close-up magic, the show manages to strike the perfect balance in scale and has the audiences enchanted and on the edge of their seats for the whole two and a half hour show.

I have always had the personal opinion that, to be believed, magic should be conducted in an intimate setting where there is nowhere to hide. Impossible is the complete opposite of this (being in a large auditorium) but still works brilliantly; plus it enables increasingly elaborate stunts to also be conducted. For the more close-up and sleight of hand magic, there are cameras capturing the action in close proximity to the performers. This is then projected as a live feed onto Andrew D Edwards' grungy, urban set in a variety of ways, as well as on smaller plasma screens around the theatre. Howard Harrison's lighting brings everything to life and masterfully supports the illusions from start to finish, along with the music by Ryan Martin which is perfectly matched to the audience's emotions.

There is a loose thread tying all of the trickery together which focuses on the history of magic and recreating some of the most iconic stunts by all-time greats such as Harry Houdini. All of the performers have different specialisms but with one common link: showmanship. On top of their skill sets, they are all pure entertainers of whom you cannot help but be in awe. Here we have Magical Bones, Chris Cox, Jonathan Goodwin, Ben Hart, Josephine Lee and Lee Thompson.

Having seen the TV show Killer Magic, I was already particularly aware of Ben Hart's work and style. I also was fortunate enough to see his last solo touring show which really was up close and personal with the audience in a small studio space. He is an incredibly captivating performer but I was intrigued as to how he would fare in a line-up of other illusionists. Ultimately, he stole the show for me; even amongst the 'being set on fire in a straitjacket' type tricks. This is not to say I'm blasé about such an illusion as Jonathan Goodwin gives a phenomenal and charismatic performance when undertaking such a dangerous task. Another especially nail-biting moment involves a crossbow, a blindfold and an attractive young women holding items for him to shoot at! However, there is something extra surrounding Hart's persona which feels like he is from another era and therefore, his entire act is alluring.

Chris Cox's act focuses on mind-reading and his means of selection by throwing a snake cuddly toy across the stalls in one of his tricks, meant that it was impossible to know which audience member would be partaking. His energy and slight awkwardness is very endearing and his abilities are truly baffling. Hip-hop dancer/street magician Magical Bones is able to incorporate his diverse skills into his act and is also a great inclusion to the show.

You can tell Lee Thompson has been involved with Cirque du Soleil with his flair and easy interaction with the audience. At the top of the show, every audience member is given an envelope with 'TOP SECRET' written on it. Thompson later assists in enabling the crowd to partake in their own magic trick with quite an unbelievable result. Josephine Lee is only seen once and is seemingly underused but nevertheless, provides another sensational trick in front of your eyes.

A truly mesmeric evening at the theatre. Tense, exciting and joyous.

Impossible runs at the New Alexandra Theatre in Birmingham until 20th February and is currently touring until June 2016 with further dates to be announced.

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