As the raptuous applause subsided, the protagonist of the show aka the loveable yet intelligently silly ring master, turned to us as a fellow creative, enthusiastically closed the show with a simple yet powerful sentence embodying exactly what these experiences mean to us:
“Thank you for returning to live theatre!†Cue even more applause and the odd tear of joy.
Sometimes the art of simplicity is much harder to craft, making complex scenes look easy or de-flowering unnecessary language. But not only were we all beaming under the veil of our masks this was an awesome return for us all to Leeds Grand Theatre.
Different in many ways but the same familiar awe of one of Leeds’ best loved venues.
In many ways it sums up this fantastical crafted piece of theatre which cleverly interlaces slapstick humour and magic show favourites whilst also managing to make fun of them yet remaining respectful and downright hilariously done.
It was the perfect warm welcome back into my favourite night out… theatre! And a bit of dancing at the end! It was a first for my eldest daughter first who may not have got all the ‘in’ jokes of old school magic, but the beauty is that there are so many layers of this light but skilful cake that Penn and Teller manage to bring they’re back with magical bang… just watch out for which way they fire the canon!Â
Magic Goes Wrong: Mon 30 Aug – Sat 4 Sep 2021
Olivier award-winning comedy favourites, Mischief, and magic legends Penn & Teller are set to cast a spell on Leeds Grand Theatre audiences from Mon 30 August to Sat 4 September with their first ever tour of Magic Goes Wrong.
Mischief’s biggest and most daring comedy catastrophe to date follows a hapless gang of magicians as they stage an evening of grand illusion to raise cash for charity. As the magic turns to mayhem, accidents spiral out of control and so does their fundraising target!
Mischief’s other West End successes include The Play That Goes Wrong, Peter Pan Goes Wrong, The Comedy About A Bank Robbery, Groan Ups and Mischief Movie Night. Their hugely successful six-part TV Series, The Goes Wrong Show, aired in the UK on BBC ONE and on Amazon Prime Video in the US, Canada and Australia. The show received a 2020 TV Choice Award nomination for Best Comedy and has recently been nominated in the Comedy category at the 2021 National Television Awards. Series two is currently in production.
Looking Good Dead: Mon 6 – Sat 11 Sept 2021
Cling to the edge of your seat: the world premiere stage production of Peter James’ Looking Good Dead is set to thrill Leeds Grand Theatre from Monday 6 to Saturday 11 September 2021.
Starring award-winning actor and EastEnders icon, Adam Woodyatt, and star of stage and screen Gaynor Faye (Emmerdale, Coronation Street, The Syndicate), Looking Good Dead is Peter James’s fifth novel to be brought to the stage and follows the hugely successful productions of The House on Cold Hill starring Joe McFadden and Rita Simons, Not Dead Enough starring Shane Richie and Laura Whitmore, The Perfect Murder starring Shane Richie and Jessie Wallace, and Dead Simple starring Tina Hobley.
Premise: No good deed goes unpunished… hours after picking up a USB memory stick, left behind on a train seat, Tom Bryce (Adam Woodyatt) inadvertently becomes a witness to a vicious murder. Reporting the crime to the police has disastrous consequences, placing him and his family in grave danger. When Detective Superintendent Roy Grace becomes involved, he has his own demons to contend with while he tries to crack the case in time to save the Bryce family’s lives.
This exhilarating evening will keep you gripped until the final chilling moments.
