Barry and Stuart: The Show

Gawkishly handsome double-act Barry and Stuart are two performers risking the wrath of the Magician's Alliance with their double bill, The Show and The Tell. The Show, the main event, is an hour of yoof-friendly magic that asks if ignorance really is bliss. The Tell, meanwhile, is designed to pull back the curtain and reveal how all the tricks were done.

However, in spite of their hipster haircuts and edgy pretentions, The Show is a little too safe to ever be particularly exciting. There's no sense of danger or tension, which—when coupled with the fact that the pair never really manage to be raise anything more than a half-hearted laugh—leads to a rather dull performance.

Moreover, the tricks, while admittedly sometimes clever, aren't ever spectacular. Although it may be impressive that Barry can recall the contents of any given page in this week's Reveal magazine, it's not particularly exciting to watch. Which really begs the question, if The Show isn't all that impressive, who will pay full whack all over again to see how it's done in The Tell?