Is someone playing tricks on me? Last time I attempted to review magician John Lenahan, he pulled out due to a double booking. Last night he was present, but the audience did the disappearing act.
The box office's loss was his loyal followers' gain though, as a small circle of devotees was treated to a truly intimate hour of exceptional close-up magic.
If there is a better sleight-of-hand merchant than this politely sardonic Philadelphian, apart from the impolitely sardonic Jerry Sadowitz, I've yet to encounter them.
Lenahan spent the first half making a deck of cards dance to his every whim as if on invisible strings. And there definitely were no strings attached. I was so near I could see every hair on his forearms.
A witty history lesson added context. Making four aces switch places is called Doc Daley's Last Trick and Arthur Daley never pulled off a better stunt. If familiar card cons did not tickle one's fancy, the second half dealt out more varied fare.
Tying knots in un-knottable ropes and predicting a random number of casino chips, known as The Trick That Fooled Einstein, were two of many feats executed with seamless aplomb.
In the Nineties, Lenahan was the first magician to be expelled from the Magic Circle for revealing trade secrets. These days one can probably discover his quickfire techniques on Google, but please resist. Pack out the Etcetera instead and be amazed.
Mondays until April (020 7482 4857, www.etceteratheatre.com)
John Lenahan: Up Close
Etcetera Theatre
Camden High Street, Camden, NW1 7BU
