This week saw the west end debut of mischief’s new comedy mind mangler, at London’s Apollo Theatre, following a successful run at Edinburgh Fringe Festival, written by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields and directed by Hannah Sharkey
Fans of Mischief Theatre who have created hilarious masterpieces including Peter Pan Goes Wrong, Christmas Carol Goes Wrong, Comedy About A Bank Robbery and Groan Ups, also the creators of the Global Smash Play That Goes Wrong and BBC series The Goes Wrong Show, can expect a two-hour show filled with nonstop laughs and mind-bending silliness, it’s a two-act show with some audience participation, so if you would rather watch and not take part, avoid the first five rows!
Photo Credit : Pamela Raith
Mind Mangler Member of The Tragic Circle Review
Neva went along to watch West End’s Mind-bending New Comedy, she’s a Mischief fan, and here’s what she thought of The Mind Mangler…..
Mischief is once again taking theatre by storm with this amazingly ridiculous performance.
Starring original company members Henry Lewis as the intensely comedic mind mangler member of the tragic circle, alongside his often hapless yet loyal stooge, Jonathan Sayer, this mind melting mess of chaos will leave you roaring with laughter.
Photo Credit : Pamela Raith
Fans of The Magic Goes Wrong show will have already met the mind mangler in these performances.
Here he is the centre of the show, aiming to pull off even more impressive feats than what’s already been seen. Baked into humorous mishap, the show effortlessly mixes the chaotic brand of mischief theatre with genuinely impressive magic, leaving you on the edge of your seat to see if the mind mangler can truly pull off his tricks.
The performance is heavily interactive, particularly for those in front rows, as audiences are invited to take part in some truly magical mischief, the mind mangler
will attempt to know all, your secrets, your name and your jobs, all with varying success.
Photo Credit : Pamela Raith
The creative genius of Henry Lewis, Henry Shields and Jonathan Sayer, once again offers some surprisingly heartfelt moments alongside the mess on stage.
Focusing on the strain and friendship present between the mind mangler and his planted audience member housemate, the show offers a genius look behind the curtain into people trying to put on a good show and in doing so creates a
truly brilliant performance.
The performance is incredibly impressive, stage crew gets to work in the unique position of setting up a show to intentionally go wrong and they do it spectacularly.
Photo Credit : Pamela Raith
The show also utilises portable cameras streamed onto stage to allow the whole audience to properly see and partake in the audience interaction, meaning no one misses out on some brilliant moments.
It goes without saying that Henry Lewis and Jonathan Sayer are terrific, both in effortlessly playing their roles and creating comedy in the audience work and improvisations throughout.
A highlight of the performance I had the pleasure of seeing included a young audience member calling for the mind mangler to not be so mean, resulting in a humorous confrontation across the theatre between the mind mangler and the audience member.
Photo Credit : Pamela Raith
Moments like these allow for the show to create a unique and unforgettable experience for every audience and after all, isn’t that the true magic of theatre.
If you would like to see this hilarious new comedy The Mind Manglers hilarious feats of mentalism for yourself, head over to the Mind Mangler website or head to London’s West End Box Office at the Apollo Theatre to grab your Mind Mangler tickets.
But be quick as this new two-man show is a strictly limited six-week season and you wouldn’t want to miss this magic show like no other!
However if you don’t get a chance to see this guaranteed night of laugh in London, don’t panic as there is going to be a Mind Mangler Tour, UK Tour venues currently announced include Manchester, Cambridge, Birmingham, Hull, Milton Keynes, Liverpool and Bath.
Apollo Theatre Location : Shaftesbury Avenue, London, W1D 7EZ
Performance Times : Tuesday – Saturday 7.30pm | Saturday 2.30pm | Sunday 3pm & 7pm
Running Time : 2 hours including a 20 minute interval
Age Suitability : 10+ (Please note children under 15 years of age must be accompanied by an adult over 18 years of age.)
* Neva was provided with two tickets FOC to watch Mind Mangler at the Apollo Theatre, all thoughts and opinions are her own.