Preview: Penn and Teller @ Hammersmith Apollo

By Ruth Last edited 165 months ago
Preview: Penn and Teller @ Hammersmith Apollo

penn-and-teller1.jpg Darkly comic Las Vegas stalwart magicians Penn and Teller invite you into their unpleasant world next month, as they bring their show Live And Direct From Las Vegas to the star-spangled streets of, er, Hammersmith.

Penn Jillette and his diminutive, mute mononymous sidekick, Teller are taking time out from a ten year stint in Vegas (and filming - evidently killing time since Sabrina the Teenage Witch finished) to bring their show, that David Letterman once described as "evil genius", to the UK for the first time in 16 years.

Famed for sick tricks - one memorable one including an exploding eyeball - and debunking scams and fraudsters on TV in much the same way as Derren Brown has started doing here recently, Penn and Teller mix comedy, magic and atheism (but not drinks - both are famous teetotallers) as part of their show which has seen them win accolades such as Magician of the Year five times, as well as Best Show in Vegas from the Los Angeles Times (who must have got a bit lost, evidently). Brown himself has said they are "The finest in the world, and damned to hell a thousand times over", whilst Paul Daniels called them "sick" - and if that isn't reason enough to look them up, The Times once said that they were "Not for Anyone Who is a Fan of Paul Daniels".

Hammersmith Apollo, 14-18 July Tickets are a jaw-dropping £29.50 - £42.50 in themselves, although hopefully worth every penny.

Last Updated 07 June 2010