Magic Goes Wrong, Liverpool Empire Review

Reviewed by Kim Bickerdike

Having previously watched The Play That Goes Wrong, The Bank Robbery That Goes Wrong and Peter Pan Goes Wrong, I was really looking forward to seeing the latest production by Mischief Theatre, especially after being stuck inside and away from the theatre for the last 18 months. The previous productions have left me in fits of laughter so I knew we were in for a treat.

Upon arrival at The Liverpool Empire we were greeted by the theatre staff who were checking our Covid vaccination status and taking our temperatures. If you haven’t been vaccinated you can also show proof of a negative Lateral Flow Test. There is also a new ticket system in place and these are now emailed out prior to the show, so I presented the staff with the barcode on my email and in we went.

We took our seats and noticed that the usual busy and atmospheric theatre was barely half full and can only assume this is down to some nervousness about being back in an enclosed space. Having being checked at the front door, we felt Covid safe and I would encourage everyone to give the theatre a visit.

The show started and we were introduced to Sophisticato played by Sam Hill who is holding a charity magic fundraiser in his late father’s memory. He has roped in some fellow ‘magicians’ and acts to perform at the fundraiser including The Mind Mangler played by Rory Fairbairn, The Blade played by Keifer Moriarty and Eugenia played by Valerie Cutko. There isn’t much of a plot other than each act taking to the stage to perform and as you would expect from the title they all go wrong in some way.

I didn’t feel this was up to the usual standard of the productions I have seen from the Mischief Theatre but there are plenty of funny moments and momentum builds throughout the performance. Some of the highlights were the faulty lighting across the top of the stage which periodically spells out something daft or a bit rude, The Blade who claims to not feel any pain yet ending up in what can only be described as many painful situations and the ‘sawing a woman in half’ act which we knew was going to go wrong but did not go how I expected it to and was a great and funny end to the first half.

My favourite part of the show was the interaction with the audience. This was peppered throughout the whole show but was particularly good in the scenes featuring The Mind Mangler. The Mind Mangler had 5 talents, one of which was mind reading and he involved the audience with all his acts which was very funny, but be warned, if you have seats at the front of the theatre it is likely that you will be roped in to participate and will have to shout out your name, your profession or pick a card. The audience were all laughing along with these scenes and I think this would have been even funnier had the theatre been full.

Overall, this is my least favourite of the shows I have previously seen but would recommend for families who are looking for a fun night, full of slapstick comedy at the theatre. It was great being back at the theatre and I’m looking forward to many more trips in the future.

Rating: 3.5/5

Tickets cost from £13.00 plus a transaction fee of £3.65

For more information or to book tickets, please visit Magic Goes Wrong Tickets | Liverpool Empire in Liverpool | ATG Tickets.

Liverpool Empire, Lime Street, Liverpool, L1 1JE