OK, so it was not quite on a par with Garbo talking on screen for the first time but this must have been a special occasion, because the usually silent Teller spoke.
This brief residency is labelled "Conversations", though, so Penn Jillette's diminutive magician partner of 35 years could hardly keep his lips zipped. Actually, he could have. The anecdotes were amusing but ultimately it was the duo's banter-interrupting tricks that did the talking.
With a moustachioed Stephen Fry asking the questions the clowning conjurors were happy to discuss their craft. How they like to subvert and surprise, how David Blaine is taken seriously in America. They explained the decades of dedication it takes to master a "French drop". And after all this time they still like to be deliciously playful. They are currently planning to make a cow - dressed as an elephant - vanish during their Vegas show.
What they did not do was reveal all their secrets, although we did see the classic cup-and-ball skit done breathtakingly fast with transparent cups.
Misdirection is presumably used frequently. In fact, that was the night's theme, with the twosome fooling fans into thinking they had seen a spectacular show rather than an amiable chat thanks to a handful of captivating stunts. It was intriguing to discover that Teller is now working as a consultant on a stage version of The Exorcist. Tonight could have done with more head-spinning stuff.
Tonight (0844 844 0444, ticketmaster.co.uk)
Penn & Teller
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