Penn & Teller - London Hamersmith Apollo 14.07.2010

Can't find a suitable category? Post it here!!

Moderators: nickj, Lady of Mystery, Mandrake, bananafish, support

Postby Klangster1971 » Jul 18th, '10, 01:06



Well, I just got back and......


... to be honest, my wife and I were a little underwhelmed. I'd already seen the show in Vegas, so I'm not sure if that swayed my opinion at all. My wife hadn't but she felt, as I did, that the show just meandered a little. I wasn't sold on the closing essay/monologue either - felt that it was a little too low-key and Teller had barely anything to do during it (except light some torches!).

However, was great to see P&T back in London at last...


Maybe our opinion was coloured by the fact that we'd spent the afternoon watching 'Inception' at the IMAX.... Now, THAT was magic!!! Would recommend the movie to everyone!


Sean

I know the difference between tempting and choosing my fate
User avatar
Klangster1971
Senior Member
 
Posts: 816
Joined: Sep 12th, '09, 12:45
Location: Klang Manor, Stone, Staffordshire

Postby kolm » Jul 18th, '10, 23:22

Robbie wrote:Everyone in this forum who's lucky enough to attend MUST buy a souvenir "Perfectly Ordinary Deck of Cards". Trust me on this.

Damn, I wish I had now. I saw them (and saw people looking at them) but didn't really give them a second thought

I really liked the show. I'd seen a number of the routines before, but I've never seen them live so it was as good as new to me

I hope they stick to their (Penn's) word and wait a lot less than 15 years to come back again :)


I did hope that Teller had done a lot more in the closing routine too, watching him stand there holding the fuel was a bit dull. But I liked the closing speech, it was a nice ending

"People who hail from Manchester cannot possibly be upper class and therefore should not use silly pretentious words"
User avatar
kolm
Advanced Member
 
Posts: 1974
Joined: Apr 18th, '07, 22:58

Postby jomarchan » Jul 19th, '10, 10:09

I appreciate that I am probably in the Minority here but I personally dislike the way that Penn and Teller have to expose some of magics biggest secrets. These forums consistantly argue against exposure and yet we seem to accept that it is ok for P & T to do it. I think what they do is fantastic and is top notch entertainment so I would pay good money to see them over and over again, but are the 'tricks' they reveal really theirs to expose? Is there a fine line between P & T and the Masked Magician?

User avatar
jomarchan
Preferred Member
 
Posts: 163
Joined: Mar 8th, '09, 20:06
Location: Worcester 46

Postby Eshly » Jul 19th, '10, 10:56

jomarchan wrote:I appreciate that I am probably in the Minority here but I personally dislike the way that Penn and Teller have to expose some of magics biggest secrets. These forums consistantly argue against exposure and yet we seem to accept that it is ok for P & T to do it. I think what they do is fantastic and is top notch entertainment so I would pay good money to see them over and over again, but are the 'tricks' they reveal really theirs to expose? Is there a fine line between P & T and the Masked Magician?


Name one trick which they have PROPERLY exposed?

Eshly
 

Postby jomarchan » Jul 19th, '10, 11:35

Tom. I am not getting into an argument with you about this. Penn and Teller are Unique in what they do and they have created their own niche in the Magic world. Surely you don't want me to go through their whole career to date to explain? Just You Tube them. But just to re-iterate I greatly admire them and I would pay to see them again and again as it is great entertainment and they are truely masters of the art.

User avatar
jomarchan
Preferred Member
 
Posts: 163
Joined: Mar 8th, '09, 20:06
Location: Worcester 46

Postby Lenoir » Jul 19th, '10, 12:24

Teller is one of the leading thinkers, historians and innovators in magic and is widely respected for his knowledge and love of the art...I trust him to make the judgement what to humorously reveal.

Lenoir
Elite Member
 
Posts: 4246
Joined: Dec 31st, '07, 23:06

Postby Robbie » Jul 19th, '10, 12:25

The only segment that I thought fell flat was the book test. There was a long dead time as books were passed around the audience, and Penn filled the minutes with a rant against phony psychics. It wasn't entertaining in itself, and the atmosphere just fizzled away. Maybe it goes over better in the States, or with fans of their Bulls--t show.

There was such an emphasis on the theme that "mind-reading is all rubbish" that I had to wonder why they bothered including a mind-reading act at all, if they loathe mentalism so much.

The climax of the book test also fell flat, but that was just bad luck on the night. The trick succeeded technically, it just didn't have the oomph it might have had with a different participant and more enthusiastic audience engagement.

I also noticed they didn't make any changes to suit a London audience. The jokes and anecdotes were all US-centric, mentioning American politicians and TV personalities. Seemed a bit strange that such a big show with plenty of background assistance couldn't find someone to advise on names that would be more recognisable to the local crowd.

But these are just a few minor points in an otherwise wonderful show. Overall the evening was more than worthwhile. Despite the (rather heavy) expense of travelling, lodging overnight, etc. I'm delighted I had the opportunity.

"Magic teaches us how to lie without guilt." --Eugene Burger
"Hi, Robbie!" "May your mischief be spread." --Derren Brown
CF4L
User avatar
Robbie
Elite Member
 
Posts: 2030
Joined: May 10th, '08, 12:14
Location: Bolton (50; mental age still 7)

Postby jomarchan » Jul 19th, '10, 14:34

Lenoir wrote:Teller is one of the leading thinkers, historians and innovators in magic and is widely respected for his knowledge and love of the art...I trust him to make the judgement what to humorously reveal.


I would wholeheartedly agree with the first part of this. But Routines such as the Cups and Balls...are they really his to reveal? A lot of people when they get into magic, start with the cups and balls. It seems a shame after learning and practising it they then watch P &T reveal it even if it is in a Humorous' way.

