Mischief Theatre is known for the hysterical The Play The Goes Wrong and Peter Pan Goes Wrong, but they’ve now brought an offshoot to New York. Mind Mangler : A Night of Tragic Illusion is open at New World Stages off-Broadway and if you enjoy Mischief’s style of comedy (as so many of us do,) you’re sure to enjoy this.
Two of Mischief’s three founders, Henry Lewis and Jonathan Sayer, have created this magic show with a deeply comedic twist in which Lewis’ titular Mind Mangler attempts to perform acts of illusion. What results is an incredible combination of hilarious comedic bits with actual magic tricks that blow the mind. It’s also doubles as a satire of some illusion shows, in which a magician guesses easily predictable things or prompts the audience into thinking of an answer he wants. Sayer plays a laughably transparent audience stooge to further lampoon how some magic shows are performed. The finished product is a deeply clever balance of irony and admiration for the craft.
What surprised me was how impressive the magic tricks they pulled off were. It’s no surprise that Lewis and Sayer can pull off comedy, they’re both geniuses of the craft as they’ve demonstrated in multiple forums. And while some of the trick attempts “go wrong” or are fronts for a comedic bit, they also manage mind-boggling illusions. One of the bits in which the Mind Mangler guesses an audience member’s secret (voluntarily written down before the show) left my mouth agape with how specifically he correctly guessed. The big finale still confounds me, performed exquisitely by these full-time comedians.
The Mischief Theatre creators are brilliant at creating depth in their work. They often deliver more than just straightforward comedy, and Mind Mangler: A Night of Tragic Illusion is no exception. Not only will they get you cracking up with laughter, but they’ll drop your jaw with their astonishing illusions. What more could you want in a night out?