Impossible (Noel Coward Theatre)

Harry 'Handcuff' Houdini toured Europe in 1900. 107 years before the first episode of Britain’s Got Talent, 105 years prior to the upload of the first magic video on YouTube and 82 years before the birth of TV magician Dynamo. So the question is, can a large scale, two and a half hour long, magic show still hold a West End audience that is far more cynical, spoilt for choice and immune to danger than they were 115 years ago?

The answer is yes, and no. In an apparent attempt to appease the West End theatregoing audience, Impossible attempts to marry magic with the kind of theatricality expected down the road at the Cambridge Theatre with Matilda and Co. A young boy discovers magic through the medium of his ancient flickering TV screen and embarks on a journey of discovery as the magicians he reads about come to life to teach him the tricks of the trade. It’s almost Charlie and the Magic Circle, and it’s very cheesy, which is not always a bad thing, but it does set the tone and tempo at quite a melodic and meandering pace.

The show shifts a gear after the interval, the child disappears which gives the performers a chance to perform out to the audience more and there’s a stunning trick by Luis de Matos involving the whole audience ripping up flyers ‘randomly’ to produce a truly magical moment.

The show’s two standout stars are undeniably the mind reader who can’t read minds Chris Cox and Jonathan 'Dangerman' Goodwin. Cox is a genuine comic talent and even if he can’t actually read minds, he can definitely hold a 1000 seat auditorium. There’s a rather pleasing moment of audience participation in the first half and opening the second half with the baffling ‘control Chris Cox’ is a great way to get the audience 'back in the room'. Goodwin provides several hide-behind-your-programme moments including a Houdini-esque straight jacket escape whilst on fire.

There are other pleasing moments from the show's other performers including Ben Hart's sleight of hand tricks and Jamie Allan's iPad manipulation, Ali Cook's water tank escape is truly impressive and a highlight of the show. Bizarrely, although billed as an 'explosive street magician', Damien O'Brien's only involvement comes in the opening montage, the whole of which desperately needs some work.

It's a shame that the show's only female magician Katherine Mills was missing from the line-up. The scantily clad magician's assistants do a stellar job of disappearing and being sawn in half by lasers, but without Mills the show has a distinct macho vibe.

Impossible is a two-sided coin pulled from behind a child's ear. At times it's hammy and slightly underwhelming, at others it's truly remarkable, if only it could cut itself in half and make the rest of it disappear.

IMPOSSIBLE runs at the Noel Coward Theatre until 29 August. Click here for more information and to book tickets.