Penn & Teller: The First Final Farewell Tour at The Halls Wolverhampton – review
There was a little bit of everything to delight the audience – card tricks, fire eating and monkeys that seemed to appear from nowhere.
And with it all was a barrel of laughs as American magicians Penn Jillette and Teller took to the stage at The Halls in Wolverhampton on Thursday evening.
The Emmy award-winning entertainers have been a team for more than 45 years and the duo draw incredible chemistry from each other.
While Penn is a great showman with a booming voice and plenty of jokes up his sleeve, Teller uses his amusing facial expressions to entertain while rarely saying a word.
The show began with the pair attempting an ‘age appropriate escape’ from rocking chairs with Teller wearing a strait-jacket and Penn shackled in chains.
It is a nod to how long they've both been in show business, with not only Las Vegas shows under their belts but a host of TV appearances.
Audience members of all ages were laughing right from the offset, with some later chosen at random to help with the various tricks.
Along the way were 'sleight of foot' card tricks, a chest escape and a trick by Teller who seemingly swallowed lots of needles only to bring them back up on a thread.
There was also lots of fun with 'Whack a Teller' and a monkey which mystically appeared on stage from time to time, leaving the audience bewildered and scratching their heads.
As their performance progressed, the two magicians helpfully explained a few of their interesting and innovative tricks.
The pair explained how to do a 'French drop' – a sleight-of-hand technique used by magicians to vanish small objects, and how Teller managed to escape from a locked chest – that is, if you chose to keep your eyes open.
Everyone was also invited to be 'part of the magic' as the audience were taught a card trick to find love.
There was even fire-eating by Penn to close the show.
It is clear this pair have been together for decades and know how to work a crowd.
The show was both captivating and funny, with a humour that all ages could enjoy. It is well worth a watch.
Penn & Teller are touring the UK and will visit Birmingham for two shows next week.
