REVIEW: Magic Goes Wrong at the Apollo Theatre

As if by magic, the West End is back and better than ever! 

Having previously seen both The Play That Goes Wrong and The Comedy About a Bank Robbery, I was familiar with the work of Mischief Theatre. However, I was extremely intrigued to see how they would integrate and combine the use of magic with comedy. It’s safe to say that curiosity rapidly turned into spellbound laughter and awe, as these professional powerhouses blew the roof off the Apollo Theatre. 

Whenever I return to see a Mischief Theatre production, it feels like I am returning to visit an old, trusted friend. There’s something about their shows that feels oddly familiar and inviting until the hilarity and carnage unfolds before your eyes, and you are left gasping for breath from laughter, and you are left clueless as to what surprise or trick they will put out of their (wizards) hat next! They truly are pioneers of comedy and are constantly ahead of the game with their ideas, comic relief, and wit. 

Credit must be given to casting directors Lucy Jenkins CDG & Sooki Mcshane CDG for this show, displaying a truly diverse cast that celebrates the full breadth of our industry. Being a member of the LGBTQIA+ community myself that is still exploring their gender identity, I particularly appreciated and resonated with the addition of optional pronouns within the programmes, and the inclusion of a non-binary character, played by a non-binary identifying person. (Mel, played by the wonderfully talented Scott Hunter).

INTERVIEW: Peter McGovern, currently in West End smash hit The Comedy About a Bank Robbery by Mischief Theatre

Peter McGovern is currently playing Warren Slax in the West End production of The Comedy About a Bank Robbery.  His previous theatre credits includeThe Christmas Truce (Royal Shakespeare Company), Love's Labour's Lost, Much Ado About Nothing (Royal Shakespeare Company and Theatre Royal Haymarket), Barnbow Canaries (West Yorkshire Playhouse), Nell Gwynn (Apollo Theatre), The Madness of George III (Apollo Theatre and UK tour), Squirrels (Orange Tree), An Inspector Calls,  The Shape Of Things, Vincent In Brixton (Theatre by the Lake), The History Boys (West Yorkshire Playhouse and UK tour),  The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (Royal & Derngate, Northampton),  Kes (Liverpool Playhouse and UK  tour) and Enjoy (Gielgud Theatre and UK tour). 

Tell us a little bit about the play and the character you play?

Well, I don’t want to give too much away to those who haven’t seen the play, but I can exclusively reveal that the play is set in a bank, it involves a robbery and it’s very funny! We follow a group of individuals all desperate to get their hands on a precious diamond.

I play Warren Slax. An ‘externally unfortunate man of 67 years old.’ I work in the bank, and have done so for the past 30 years. Unlike all the other characters in the play, I’m not at all concerned with getting my hands on the diamond. My personal quest is just to improve my life, find a friend, possibly get a promotion and maybe get a certain someone to fall in love with me.

What was the audition process like?

The audition process was pretty straight forward. I had an initial meeting where I met the writers and worked on a couple of scenes, and then a recall audition where several of us worked on a few scenes in small groups.

Toward the back end of last year I was training to be a spin instructor. Just before Xmas I got told that it wasn’t going to go any further as they felt my acting career would always come first and get in the way. I was gutted and dreading going home to see the family. An hour later I was offered this job, as I sat at outside Liverpool Street Station, crying into my second McDonald’s cheeseburger whilst a brass band played ‘Silent Night.’ I’ve never been a great believer in fate but this one did seem written in stars and I’m sure all the hard work training as a spin instructor probably helped me get the job!