It wasn’t just Penn and Teller’s first time at the London Palladium it was mine too as I jumped on a train to the capital to check out the Penn and Teller 50 years of magic show.
When I was younger I was quite the avid amateur magician, I’d pick up cheap tricks at magic shops and perform them for my family. Penn and Teller along with American TV in general was a staple of my household and growing up watching these two perform I had one goal in mind, to see them perform on stage one day.
I was hoping for a cheeky trip to Vegas to watch them in residency but lo and behold here we are and they’ve come to me! Thanks for that guys.
The beautiful palladium hosted these two powerhouse American magicians that stay away from the grand illusions and focus on more thought-provoking and close-up magic.
What I liked about Penn and Teller 50 Years of Magic was its ability to involve as much of the audience as humanly possible but it was also a somewhat niggling feeling I had as we were seated in the Grand Circle and the only people chosen throughout the entire show were around 20-30 people in the stalls.
Now I understand the logistics of asking people to come down from the higher seats is a pain in the ass but a simple trick that could involve someone shouting something out from the balcony or anything of the sort would have been nice, many people commented around us that we felt almost invisible (excuse the pun) to Penn and Teller and it was a shame that the WHOLE of the audience didn’t feel included or noticed that’s for sure.
But for those who were involved the tricks were as mind-blowing as they were unique. Well, some not so unique as a certain trick involving a monkey (not a real one) has been online for quite some time now after being performed for Jimmy Fallon on his infamous talk show.
As the jazz music plays throughout the show there’s a touch of class and familiarity to the routine, you feel at home, you’re laughing and joking and Penn and Teller have such a stage presence that it’s simply impossible to not be engrossed in everything they’re saying and then second guessing their next move.
The show flowed beautifully with the only mistake being a misspoken word (accidentally swearing) from an audience member that was quite funny as it’s completely off-script and usually those moments really are the best, especially if you’ve seen the show once or twice before.
Penn Jilette has this natural boisterous stage presence whilst Teller just keeps his lips sealed but delivers such comedy through his actions and facial expressions that from an audience perspective this particular show just seems a little, easy for them.
They’re effortlessly gliding through the performance, there’s no one big trick as such but more a well crafted and well rounded show that has quite the genius finale but once again, it just feels as though they’re going through the motions and after 50 years of performing I expect nothing less than a complex stage show full of a multitude of tricks and illusions to be delivered so easily and effortlessly by two legends of the magic world.
Out of two acts, I definitely thought the second act was the stronger of the two with only one particular illusion in the first act really delivering that bigger stage presence and pay off but the show is just an absolute joy to behold and it’s certainly more a celebration of their show at the Palladium rather than anything particular groundbreaking in terms of their act.
I genuinely loved the fact that the programmes were all signed and for £20 that’s an absolute steal in London for a signed programme from two prominent figures. If any representation, PR or even Penn and Teller themselves are reading this article that’s such a wonderful gesture and I really appreciated that very much. Not many acts do that here in the UK and you showed a real class and dedication just like hanging outside the stage door taking photos with people after a long show.
That speaks volumes, I was told to wait by stage door for a photo and my younger self would have done it in a heartbeat if only to tick off seeing his two childhood idols in the flesh for a photo but my now 34 year old self didn’t really want to bother these two gentleman after a show so I jumped on the tube and made my merry way home.
For anyone who loves the mechanics of showmanship, the philosophical itch of skepticism, or simply the pleasure of two performers at the top of their game, the Palladium run offers considerable riches.
It may not satisfy every craving for nonstop spectacle, but it does something rarer: it makes you think about why spectacle exists in the first place.
Highly recommend this one, 50 years of magic, happy anniversary to you both and here’s to many more years bringing joy and a little magic into a world that desperately needs some right now.
