London may be the home of world-class theatre, but if it’s magic you’re interested in, you’d be hard pressed to beat the bright lights of Las Vegas. If you’ve ever seen one of the headline magicians performing a residency on the Strip, you may recognise some of the tricks and illusions featured in Now You See Me Live, which has opened for a summer season at the London Coliseum.
This family-friendly spectacle takes advantage of the brand recognition of the 2013 film starring Jesse Eisenberg. Aside from the title and visual branding, however, the connection is fairly loose. A handful of early routines reference heists, while the Horsemen promise to steal our attention rather than our wallets, but any narrative ambitions are quickly abandoned in favour of a succession of increasingly ambitious illusions, ranging from intimate card tricks to dangerous feats of escapology.
Fortunately, Now You See Me Live doesn’t suffer from the absence of a plot, nor does it make the mistake of trying to recreate the film on stage. Instead, it succeeds on its own terms as a slick, highly engaging evening of magic. Audience participation inevitably plays a significant role, but unlike some productions that lean too heavily on crowd interaction, it enhances the sense of excitement rather than interrupting the flow of the show.
Matthew Pomeroy serves as an affable compere throughout, introducing his fellow Horsemen while demonstrating some impressive mind-reading abilities of his own. Andrew Basso channels the spirit of Harry Houdini through a series of nerve-shredding escape routines that generate genuine tension in the auditorium, while Enzo Weyne and Gabriella Lester deliver some of the evening’s most visually striking illusions, combining technical precision with considerable stage presence.
Alongside the four Horsemen is Britain’s Got Talent finalist Rafferty Coope, whose role initially feels like that of a warm-up act. Yet his youthful charisma and enthusiasm prove infectious, quickly winning over the audience and setting the tone for the evening. Although he reappears throughout the show, Now You See Me Live could have made even greater use of his natural charm and energy.
The production also features a rotating line-up of guest performers appearing alongside the Horsemen. At this gala performance, Eden Choi delighted the audience with dazzling sleight of hand and what appeared to be an endless stream of cards materialising from his fingertips. Fraser Penman, meanwhile, brought a welcome sense of unpredictability with an audience-centred routine that had much of the Coliseum hanging on his every word.
The Act One finale, which I have previously seen performed by Shin Lim during his residency at The Venetian in Las Vegas, remains genuinely astonishing. Not only does it involve the entire audience, it sends them into the interval buzzing with excitement, eagerly debating what they have just witnessed. It is in moments like this that Now You See Me Live truly excels. The production creates a shared sense of wonder, bringing hundreds of strangers together through collective disbelief without ever making that participation feel forced.
The format itself does not stray far from the template established by other magic shows that have passed through the West End in recent years, but it is elevated considerably by its presentation. Hugo Mercier Bosseny’s lighting design gives the production a contemporary edge, bathing the stage in a world of mystery and anticipation, while Evan Duffy’s pulsating score keeps the tension simmering throughout.
Combined with a charismatic cast and a succession of genuinely jaw-dropping moments, the result is a show that understands exactly what its audience wants. While Now You See Me Live follows a well-trodden path, and seasoned magic fans may recognise some of the illusions on display, it remains a spectacular night out, easily rivalling anything Las Vegas has to offer.
Listings and ticket information can be found here
