Magic
Chichester Festival Theatre
until 16th May
Even when it’s a trick,humanity loves the unknown, the unexplainable and the mysterious.
David Haig’s magical masterpiece is an emotional exploration into spirituality and cynicism, from two of history’s greatest minds. Based on a true story, Magic sees the blossoming of an unlikely friendship between British wordsmith Sir Arthur Conan-Doyle (Haig) and the (Hungarian-born) American illusionist Harry Houdini (Hadley Fraser). One created the most popular detective series of all time in Sherlock Holmes, the other a world-renowned showman and escape-artist.
Fascinated by each other’s work, their first meeting sees them put the boxing gloves on to engage in a friendly sparring match. As they swap blows, one can’t help but compare this physical altercation to the battle they face throughout the story, as they share heated exchanges of their passionate views on spirituality from two opposing sides of the coin. Houdini deals a late unexpected hammerblow to the gut, foreshadowing the final act of the play where he attempts to deconstruct Doyle’s entire outlook on life with a near-brutal finale.
Haig’s story takes the audience on a thought-provoking journey. With the loss of Doyle’s son and Houdini’s mother, both characters are carrying inexplicable grief with them. Doyle’s connection to spirituality sees him advocating mediumship and connections to the afterlife, whereas Houdini deals in “truth” and “facts”, debunking over 200 Séances in an attempt to expose ill-willed psychics, claiming he wants them to be true just like Doyle, but refuses to believe without irrefutable evidence. It leads the audience to question, not only the validity of spirituality, but what it actually means to people, and whether it is a powerful force for good or bad, regardless of its validity.
Despite the deep philosophical nature of the script, there are many simple moments of joy and wonder consistently throughout the show. Dazzling magic tricks are staged to the audience as Houdini performs his acts to the crowd, from walking through a brick wall to conjuring gold necklaces from flames, there’s more than enough wonder to delight fans of a little magic. For those who like spine-chilling shivers, a thrilling séance takes place that had me on the edge of my seat. Despite their strong disagreements, the friendship between the two protagonists and their wives is full of genuine humour, love and respect for the vast majority of the story, which the small but effective cast deliver with excellence.
Haig portrays Doyle with intellect and deep emotional intensity, it’s hard to imagine anyone else in the role. When he is led to believe he has made contact with his late son, his sincere breakdown of overwhelming joy on stage nearly brought me to tears. Hadley Fraser plays Houdini as a charming, robust yet arrogant star who is so strong-willed and equally impressive, that you can’t help but feel swept away. Jenna Augen brings hatfuls of humour as Bess Houdini and Claire Price plays the sincere and devoted Jean Conan Doyle. The four of them together were superb.
The production itself was stunning, with a huge projected backdrop reminiscent of the silent films Houdini himself may have starred in to set the scene. The beautiful revolving floor of the Chichester Festival Theatre never fails to impress me, and one particularly enjoyable moment was when the entire cast and majority of the set itself was pulled out of a magic box in the middle of the stage to begin the second half of the show; creative, quirky, fun and skillful. The live upright piano being performed in full view of the stage was also a delight and added a taste of vaudeville showmanship to the soundscape and setting.
I left the theatre feeling inspired, with a heavy-heart, a mind full of wandering thoughts and a spirit that had been fully entertained by David Haig’s superb script and delivery. The car journey home was full of profound reflective conversation about what we just witnessed. This is live theatre worth its weight in gold.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Reviewer: Stephen Sheldrake
Photo: Manuel Harlen