Magical Bones: Black Magic ★★★★ Leicester Square Theatre | March 5, 2022

Many magicians rely on a lot of glamour and glitz to bamboozle their audience. Magical Bones presents his show in a very different manner. Here is an ordinary, down-to-earth person who simply does extraordinary things. And the tricks - some new, some older with a fresh spin - are all quite amazing. Bones keeps his audience enthralled from beginning to end, and he does so with his engaging personality, his low-key brand of humour, and some astounding illusions. There are delightful displays of legerdemain and escapology, and along the way, there are tributes to both Bones' personal and historical origins. We get a display of some of his superb breakdancing skills honed in his time as a street artist, and we are exposed to a couple of the great black magicians who inspired him. The story of Henry Box Brown is both moving and edifying. The respect he shows for his past also extends to his treatment of his audience. In his show, Bones depends a lot on their involvement and energy, but this is not just a stratagem to gain approval. He is never condescending and never treats participants merely as props. Indeed, it is this attitude that embodies the central message of the evening as Bones does more than seek to bring out everyone's capacity for wonder. The positive takeaway, particularly for the younger members of his awe-struck admirers, is that they can do, or be, whatever they desire. They may seem ordinary but have they have magic in them.

Rated: ★★★★

Reviewed by J.C.

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When, Where, Getting there:

• March 5, 2022
• Sat: 7 pm
• Leicester Square Theatre
• Nearest tube: Leicester Square
• https://magicalbones.com/