UK Theatre Network

 Comedy Magician Christian Lee played at Jackson's Lane Theatre, Highgate, for three nights last week with his new show 'Magic Bullet' & what an enjoyable show it was!

Lee has worked hard to produce a fully rounded themed show which is hugely entertaining, funny and skillful, appealing at Highgate to both an adult and younger audience - quite a feat!

Of his magicianship skills - there's no doubt he is one of the most skillful magicians in town; but Lee offers us more than that - he brings a very likeable, warm and funny persona - himself - to the stage. Somewhat reminiscent you may say, of a mixture of Tommy Cooper, Norman Wisdom & more recently Lee Evans - just as much in the comedy as in his physicality.
Lee takes his time with his tricks, pulling us into his absorption, giving them time & space, nice build-up, and skillfully incorporating the responses from individual participating audience members, as well as the audience as a whole.
 
The show is well structured & the ongoing  sub-plot is nicely held & acted by his assistant Vicious Delicious  (Leah Shand) as a pregnant 'princess' type, who hits the right comic note & to the delight of the audience gets her revenge at the end. Musical accompaigment throughout with Pete Saunders & his trio is excellent & adds an extra dimension to the night's entertainment.

But it's Lee's night & he takes it by the bit & packs it full, offering us all the goods - skillful magic (sometimes nailbiting!) comedy, humour, energy, & his very likeable stage presence.

This show has legs & deserves to grow. Surely a UK tour must be lined up offering the chance to show it's goodies to a wider audience.

You can get to see it before it's snapped up, at the Hackney Empire, July 1-2 2009. Details below:

MAGIC BULLET
July 1st & 2nd 2009

HACKNEY EMPIRE
 291 Mare Street, London E8 1EJ
Box Office: +44 (0)20 8985 2424
boxoffice@hackneyempire.co.uk
www.hackneyempire.co.uk
www.christianleeshow.biz

Nicola Hollinshead