Neil Henry: Mindwangler

Magic has made a real comeback in recent years. From multiple prime time TV shows to West End runs and Hollywood blockbusters, the genre has been brought up to date by the likes of Derren Brown, hip-hop street magician Dynamo and indie darling Jesse Eisenberg in the Now You See Me films. Neil Henry seems like someone who preferred it before things got too cool. In a bow tie and sparkly jacket and armed with some cheeky banter (“I'm thinking of a number two...”), he's an old school entertainer.

It's certainly all good fun, and is warmly received by this afternoon family crowd. The tricks are variable. There's a nice opening with an unpredictable Polaroid camera, but as the show goes on there are a few thinly transparent switches that stick out. It's awkwardly staged, too. Most of the set involves close-up reveals that are only really evident to the front few rows, with the rest of us taking their word for it. The jokes are pretty cheesy, though he's a natural with the kids and gets more genuine laughs when improvising off script.

The show only really comes to life in the final 15 minutes, with all the best bits held back until last. Avoiding any spoilers—though it includes a penchant for canned goods—Henry makes it count with an impressive final trio of tricks. All three are more visual and on a grander scale, involving the whole audience and finally “mindwangling” us all.