The Magicians Table at The Vaults Waterloo Review
DISCLOSURE – TICKETS TO SEE THE SHOW WERE GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW
Reviewed by Debbie Kingsland
From the moment we walked in we were immediately transported to a world of magic. I’m not a massive magic or illusionist fan but this show changed my view within minutes. From then on we were mesmerised by the amazing skills of each of our entertainers. Twelve hours later and I am still in awe of the evening.
We arrived an hour before the main event where we were ushered to a bar type area with drinks and finger food. This is where our first encounter started. The magicians were greeting the guests and giving an overview of the evening and what to expect. One of the magicians got a group of us together to introduce himself and give us a snippet of his talents. He asked me to write the name of a person that I would have liked to have brought with me on a piece of paper and put in my bag. He then got a total stranger to shuffle a pack of cards and put them in four piles. He then asked the person to turn the cards over; each of the packs spelt out the initials person I had written and tucked away in my bag, just wow!
We were then asked to go into the main area and take our seats, there were about ten tables with eight people on each. On stage was a bust of Dieter Roterburg of which the show was in memory of. Dieter was a pioneer in the magic world and he began his career at Greenwood & Mears, the world’s longest running magic shop which is still situated in London’s Whitechapel today. It was whilst working here that he created his first sets of tricks which set his status within the magic community then performed whilst travelling the world before settling back in the UK where he created his own private theatre in London Bridge.
The evening then started with a different magician visiting each table for approximately fifteen minutes each to show some of their magic and illusions. Unlike a stage show each of us were encouraged to get involved and you saw close up how they each presented their sleight of hand, legerdemain and conjuring skills to name a few. Each of them were experts in their own right and I have no idea how coins and other items could be transported on to one of the guests without us being able to see the sorcery or indeed the individual feeling anything, the person next to me was asked to look under her Smart watch, as she did there was the coin. One asked if I had proof of my blood type, which I did. At the end of his act he then pulled out a card which had my blood type on it. A continuous gasp of amazement was uttered by us all throughout.
After the show we were invited back to the bar area where we could stay until 11pm meeting the rest of the magicians and enjoying more of their amazing skills. If, like me, you are sceptical about magic then you need to go to this show and it will change your mind totally. I’m actually contemplating another visit as it was such a fabulous experience.
Rating: 5/5
Book https://www.magicianstablelive.com/
Location – 4 minute walk from Waterloo station or 20mins from Blackfriars
The Vaults, 1 Lancelot Street, London SE1 7AD
(leave plenty of time as it’s not the easiest place to find)
Accessibility – Step free but tables and seating are very close together
Ticket prices – from £64 – VIP and Premium
Show is two and a half hours with a short break
Show times – Various show times from 1pm and 2pm, 5pm and 8:30 pm on weekends and Monday to Friday 7:30 pm.