Will You Be Amazed?
Strap in and enjoy the beautiful, atmospheric Criterion Theatre as Jamie Allan’s critically acclaimed show Amaze takes you on an adventure and exploration in to magic, using state-of-the-art technology, timeless classics and conjuring techniques while becoming only the third UK magician in 40 years to get a solo West End season, writes Rosanna Head.
Amaze tells a story from start to finish, with undercurrents of childhood wonders and dreams as Allan engages the audience, taking us back to wondering what we wanted to be when we grew up and recalling what superpower we attempted to have as a kid – I wanted to fly like a bird.
Jamie talks a lot about his parents, growing up and how he found magic. He eloquently puts the magic and wonder directly into the hands of the audience to make them feel part of the magic. So I was straight up there on stage offering to help Jamie with a trick – which was fun.
As an 80s’ baby, I like the nostalgia the show offers, the Rubik Cube trick was cool and the music that ran through the show was good, but to be honest, it needed something like that to keep me fully engaged. A lot is going on and Jamie takes you on a journey, but at one point I didn’t know whether I was supposed to feel sorry for him or watch the tricks.
I’m a cynic and a self-confessed critic. I’m not a fan of Derren Brown and I don’t claim to know a lot about the Magic Circle, so I found the show self-indulgent and cheesy in parts.
Jamie is the son of two performers from the 70s, Alan James Nicklin and Kay Kennedy, a famous singer who’d travelled the globe and worked with some of biggest names in the business. Kay’s photo was stage-right in a gilded frame for most of the show. Some people might think that’s sweet, but it was a bit of a turn-off, especially when one of Jamie’s sidekicks, Natalie Love, dressed in a ‘similar’ outfit that his mum was wearing, lies down and plays dead as Jamie elevates her up to what I can only assume to be heaven – there were various gasps from the audience. I wasn’t impressed and thought it was a bit more of an emotional trick in an attempt to evoke sympathy.
He did say there is always a mix in the audience from dreamers to cynics(I know which one I am) and maybe even a few from the Magic Circle – at which point my friend looked very impressed.
Adding: “My biggest ambition was to play in the West End and Broadway. We’re halfway there with this West End season, and it’s truly a dream come true. My next step is Broadway, and beyond that, who knows? I just want to keep pushing the boundaries of what magic can be.”
After seeing Amaze, do I believe in magic? Well…it’s just an illusion, isn’t it…?
Criterion Theatre, 218-223 Piccadilly, London, W1J 9HR until 23rd November. Times: Tuesday – Friday at 7.30pm; Saturday at 2pm and 8pm; Sunday at 2pm and 6pm. Admission: £25 – £80.
Booking: criterion-theatre.co.uk – 033 33 202 895
