★★★★

“A captivating show, with lots of twists and turns”

You might always imagine having that one chance of a big break but when things go a bit awry and you’re found in a bit of a muddle, you might just have to improvise and convince people to make it work. This is somewhat the situation Magic Alan (Gregor Roach) faces.

Presented by Three Fiends Theatre and produced by Natasha McAteer for Lambeth Fringe, we are taken on a journey of a magician in the making who’s a dab hand at magic tricks… or we could say he may need a little more practice! Scenes begin to play out as mysterious and fun but, then go on to explore other elements of storytelling, that can end up taking a sinister turn of demonic events, which is not exactly what Alan had in mind for such an important event.

Nicole Austin-Paige’s brilliant direction paired with Beth Beaden’s excellent script brings the production to life, however there is also a lot more brought to the table such as musical interludes of different genres for all to enjoy, including pop, disco and jazz. Robert Glass’ vibrant and atmospheric lighting design is also a triumph as it depicts different characterisations and personalities throughout. The set design is how you would imagine if you’d just walked into where there’s a magician ready and set up. Small, unique and whimsical.

The standouts are the actors themselves who double up as different characters and captivate the audience with ease. Gregor Roach (Alan/Glen) has perfect comic timing as Alan and has swift transformations to Glen. He is a marvel at switching personality and his continuous fast paced energy is to be highly praised. Natasha McAteer (Elaine/Mel) and Beth Beaden (Julie/Penny) deliver their roles with such precision. Natasha with her quirky personality, playing both roles, whilst being quite serious at times, blending in with the story and scene changes. Beth with her jaunty and charismatic portrayal of both characters.

Magic Alan is a lot of fun for everyone. A captivating show, with lots of twists and turns which puts the biggest smiles on your face both during and after the production. It’s certainly an unusual show with a turn of events for a magician which you’d probably be rather shocked to find in reality but then again it could be fun. Who knows?

THE DAUGHTER OF TIME

Charing Cross Theatre

★★★

“The whole thing ambles along like a Wolseley 6/90 – reliable, well-upholstered and stately in its way”

To the surprise of a modern audience, the NHS in 1950 apparently afforded a patient a spacious room, a brace of sassy nurses, use of the good stationery and endless weeks of convalescence – all for a broken leg.

Admittedly, the broken leg is attached to a bona fide hero – Scotland Yard detective Alan Grant (Rob Pomfret) who is bothered, bored and self-pitying, having acquired the injury in a failed chase.

At 50, he is staring down the barrel of an enforced retirement. What he needs is a challenge to prove his worth.

It arrives in the form of a postcard of Richard III. Is he the villain of Shakespeare’s imaginings or is he the most wronged monarch in history? Grant begins gnawing on the 400-year-old mystery, dragging in acolytes and helpers who indulge him for reasons that are never entirely clear.

In the meantime, the audience of M Kilburg Reedy’s adaptation of Josephine Tey’s classic novel has their own set of challenges.

Firstly, the staging. The bed which contains our hero is right at the back of the stage. Pomfret does some great head-and-neck acting but there are obvious audibility and distance problems. This timorous cowering becomes so pronounced that the actors appear to have a Pavlovian aversion to entering the 12-foot buffer zone at the front where most other productions would do their best work.

Secondly, there’s a lot to remember. Such is the extent of the exposition, characters end up reading from textbooks, dropping in long speeches about Plantagenet politics (where others might discuss the weather or the cricket) and pinning pictures on boards that we, the audience, cannot see.

The programme comes with a family tree which – what? – we’re supposed to learn before the curtain rises? Cue chilling flashbacks to history exams with cold sweat trickling down collective spines and key dates written in biro on shirt cuffs.

Thirdly, all this takes time. So much time that if you were to see all the plots and subplots laid out as a menu – including some Shakespearean romantic fandango – you might dispense with the minor dishes and opt for the classic main course/dessert combo and get the thing done. But writer Reedy will insist on you seeing the product of her thinking as she tussles with evident problems of staging a history lecture.

All this is not to say director Jenny Eastop’s production is not ultimately enjoyable. Time eases the last two of these problems. In the second act the questions become more focussed – did Richard III usurp the throne, and did he kill the princes in the tower? – allowing for some graspable curiosity to arise. And the problem of length, while not entirely dissolved, becomes less obdurate because the actors are earnest in their commitment to the production and reside in settings and costumes (Bob Sterrett) which are sumptuous.

Rob Pomfret as Alan Grant is solid; Rachel Pickup injects glamour into lovelorn actress Marta Hallard, inexplicably besotted with the curmudgeonly Grant; Noah Huntley has fun with closeted stage darling Nigel Templeton; and Harrison Sharpe – the Shaggy of this Scooby Doo gang – is lithe limbed and kooky as amateur investigator Brent Carradine.

Elsewhere the ensemble is curiously well-briefed about English culture and history but disguise their learning with a straight-faced charm.

The whole thing ambles along like a Wolseley 6/90 – reliable, well-upholstered and stately in its way. If time is not an issue, be assured, you will arrive at your destination eventually.

MAGIC ALAN

Golden Goose Theatre

★★★★

“A captivating show, with lots of twists and turns”

MAGIC ALAN

Golden Goose Theatre

Reviewed on 10th October 2025

by Emily East

Previously reviewed at this venue:

MAGIC ALAN

MAGIC ALAN

MAGIC ALAN

THE DAUGHTER OF TIME

Charing Cross Theatre

★★★

“The whole thing ambles along like a Wolseley 6/90 – reliable, well-upholstered and stately in its way”