Part magic show, part comedy routine, Barry and Stuart are a decent, if predictable prime-time act. They make a good double-act, light heartedly undermining each other at every turn, and they are actually quite funny.
They start off this way at least, the first part of their show is undiluted brilliance. The gags are continuous and often at least a little inventive, and the tricks will impress you – ever seen someone produce a bowling ball from a piece of paper?
It’s a shame they lose a bit of steam after the first fifteen minutes. Not a lot of steam mind, the rest of the show is good, but merely that. The good tricks are separated by a lot of filler material which, while by no means bad, is definitely below par.
The sudden shift in intensity might make you wonder how much of the show is supposed to be magic and how much is supposed to be comedy, the jokes are no longer good enough to justify one title nor the magic frequent enough to justify the other. The sum of two thirds is not a whole.
Get drunk first and go with a few mates – as part of a night out, this duo put on some pretty good entertainment. Most of the time.
3/5 
Bernie Greenwood
