Writer and Director: Andrew Stannard
Stage magic is having a bit of a moment with sell-out shows like The Man Who Was Magic and Nick Mohammed’s Show Pony. But a magic-show-whodunnit combo is an innovative idea, and Andrew Stannard, with his calm magician-detective persona, is well-placed to give it a whirl. A one-man band, he relies on the audience to flesh out his story.
Stannard arrives in a well-tailored 1940s suit complete with trilby, paisley tie, waistcoat and chats to individual audience members as they come in, preparing them to be involved in the show. Beginning with a sinister warning, “There’s a killer on the loose”, Stannard tells his listeners that “Tonight’s investigation” will start soon. He quickly builds a rapport with the audience and has a refreshingly gentle style that helps people feel genuinely pleased when his tricks work out neatly.
Stannard’s low-key charm is what carries the day, persuading some members of his audience to become suspects in a murder mystery and others to invest in the outcome of the story. The music hints at Poirot, the costume suggests a film noir aesthetic, and the floor plan of the mansion where Dr Black has been murdered is a Cluedo board (“the stereotypical plan of any Victorian rich person’s house”, Stannard jokingly calls it.)
The suspects, drawn at random from the audience, are: a puzzle-obsessed professor, a thief and a card-playing gambler. Each one becomes part of an illusion, where they often appear to have performed the conjuring trick themselves. Since the progress of each mini-narrative depends on the suspect’s unscripted answers, the stories are reminiscent of early computer games or the Choose Your Own Adventure books, where the outcome is partly up to the reader. That Stannard manages to work so deftly with whatever the suspect suggests is tribute to his skill and professionalism.
The magic tricks themselves are impressive, but not overly complicated. Mostly they involve some well-executed sleight of hand and substitutions, but Stannard effectively creates the atmosphere that enables the magic to seem – well – magical. Boosted by the magician’s subtle magnetism, the trickery is clever enough to make the audience feel they have witnessed something remarkable.
Runs until 9 August 2025
Camden Fringe runs until 24 August 2025
