Last spring was a memorable one for many Brits thanks to Henry Lewis and Jonathan Sayer. For six weeks, the creators of the global hit The Play That Goes Wrong and the BBC series presented a brand new and incredibly mind-blowing comedy of Mischief Theatre MIND MANGLER: MEMBER OF THE TRAGIC CIRCLE in the West End.
Mind Mangler ran at the Apollo Theatre in London from 14 March 2024 to 28 April 2024 and gave the audience a lot of laughter, bright emotions and unforgettable impressions. It was real magic, bordering on silliness and even chaos, but this event definitely left no one indifferent. The audience was immersed in a play in which a self-proclaimed mentalist tried to read their minds. He acted confidently when trying to guess someone’s name or read the mind of the person sitting opposite him. And he did a pretty bad job. But that made it even funnier!
Why is it worth paying attention to the new show?
Mischief founder Henry Lewis is a Mind Mangler, while Stooge is played by his partner Jonathan Sayer. They were both Olivier Award winners for The Play That Goes Wrong, and they also created such unforgettable masterpieces as Peter Pan Goes Wrong, Magic Goes Wrong, The Comedy About a Bank Robbery, and Lights! Camera! Improvise! Mischief Movie Night. So when buying tickets to The Mind Mangler, few had any doubts that the next two hours would be fun and memorable. The performances were directed by Hannah Sharkey. The creative team also featured set designer Sara Perks, costume designer Roberto Surace, lighting designer David Howe, sound designer Helen Skiera and video designer Gillian Tan.
By spring 2024, Mind Mangler had already managed to hold a sold-out UK tour. It even made an appearance in New York, although not entirely successfully. And no one knows when they will take the stage again to perform more feats of mentalism and mystery. Nobody knows if there will be another tour. However, after last year’s stunning success, not only the British, but also people from other countries want to be part of this performance and are eager to get to this magical show with a touch of illusion and silly jokes.
The Mind Mangler is not just a comedy, but a constant interaction with the guests, thanks to which the viewers were able to learn the strange habits or dark secrets of those present, which the hosts revealed. At the same time, each show was absolutely unique and unlike the others, which makes it even more valuable and amazing. Reviewers who attended the show on the previous tour, as well as people familiar with Theatre’s work, warned that you need to prepare to be amazed.
What did the reviewers say?
Audience participation in a hilarious two-man solo show is nothing new, but the way the creators do it is worth seeing at least once! And here’s what various reviews had to say about this production.
Almost all reviews gave it five stars and stated that it was hilarious, mind-bending, and grippingly funny. Commentators warned that you’ll be laughing non-stop because of the great comedy combined with old-fashioned magic.
Alice Mainwood, leaving her review on Varsity, admitted that she is a big fan of Mischief Theatre. The author claims that Henry Lewis and Jonathon Sayer are geniuses, so Mind Mangler: Member of the Tragic Circle is undoubtedly made in their style and spirit. It is exactly what you expect from them. Their playing is both simple and ingenious. The performance is divided into several parts, which are short sketches and tricks, some of which are very impressive. As expected from a Mischief lover, the reviewer was very pleased with all of the show’s scenes, although she noted that some viewers felt uncomfortable as they had to interact with the cast.
There is no way to go without criticism
Despite its great success and recognition, Mind Mangler: Member of the Tragic Circle still received its share of criticism. But in any business it takes place, as it helps us to improve and not stop on the path to perfection.
Matt Wolf of the London Theatre was not entirely happy with the large number of sexual references, as many of the audience members came with children. In addition, it was noted that the Mind Mangler is suitable for children over 10 years old, accompanied by an adult. It seemed to him that sometimes such jokes had no limits.
Among the shortcomings, Alice Mainwood pointed out that the performance is better and more confident when both actors are on stage. She noted that people laughed more when the character of Jonathon Sayer appeared. But this does not mean that Henry Lewis did a bad job.
However, the main criticism from Mischief fellows is that the play has an interval that interrupts the funny sketches, and that the two-hour show ends too quickly, once the audience has entered the hall and taken their seats.
