Now You See It...Now You Dont!
John Archer
Walker Theatre
Sunday March 1st 2020
It wasn’t a full Walker Theatre that awaited the comedy Magician John Archer. One of the very few magicians to fool Penn And Teller and with his doing so well on Britain’s Got Talent, the audience were looking forward to being both mystified and entertained and by the reaction at the end of his show? He did please the Shrewsbury Crowd.
Resembling a cross between Paul Shane and Winston Churchill, John uses a bare stage apart from 2 small prop tables and a microphone and mic stand in the middle ground and that describes the aesthetic more or less. The stage looked a little big for such a small act and maybe he may have benefitted by bringing the legs (curtains) forward and lessening the depth of the stage. He did appear a bit lost in the space as magic acts benefit from a more intimate setting where the magician works to build your trust before he utterly fools you.
Interspersing his tricks with humourous remarks he was very amusing, not as the poster claims , “Hilarious Fully,” Derren Brown…one or two may beg to differ on hilarious or maybe it doesn’t take too much to make Darren laugh, but his comedy was innocuous enough and very funny at times. He is a quick witted man and some of his throwaways were funny. You think, “Hey I might like a pint with this guy,” and then he works his magic on you and you are completely boggled.
The show didn’t seem have quite as much magic for your buck as other magic shows might give you. Admittedly one hasn’t got much to compare it against. If that is the standard amount of tricks per minute: there wasn’t enough. Sometimes the introduction dragged on a little too long and he and the audience lost a little focus and often the frame for the trick or “the setting,” could be more engaging certainly they need to be shorter. A couple of tricks took so long to introduce one forgot what it was he was setting out to achieve.
John Archer is a good magician, he is likeable on stage corny jokes notwithstanding he is fascinating to watch. They know they can fool you, you know you are being fooled but cannot work out how and that,to quote Mr. Paul Daniels…Is Magic.
It is a long and lonely furrow that John Archer treads and one is sure he will be around forever more and it is wonderful to see variety still alive and selling tickets, more power to his elbow.
This is a Three Star Review
Owen J.Lewis
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Owen Lewis Owen Lewis was born fifty something years ago in the land of the black puddings. For the geographically challenged that is in Lancashire. Moving to Shropshire From 1970 Owen was brought up in Church Stretton. His first real job was in radio. After starting on BBC Radio Shropshire he became known on Marcher Sound, broadcasting throughout the North West for several years. After a university degree course in Theatre, Owen became an actor and went on to play "Pirate Bill" in The Alton Towers Hotel. He also made several television appearances. Returning to university he took his PGCE enabling him to teach. That saw him on the Essex coast as a drama teacher and latterly as a Creative Educational Liaison Officer making films and creating new teaching methods to employ on children in need of more help in their fundamental learning skills. Three times Published playwright Owen ultimately wants a house boat in Amsterdam to focus on his work as Playwright and Poet. See more on www.ojlwritingservices.co.uk. |
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