Review: The Mind Mangler, UK tour | Mischief Comedy

Lisa in the theatre
Jan 25, 2023
2 min read

Updated: Feb 16

The Mind Mangler ★★★★☆

Review: 25 January 2023 | Theatre Royal, Glasgow

Honestly, I had no idea what I was going to for this one!

From Mischief Comedy, the same people who gave us 'The play that goes wrong' I thought 'The Mind Mangler' was maybe a play about a magician?

Wrong! It's stand-up comedy almost, with the performer (the magnificent Henry Lewis) being in character as a downtrodden, struggling magician and mind reader - amongst other things! The whole show is well produced - the stage set and props are excellent, and the action is slick and expertly managed. The Mangler obviously has a lot of help from unseen hands off stage, and the result is a funny, fast-paced, perfectly choreographed performance.

Part comedy, part magic show - the Mind Mangler is hilarious

The comedy is funny, and some of the magic tricks are genuinely baffling. I particularly enjoyed the 'Quick Fire Jesus' skits. And the headlines on the newspaper that was being torn up were a touch of genius. There is a lot of audience interaction, and I think the Mangler must've spoken with half of the stalls by the end. The audience all seemed up for being involved; If you don't want to risk it, sit upstairs if you are able. The show makes much use of close-up cameras on stage and in the audience too - we always see the Mind Mangler's hands and tricks up close, beamed onto a screen on stage. So for people with not-the-best eyesight like myself, that is a major bonus.

The Mind Mangler by Mischief Comedy, Jonathan Sayer. Photo credit: Mischief Comedy — Jonathan Sayer in The Mind Mangler. Photo: Mischief Comedy

Audience participation gone wrong

The second character in the show is The Stooge (Jonathan Sayer), an 'audience member' who is plucked from the stalls more than a few times. He is quite clearly a plant, and he gets everything wrong - much to the growing frustration of the star, The Mind Mangler. I don't know if there were any other stooges in the audience - I think there must've been? If there weren't, then I've just seen some of the greatest mind-reading and magic I've ever seen. The trick at the end of the show is truly magnificent; I have no idea how they did it. Mischief Comedy have some great shows currently playing across the UK and London - Their 'Goes Wrong' shows are superb. They do what they do exceptionally well. But The Mind Mangler is unique in its offering. I've certainly never seen anything like it. Kudos! Catch the Mind Mangler on tour now - if you dare. ★★★★☆