A magic show in the State Theatre is always an exciting thought. The beautiful venue lends itself very nicely to a show of pizzazz and flamboyance, which was exactly what Michael Boyd sought to put on with his magic/variety show ‘Circus of Illusion’. 

It was an entertaining show featuring a variety of illusionists, performers and acrobats. Host Idris Stanton provided the juggling and the laughs with a stand-up comedy and joke music act. Sarah Bloom also did a great job, wowing the audience with her acrobatics. However, the highlight of the show came from Britain’s Got Talent semi-finalist Sascha Williams who stunned with death-defying stunts at the conclusion of the first act. It was clear the audience wished he had a longer set as his stunts were outstanding and felt a little short in comparison to the rest of the show. 

Arguably, the show’s biggest flaw was being uncertain as to its audience. The two primary audiences for magic shows are families and adults looking to have a good time and it felt as though Boyd was trying to cater to both and risking potentially alienating the other group. Boyd brought two young children up on stage to help him with the magical act, which would have made the evening of those children, but this made the show feel a little too much like a children’s show. This would have been fine if it were marketed as such, but groups of adults attending may have felt a little lost. 

Similarly, some of the costuming seemed more geared towards adults/ a club-style atmosphere and felt less aimed at young children. This could have been a great children’s show or a great show for adults at a club or something similar but instead, it felt like Boyd was trying too hard to cater to which alienated both groups slightly from the show. 

Boyd’s tricks themselves were quite fun, traversing the typical array of illusions one would expect to find a magician’s repertoire. He was ably supported by dancers who surrounded him throughout the show, although I did find it slightly odd when he attempted some of the choreography without fully committing to it. Overall, this was a solid show that provides a fun day out for the family however, with some more thought given to its audience, I believe the show would benefit greatly. 

To find out more about Circus of Illusion, click here.

Rating: ★★★