The design aesthetic is a thing of beauty: from the repurposed spaces to the tiniest stage prop.Rating
Good
Hampstead on a bank holiday is full of families, many already gathered outside Well Walk Theatre: a lovingly restored independent building promising them an early 20th century Parisian theatre blend of whimsy, magic shows like Magic Bistro, and dining experiences. Period costumed staff invite us all to cross the threshold into an immersive world, complete with bookshop, cafe and basement theatre. One of the producers, Dylan McNeil, is on-site greeting the audience and overseeing both the service and the atmosphere.
The immersive space upstairs curates incidental finds like listening to Edith Piaf singing Non, je ne regrette rien / No Regrets on a vintage telephone, or sampling a freshly baked French pastry, all in a wi-fi free environment. With whimsy as a modern-day rising trend, this vibe continues down to the red velvet curtained performance space.
Magic Bistro is exactly what it says on the menu: a thirty-five minute magic show set in a small Parisian restaurant and performed by a Bistro waiter (Zina Drouche) and their client (Marina Tumo). Written and directed by Drouche, who along with Tumo and McNeil, is also a co-producer of this indie production house.
The show is slickly executed with precision, seamlessly moving from visual gag to trick to illusion. It is a treat to enjoy non-verbal communication and the wide target audience of 5-105 seems reasonable. Here the show’s presenting style of magic is gentler, delivered with a smoother energy than the more robust clowning styles of silent comedy. This feeds into staples of slapstick comedy gags like the one coat mix-up, exemplified by both Laurel and Hardy and the Marx Brothers.
The Waiter greets us and neatly sets up their aspirations to be a magician by practising the main thematic trick using audio instruction relayed from a period radio. This helps a younger audience to understand levitation, the main strand of magical illusion, and thus the audience can enjoy objects or people appearing to float during a show that is structured around the serving of food and drink (s). Both performers hold the audience by continuous visual moments to create a quirky charming world similar to Amelie, the movie. The cinematic palette is also reflected in the costumes and lighting with strong reds, black and white, and the Guest’s sumptuously vibrant green cloak.
The vintage props are fun, especially a cutlery umbrella, imaginatively inhabiting this filmic world. They are manipulated with skill by both performers, particularly as the Waiter performs their job whilst attempting to impress with magic. The main course offers magic handkerchief spots, bubbles, smoke and balloons along with the classic magic trope of using hand acting and resurrection to bring things back to life. Quiet comments and humour are interrupted by a shadow puppet vinaigrette when we meet the chef in the kitchen – the only full throttle moment of slapstick. Audience participation happens as per magic show and younger members are spell bound with tricks happening right next to their ears.
McNeil revealed that Drouche also makes all the puppets and properties for their in-house shows. With plans to expand and further open the puppet studios, it will be wonderful to broaden this opportunity so that even more family audiences get to enjoy a short burst of whimsical imagination. The design aesthetic is a thing of beauty: from the repurposed spaces to the tiniest stage prop. With evident company cinematic and design backgrounds, these visual strengths can only enhance their in- house productions. If you can’t afford a trip to bygone Paris, or yearn for some well-presented theatrical nostalgia, the Well Walk Theatre is for you.
Written and directed by Zina Drouche
Produced by Dylan Mcneil, Zina Drouche and Marina Turno for Well Walk Theatre
Magic Bistro plays at Well Walk Theatre until 31 May.
