The Mind Mangler is played by Mischief Theatre co-founder Henry Lewis with a mixture of menace, danger, and cuddliness, a devastating combination. For anyone who has seen Lewis on stage before, you will be well aware of his tremendous stage presence, a booming voice full of the greatest of enunciation and perhaps, with The Mind Mangler he has one of his greatest creations to use these skills.
Alongside Lewis as "Audience Member" is another Mischief founder, Jonathan Sayer and he becomes the perfect foil and annoyance to The Mind Magler, over-eager to get involved and also key to the evolving storyline. Here Sayer plays a character much like he has elsewhere with Mischief, but sometimes familiarity is all an audience needs and they lap it up, and you can tell often that there are many Mischief fans in the crowd by their reactions (I confess here that I am one of them).
Presentation and delivery is key with this show and the speed of the piece is remarkable, rarely getting bogged down in any trick segment, or describing them as they really are, sketches, and the only time the pace drops in with the interaction with the audience where it becomes sometimes more chatty. However, because of the skill of Lewis and Sayer, the deftness with which they handle these audience moments never bores, in fact sometimes this mines some of the funniest aspects of the show.
While many could say The Mind Mangler is a one-trick pony of failed mind-reading, the depth of characterisation, story-telling and just simply great presentation and stage presence makes Lewis and Sayer a tragical evening of entertainment like no other and should be top of your theatre shopping list if this travels near to you on its tour to Liverpool and Bath.
With the power of my Small Mind, I compel you to see The Mind Mangler.
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