Will the comedy genius juggernaut that is Mischief Theatre ever put a foot wrong? (Not that juggernauts have feet).
Henry Lewis as The Mind Mangler and Jonathan Sayer as The Stooge | Photo © Pamela Raith Photography
The company, which has essentially taken over the comedy theatre scene, firstly with The Play That Goes Wrong (which has already been touring for ten years, would you believe), Peter Pan Goes Wrong and personal favourite The Comedy About a Bank Robbery, now comes to Bath at the end of a successful tour from New York and London with its latest bonkers rib-tickler Mind Mangler. And yes, it’s another doozy.
Mind Mangler is a much smaller affair than the previous productions, being a two-man show – not including busy-but-mute cameraman Percy, played energetically by Tom Wainwright.
The eponymous main man is an attention-seeking fusion of magician, mind-reader and medium, played with hilarious pomp and smugness by co-author Henry Lewis, who sounds like Michael McIntyre and behaves like Toast of London.
He takes us through a bewildering number of acts with variable levels of success. Many involve interaction with the audience – cue much nervousness in the stalls every time the house lights ominously go up – but usually when someone is called up on stage, it is the Stooge (another co-author Jonathan Sayer, or hopeless Dennis from the Goes Wrong shows) playing different audience members very poorly.
As expected, Sayer wrings every drop of incompetence and anxiety out of this role, but also gets to take the spotlight on those rare occasions when the Mangler allows. The chemistry between the two is electric and allows for much riffing during the two hours.
The acts themselves are a mix of hopeless and surprisingly adroit, and in this way it’s a highly impressive departure from their usual everything-goes-wrong formula.
Much of the magic is beautifully handled, and there was much debate afterwards about whether the audience members being mind-read were “plants”. It seems they must be, but an insider from the theatre has confirmed they are not. Mind suitably blown.
Amongst all this are running gags, with the Quick Fire Jesus series being a real favourite, and audience participation reveals some surprising things, such as the existence of the yellow-bellied sapsucker (apparently a Canadian woodpecker). And a plot with a real human story is injected into Act Two, which takes the show up another level. What really happened to the Mangler’s mysterious agent Bob Kojak?
This is two hours of endless laughter, pausing briefly for moments of poignancy amongst the mayhem. It’s a total treat and should be made instantly available on the NHS.
Another total triumph from Mischief Theatre which brought the audience to their feet. Just see it.
Mind Mangler is showing at Theatre Royal Bath until 16th June. Box office: 01225 448844.
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Reviewer: Steve Huggins
