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Review: James Phelan - The Man Who Was Magic, Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2025

  • Writer: Lisa in the theatre
    Lisa in the theatre
  • Aug 15
  • 4 min read

World-renowned magician James Phelan brings his beautiful new magic show to Underbelly McEwan Hall at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2025 before transferring to London's West End.



James Phelan, The Man Who Was Magic



The Man Who Was Magic: James Phelan ★★★★★


review: 13 August 2025 | Underbelly McEwan Hall, Edinburgh Festival Fringe



James Phelan is the first magician in history to sell out a solo-run at The Magic Circle in London. He's most well known for jamming the BBC switchboard after correctly predicting the lottery numbers. Following performances all around the world, he brings his brand new theatrical magic show 'The Man Who Was Magic' to the Edinburgh Fringe this August.


To call this production "a magic show" does it a dis-service: There isn't a rabbit-in-a-hat nor a beautiful lady being sawn-in-two in sight. What James does leans more towards mind-reading, hypnotism-led, entirely inexplicable displays of sorcery. Everything I watched him do is completely impossible. I try not to think about it too much - it's a little frightening. He may not actually be human.


There's no flashy Las Vegas style lights or over-the-top accoutrements meant to dazzle and distract the audience, rather The Man Who Was Magic is an aesthetically calming, thoughtfully designed, visually rich spectacle with excellent production values that leans into the show soon transferring to a West End theatre. As the audience enters the vast McEwan Hall, it appears to be raining on stage. There's relaxing, jazzy musical theatre and film classics being played by two talented musicians. The presentation is beautiful, and the show continues with this illustration of understated elegance throughout.


Over the next hour James speaks with the audience, asks them to throw out words, numbers, give little pieces of information no one else could possibly know. He performs intimate tricks as well as what can only be described as mental telepathy that stuns the audience into silence, only broken by ecstatic cheers. This is modern, intelligent, mind-blowing magic.


James himself is soft-spoken, calm, warm and very funny. He smoothly puts the audience, and any volunteers, at ease. Although he admits himself that he lies for a living, I don't think you can fake a likeable personality, and James has that in spades.



James Phelan on stage with a volunteer
James Phelan on stage with a volunteer


The one issue I faced is that when James was showing the audience something written on a card or on a glass, this was filmed live using a camera phone and beamed behind him onto a large screen. On the couple of occasions this happened the house-lights were up (so he could see the audience I presume) and due to the glare of the lights on the screen, we couldn't see what was being displayed at all. Perhaps I was sat at an unfortunate angle, perhaps it only impacted my section of the stalls, but it's something that needs to be considered before transferring to the even bigger Adelphi Theatre in London's West End.


However that is but a minor technicality. Everything else I saw was more than enough to convince me of his authenticity. At the end of the show James reveals something (please wait until the very end!) that is just so impossibly impossible I really can't comprehend how he does it. There's wasn't the slightest hint of trickery or tech crew being involved during the show. It's just pure, mystical magical wizardry.


This is such a well-named show. James Phelan really is 'The Man Who Was Magic' - I will accept no other explanations. A stunning display of theatrical magic ★★★★★



The Man Who Was Magic played at Underbelly McEwan Hall for a limited run during July and August 2025. It transfers to Underbelly Boulevard SOHO in August before moving into the Adelphi Theatre in London's West End in September. Find full listing details below.




James Phelan said:


“Bringing this show to McEwan Hall feels like a once-in-a-lifetime moment. I first came to the Fringe in 2019, in a 120 seater room - the Dining Room at Teviot - that most of the time was half full. Since then McEwan Hall has been the dream.


“Last year’s Fringe was unforgettable, but this year we’re stepping into something bigger and bolder. I want the room to feel like a door to a feeling we’d forgotten we have - a spectacle, a celebration, filled with warmth, wonder, joyous escapism and connection. Theatre has always been the most magical place in the world to me, I love it and the audience that fill it more than anything else in the world.


“The Man Who Was Magic will be a testament to making impossible dreams come true and a celebration of everything I love about magic and live theatre. I can’t wait”



About James Phelan - Magician / Wizard


Over the last five years, Phelan has become a juggernaut in British magic - his tour show The Dreamer - Live is the UK’s most commercially successful magic show, with his previous show The Greatest Magician (a love-letter to his late Uncle, Paul Daniels) selling out more than 450 theatres in three years.


James Phelan - magician
James Phelan

He previously made headlines at the helm of his groundbreaking BBC radio magic show, when he predicted the National Lottery results by tweeting the results the day before they were drawn - leading to the BBC switchboard jamming with listeners accusing him of rigging it.


In 2024, Phelan became the first magician in history to sell out a two week solo-run at The Magic Circle in London.


Offstage, he’s also the creator and host of How To Be Famous - now one of the fastest-growing entertainment podcasts in the UK - featuring high-profile guests who set the record straight, including Katie Price, Melinda Messenger, Gareth Gates, Russell Kane, Neil Fox and Giovanni Pernice.






James Phelan: The Man Who Was Magic show dates / listings


James Phelan, The Man Who Was Magic

Edinburgh Fringe: McEwan Hall, Underbelly Bristo Square

Dates: 31st July to 13th August 2025


London: Underbelly Boulevard Soho

Dates: 15th to 24th August 2025


London: The Adelphi Theatre

Dates: 23rd September 2025



James Phelan: The Man Who Was Magic credits


Performer / Creative: James Phelan


Producer: Showman Live (Touring)

Director: Matt Peover; Amanda Baker; Debbie McGee

Magic Consultancy: David Penn; Lewis Fuller; Wayne Fox


Show Website: manwhowasmagic.com

Comments


Lisa in the Theatre star ratings:

★★★★★   Amazing

Buy tickets immediately

★★★★☆   Great

Highly recommended

★★★☆☆   Good

★★☆☆☆   Falls short, needs work

★☆☆☆☆   Poor, needs a lot of work

☆☆☆☆☆   Offensive or a scam. Avoid

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