If a comedy drama come magic show co-written by legends Penn & Teller isn’t enough to tickle your fancy, then how about the fact that the whole thing is destined to go spectacularly and catastrophically wrong?

Ta-Da! With silly slapstick humour, death-defying stunts, jaw-dropping illusions and tricks up the sleeve in spades, Magic Goes Wrong is a winner.

The production is produced by Mischief Theatre, of the infamous The Play That Goes Wrong series, and is executed hilariously well in its current run at Birmingham Hippodrome.

If you’ve seen any of the previous Mischief productions then you’ll know what to expect, and at times the show can be slightly predictable, but largely this is a hugely entertaining night out, full of belly-laughs and anarchic chaos.

The show is billed a fundraiser for the Disasters in Magic charity and led by bumbling host Sophisticato, whose magician father was crushed under two tonnes of props, naturally!

A host of hapless magicians and illusionists join him for the event, where all the acts do not go to plan. 

The production is a laugh-a-minute, the frantic speed of the performers and sleek comic timing keeping the audience enthralled. There are some riotus acts including The Blade and The Mind Mangler who all promise to bring their different talents to the fore. Of course, none of them are very good, but it all adds to the overall wackiness.

The humour put me in mind of classic shows like Allo Allo. There’s a lot of general silliness with trousers falling down, fake moustaches and foreign accents, alongside a naughty teleprompter who feeds rude lines to the acts.

There’s a LOT of audience participation, so be prepared to be asked onstage or to particulate if you are sat near the front. Getting the audience engaged from the opening act is key to the success of the show, creating an immersive atmosphere with the audience fully invested in the ensuing chaos.

The tricks are fabulous. The obligatory cut a woman in half cutting scene that ends the first half is tense and thrilling to watch, even if you know what’s coming, and there’s an uproarious scene involving a card trick and The Blade submerged in a tank.

If something bad can happen - it will! But where you least expect it, there are hidden elements of real and rather astounding magic amidst the mayhem.

If you love Mischief Theatre and you’re a fan of magic shows - then this is well worth a visit.

Four stars.

Reviewed by Fiona McCartney at Birmingham Hippodrome on Tuesday 24 May. Magic Goes Wrong continues to show at the theatre until Sun 29 May.