★★★★

“it’s gaudy, funny and charming”

And for my final trick, I’ll let you in on the joke!

Hailing from the USA, Penn & Teller are magic’s favourite double act and Las Vegas’ longest running residency in history. They are celebrating the 50th anniversary of their extraordinary career with a show that promises brand new tricks and a healthy dose of slapstick comedy. Penn is the charismatic showman, leading audience interaction with irreverent off-the-cuff commentary. Teller is the silent and goofy trickster. Together, they let us into their world where reason and logic will be tested. We skirt to the edge of our seats. We laugh! But are we fooled?

Exiting the theatre, I overheard an audience member describing the show as a comedy act with magic – and that might just be the sum of it. You would expect the self-described ‘kings of magic’ to blow you away with an act that makes you truly question how it was pulled off. However, though some tricks will make you scratch your head a bit, the magic aspect of the show is surprisingly lack-lustre. The show consists of content we haven’t seen from them before, but the tricks themselves are not new – rather, they are repackaged, and their success relies on highly creative presentation. Maybe it’s unfair to expect something truly unique when reinvention is the true nature of the magician’s craft. This pair of magicians are celebrating fifty years of mastering theirs. If you are expecting someone to convince you that you are witnessing a new magic trick, you would expect it from performers with their level of experience – especially when they make that promise at the top of the show. To our disappointment, they fall short on that promise but that’s also the key to their brand identity.

The show is a spectacle with playful costumes, piles of confetti and lots of audience participation. Gradually it becomes clear that the aim of the show is not to trick your brain, but to use the magician’s craft to deliver a punchline with ‘the magician’ as the butt of the joke. That’s Penn & Teller. In this show, with grand promises of performing miracles, they draw your attention to the obvious deception of magic. As they have done in the past, they also sometimes explain the mechanics of a trick with a demonstration before performing it again on a larger scale with added obstacles. Penn & Teller are showmen who lean into the concept of the magician as the conman who never reveals his secrets. What makes them special is that they are honest conmen, so whilst their tricks might not be unique, they are. I am convinced that one of their tricks, which is performed as a means to prove that they don’t use stooges in the show, is ironically and purposefully their only trick that is actually pulled off with a stooge – which is hilarious! They have built their brand on persona and letting the audience in on the joke so we can all laugh about it. It’s gaudy, funny and charming – resulting in a decades long career that deserves celebration.

Penn & Teller deliver a roaring comedy act about magic – with magic. With deception in plain sight, they might just have you fooled. Do not miss this show and find out why Penn & Teller are the ‘kings of magic’.

SWAG AGE

Gillian Lynne Theatre

★★★★

“fiery, defiant, emotionally charged”

‘Swag Age in Concert’ bursts onto the stage, pulsing with Korean “heung” – infectious, collective joy. Fusing Joseon-era tradition with streetwise swagger, this Korean language musical rewrites history with rhythm and rebellious energy – even if it feels a little lost in translation.

Welcome to a reimagined Joseon Dynasty, where peace comes at the price of silence. Sijo – the poetic soul of the nation – has been outlawed by the elites, leaving the people voiceless. Enter the masked Golbin Gang, rhythmic rebels spreading sijo in secret. That is, until they cross paths with the freewheeling Dan, a rule-breaking prodigy who helps start a cultural revolution. But hidden forces are at play. Will the gang free the people? Or will their swag prove no match for state supremacy?

Produced by Song Hye Sun with book, music and lyrics by Park Chan Min and Lee Jeong Yeon, this is a musical unlike any other on the West End. Blending traditional Korean aesthetics with modern storytelling, ‘Swag Age’ brings sijo to new audiences and a new era. You could argue the main story beats have been done before: persecuted peasants fight oppression thanks to a scrappy resistance group. But it comes stirringly to life through the beautiful songs, layered plot and flawed characters, keeping humanity and art at the centre of the power struggle. Though some things go over my head, such as the peasants’ sudden change of mood in the opening song, Jono’s allegiance to the elites despite his huge secret, and some bulky exposition in the climactic scene. Though this may be in the delivery rather than the writing.

Lee Kyung-soo’s direction makes fantastic use of contrasts. The peasant scenes burst with camaraderie through playful cast interactions, cheerful lighting and harmonious staging, highlighting their strength in unity; meanwhile the court scenes are sombre, static and separate, hinting at their hollow power. The cast jumping into the audience cements this, proving the Golbin Gang are for the people! Still, the tiny subtitles tucked at the stage’s edge demand constant attention; for non-Korean speakers, it’s more reading than absorbing at times, and plot-heavy scenes suffer. Thankfully, the vividly expressive music and cast fill in some of the blanks.

Lee Jeong Yeon’s music and lyrics are a masterful blend of traditional Korean music with modern day genres including hip-hop and rap. There is a familiar musical structure, showcasing chorus numbers, ‘I want’ songs, and a sweeping finale; yet traditional Korean instruments and sijo proudly show its cultural origin. The music is very clever, connecting periods of varying intensity (including some very funny moments) with ease and flair. Kim Eun Chong’s choreography blends seamless with this, again mixing modern styles such as hip hop, street and acrobatics. The lack of movement in the court scenes highlights how lifeless the regime is.

For a ‘concert’, this production is pretty much fully staged! The beautiful lighting design (Lee Woo Hyung) adds an artful layer of storytelling, including wide diagonal spots, calming greens, colour pops and fan shapes. I especially love the dramatic closes to a single diagonal spot – simple yet striking. The sumptuous hanbok-inspired costumes situate us historically while retaining a modern flair. The sound design (Kwon Do Kyung) maintains the energy and the minimalist set design keeps the focus on the action.

The cast is stunning. Their “heung” shines through with passion and panache, complemented by spectacular vocals and dancing. Lim Hyun Soo’s Hongguk is a particular highlight, with a rich baritone voice and magnetic stage presence both striving and sincere. Yang Hee Jun’s Dan transforms from cocky youth to commanding force with every note of his powerhouse tenor. Kim Soo Ha’s Jin balances fierceness with fallibility, her tender vocals soaring into a defiant belt, heightening the tension of her situation.

‘Swag Age in Concert’ is a musical and cultural experience worth catching if it graces London’s stages again. Non-Korean speaking audiences might miss out on its full gravity, but the energy and artistry more than deliver in this fiery, defiant, emotionally charged production.

PENN & TELLER 50 YEARS OF MAGIC

London Palladium

★★★★

“it’s gaudy, funny and charming”

PENN & TELLER 50 YEARS OF MAGIC

London Palladium

Reviewed on 13th September 2025

by Lara van Huyssteen

Photography by Joan Marcus from performance at Radio City Music Hall

Previously reviewed at this venue:

PENN

PENN

PENN

SWAG AGE

Gillian Lynne Theatre

★★★★

“fiery, defiant, emotionally charged”

SWAG AGE

Gillian Lynne Theatre

Reviewed on 8th September 2025

by Hannah Bothelton

Photography by PL Entertainment

Previously reviewed at this venue:

Swag Age

Swag Age

Swag Age

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