Paid Members Scratch Posted September 15, 2025 Paid Members Posted September 15, 2025 (edited) It didn’t feel right putting this in the gig thread, and it’s maybe wrong here too, but hey ho. Having been a fan of Penn and Teller for almost 40 years, I finally got to see them live at the London Palladium last night. I’ve never had any desire to go to Vegas, but had they not have been coming to London, it would likely have been the thing that drew me there. The show was great, and they made a point at the start in saying that despite it being a 50th year tour, the show wouldn’t be a greatest hits. I was initially a little disappointed as I would have loved to have seen the bullet trick live, and Teller’s goldfish. But that disappointment soon faded as they did lots of stuff I’d never seen. Mrs Scratch was aware of Penn and Teller but wouldn’t call herself a fan, but she absolutely loved it and was laughing her head off all night. I’ll be honest, I’ve been to many better magic shows, but none that had the atmosphere of and, well, it was Penn and Teller. There were a ton of opportunities to get up on stage, and I now wish I’d have done so, as I had a few chances. But it did mean I could watch and enjoy, and that’s what I’ve been looking forward to for so long, so I can’t complain. Frankly, they could have come on stage and done nothing for two hours, I was happy just being a few feet away from a pair that have entertained me for decades, but they did some really cool stuff and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. They're getting on a bit now, too, so it surely won’t be too much longer before it’ll be no longer possible to see them live, so we’re travelling home now grateful for a brilliant night out and the chance to finally tick them off my list. We had cracking seats, too. Edited September 15, 2025 by Scratch Quote
Paid Members BomberPat Posted September 15, 2025 Paid Members Posted September 15, 2025 fantastic - I'm seeing them later this week, and that's got me even more excited about it. Quote
Paid Members Scratch Posted September 15, 2025 Paid Members Posted September 15, 2025 If you’re in the stalls and want to go on stage, it really shouldn’t be that hard. Hope you enjoy it as much as we did! Quote
Paid Members BomberPat Posted September 18, 2025 Paid Members Posted September 18, 2025 it was absolutely great - up in the gods, so no opportunity to get up on stage, though funnily enough one of the people brought on stage was a friend of my other half, who we didn't know was there. It was just a great show. I've seen smoother shows, and as a whole I'd say Derren Brown's Unbelievable had more mind-blowing moments, but it was just a great time. I always think magic gets a bad rap these days, it's all seen as a bit cruise ship or end of the pier, when I honestly think it's one of the great theatrical arts - you don't just have to entertain people and hold their attention for the length of the show, you know that they're looking for the holes and the trickery in every single thing you're doing, and yet the best magicians can work with that rather than against it and still blow people's minds. Penn & Teller (well, Penn) are probably the best at talking through how tricks work, only to completely blindside you with a different trick on top of the one they're talking about. Just a bloody good time. And I love that they made a point of saying that everything they do are tricks, not illusions, because illusions rely on contraptions and stagecraft, and pretty much everything they did was just them and a couple of props. Quote
DavidB6937 Posted September 18, 2025 Posted September 18, 2025 Teller has always freaked me out a little bit and I've got no justifiable reason for it but great you guys had such a good time! Quote
Tim Healys Chutney Spoon Posted September 18, 2025 Posted September 18, 2025 Me and the wife are seeing 'Just for One Day' in December. Feeling old as we've booked to go on a local coach company trip to it. Then as we said if the tickets are £45ish and the coach is another £40 on top its not too much difference to if we'd gone in by train and all the hassle of changing trains and that. Especially as Mrs Chutney Spoon is currently struggling to walk due to possible MS so making things as easy as possible for her is now a priority... Quote
Paid Members Scratch Posted September 19, 2025 Paid Members Posted September 19, 2025 I was wondering if @BomberPat had the same experience as us or not? Spoiler I’m guessing not as the trick seemed to go wrong, but I’m not sure. For the Needle in a Haystack trick, the young lad they picked walked up the steps and started spilling the cards into the hay, but one seemed to fly over the edge and onto the floor. Penn acknowledged it and nervously said something like “there’s a 1-in-52 chance that’s your card and the trick is doomed”. When they turned the hay over onto Teller, the chosen needle was on his thread but no card, and it wasn’t mentioned. Quote
Paid Members Carbomb Posted September 28, 2025 Paid Members Posted September 28, 2025 Once more unto The Globe, dear friends, once more. Although, unlike the quote, this is for Troilus & Cressida. Never seen it before, but I know the premise, and therefore the set is intriguing. Quote
Paid Members Gus Mears Posted September 28, 2025 Author Paid Members Posted September 28, 2025 We're too simpatico on this, Bomber. I'm going next week. Quote
Paid Members Carbomb Posted September 28, 2025 Paid Members Posted September 28, 2025 Currently the intermission. I think you'll like it. The only way I can describe it so far is "absolutely fucking mental". Quote
Paid Members BomberPat Posted September 29, 2025 Paid Members Posted September 29, 2025 On 9/19/2025 at 7:19 PM, Scratch said: I was wondering if @BomberPat had the same experience as us or not? Hide contents I’m guessing not as the trick seemed to go wrong, but I’m not sure. For the Needle in a Haystack trick, the young lad they picked walked up the steps and started spilling the cards into the hay, but one seemed to fly over the edge and onto the floor. Penn acknowledged it and nervously said something like “there’s a 1-in-52 chance that’s your card and the trick is doomed”. When they turned the hay over onto Teller, the chosen needle was on his thread but no card, and it wasn’t mentioned. Spoiler Oh, interesting. They definitely did the "one in 52 chance" bit, but I don't think the other part went wrong, from what I remember. Quote
Paid Members Gus Mears Posted October 5, 2025 Author Paid Members Posted October 5, 2025 On 9/28/2025 at 8:05 PM, Carbomb said: Currently the intermission. I think you'll like it. The only way I can describe it so far is "absolutely fucking mental". I don't know what's going on. Quote
Paid Members Gus Mears Posted October 30, 2025 Author Paid Members Posted October 30, 2025 Anyone else as excited as me for the Midsomer Murders stage adaptation which has just started? They've got the bloke who played Troy playing Barnaby! No? OK then. I'm off to see Hamlet at the National Theatre on Saturday. Less highbrow than MM but looking forward to it nonetheless. Quote
Paid Members Monkee Posted November 2, 2025 Paid Members Posted November 2, 2025 My main reason for coming to New York was to see Waiting For Godot with Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter. If anyone has ever doubted the acting capabilities of either of these two then you need to see this play. It was outstanding. I love Jamie Lloyd’s productions but this was so stripped back that there was nowhere to hide. It was funny and touching in equal parts - and had a couple of Bill & Ted Easter eggs thrown in for good measure. I’ve never really liked other productions of Godot so was a bit dubious about how this would fare but I needn’t have worried. I absolutely loved it. Quote
Paid Members Bellenda Carlisle Posted November 2, 2025 Paid Members Posted November 2, 2025 I'm so jealous, that Bill and Ted/Waiting for Godot mashup is one of the things I want to see most in the world. Awesome that you went. Quote
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