Morgan & West: Crime Solving Magicians

Morgan and West's ambitious, intellectually rigorous show takes some of the philosophical problems of time travel and blends them with dizzying magic tricks and a beguiling Victorian murder mystery.

The performers have a captivating dynamism as a duo, although a spark of disharmony might help them fully exploit their dramatic potential. There is no doubting the volume of historical knowledge behind their material, but this can become overbearing, leaving the jokes themselves with little room to breathe.

Crime Solving Magicians is a carefully constructed, sophisticated and stimulating hour of comedy. As magicians and storytellers, Morgan and West are undoubtedly talented, but give the sense that they are safe within a self-imposed, rigid structure. Parts of the show were mildly tarnished by misplaced musical interludes and distorted tangles of communication.

Having said that, the family audience didn't mind one bit. If these conjurer detectives can generate a little more immediacy, gusto and risk on stage, this show could be loved as well as admired.