For me it is far better to perform their own routines and then to reveal them in the same 'humorous' way

User avatar
jomarchan
Preferred Member
 
Posts: 163
Joined: Mar 8th, '09, 20:06
Location: Worcester 46

Postby Mandrake » Jul 19th, '10, 16:21

I saw the show last night and it was excellent. I can agree that some parts were a little slower than others, some parts were stunts rather than magic, some parts were US rather than UK but in this case the sum of the parts gave a much bigger whole. Overall it was superb entertainment, it's a pity we have to wait so long before such entertainment is on offer and I also hope they'll be back sooner than another 15 years.

The professional way those guys stayed outside the theatre signing autographs and posing for endless photos with apparent limitless patience until the crowds went home was a lesson to all performers about how to value and appreciate an audience. My signed booklet and photos of ‘me with the guys’ will be treasured memories for yonks.

With travel, accommodation and so on it wasn’t a cheap weekend but it was worth every penny as far as I’m concerned. And, thanks to Robbie, I bought the cards – a great souvenir of a memorable show :D .

User avatar
Mandrake
'
 
Posts: 27494
Joined: Apr 20th, '03, 21:00
Location: UK (74:AH)

Postby A J Irving » Jul 19th, '10, 16:27

Mandrake wrote:And, thanks to Robbie, I bought the cards – a great souvenir of a memorable show :D .


Also, £5 for a multi-gimmicked deck! They could teach some playing card companies a thing or two about value for money!

Excellent show even if Teller almost killed a goldfish by dropping it in the bowl which he gave the spectator as a souvenir at the gig on Saturday! Luckily one of the Apollo floor staf rushed off to the toilet and got it in some water.

A J Irving
Senior Member
 
Posts: 713
Joined: Jun 18th, '09, 11:07

Postby Mandrake » Jul 19th, '10, 16:47

Eshly wrote:Explain?

Robbie wrote:What? The cards? No, if I explained why, it would ruin it.

A J Irving wrote: £5 for a multi-gimmicked deck! They could teach some playing card companies a thing or two about value for money!

No harm now in telling people, in general terms, what they missed :D !

User avatar
Mandrake
'
 
Posts: 27494
Joined: Apr 20th, '03, 21:00
Location: UK (74:AH)

Postby kolm » Jul 19th, '10, 19:15

Sorry jomarchan, but Eshly is right
Penn and Teller have revealed very, very few tricks. I don't think they revealed a single trick throughout the show they did in the UK, and I can't think of anything serious that they have ever revealed

The cups and balls wasn't revealed. They just did it with clear cups. And they did it very, very well. They don't give a single thing away except perhaps when they did the load, and how they did the load (the important bit) was still unknown

They've quite often said that whenever they reveal a trick they don't reveal any real secrets: they make up their own tricks with beautiful secrets. Every magician knows that the real reason we don't reveal the secrets to tricks is because the secret is quite frankly dull


And I agree with Lenoir. If Teller — one of the most (if not the most) learned magicians alive thinks it's OK to reveal a secret, then who am I to argue with him?

"People who hail from Manchester cannot possibly be upper class and therefore should not use silly pretentious words"
User avatar
kolm
Advanced Member
 
Posts: 1974
Joined: Apr 18th, '07, 22:58

Postby kolm » Jul 19th, '10, 19:23

Mandrake wrote:The professional way those guys stayed outside the theatre signing autographs and posing for endless photos with apparent limitless patience until the crowds went home was a lesson to all performers about how to value and appreciate an audience. My signed booklet and photos of ‘me with the guys’ will be treasured memories for yonks.

With travel, accommodation and so on it wasn’t a cheap weekend but it was worth every penny as far as I’m concerned.

Indeed. Even if the show was a little flat at times it was well worth going just to get to meet them both. The fact that they never seem to tire when saying hi to everybody and greeted everybody with the same amount of enthusiasm shows what gents they are. It was well worth the expense :)

"People who hail from Manchester cannot possibly be upper class and therefore should not use silly pretentious words"
User avatar
kolm
Advanced Member
 
Posts: 1974
Joined: Apr 18th, '07, 22:58

Postby Part-Timer » Jul 19th, '10, 20:36

I didn't even see the cards. I did wonder why so many people seemed to have packs with them, and now I know!

I thought that, as a magic show, it was OK, but as a variety show, very good. I enjoyed it, and I too am now the happy possessor of a signed programme. The other half got nice photos of me with the gentlemen in question.

After I'd met Teller, Beardy said hello to me, which was an unexpected bonus. I thought I'd gone on the only night when no one else from TM was there.

Not wishing to be picky, but they did reveal some stuff in the course of the show. I don't think it would have made any sense to a non-magician, and was liable to be forgotten straight away, but it was there!

A J - in the show I saw, half a dozen fish ended up on the floor, and had to be chucked back in the tank by the stagehands at the end.

Part-Timer
Elite Member
 
Posts: 3085
Joined: May 1st, '03, 13:51
Location: London (44:SH)

Postby kolm » Jul 19th, '10, 21:08

Part-Timer wrote:Not wishing to be picky, but they did reveal some stuff in the course of the show. I don't think it would have made any sense to a non-magician, and was liable to be forgotten straight away, but it was there!

Ah right, I stand corrected :). It probably passed right by me, was it during the water tank trick?

"People who hail from Manchester cannot possibly be upper class and therefore should not use silly pretentious words"
User avatar
kolm
Advanced Member
 
Posts: 1974
Joined: Apr 18th, '07, 22:58

PreviousNext

Return to Miscellaneous

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 25 guests