James Phelan: The Man Who Was Magic

James Phelan brings The Man Who Was Magic to the Komedia Basement in Brighton, with two runs of dates: Monday 4 to Thursday 7 January and Monday 25 to Thursday 28 January 2027. It's a roaring-1920s-inspired show that mixes comedy, surprises and sleight-of-hand storytelling, and it runs for 140 minutes including an interval.

Phelan is billed as the UK's #1 rated magician and the BBC's most broadcast magician of the last decade. He's the first magician in history to sell out a solo run at The Magic Circle, and he's best known for jamming the BBC switchboard after correctly predicting the lottery. This show draws on his West End run and five years of sold-out performances around the world, and he cites the film Midnight in Paris as an influence on its style.

He's loved magic since he was tiny and says it transcends normal boundaries, appealing to everyone in the same way: to those who enjoy the joy of being tricked and to the sceptics who love to work out how he does it. The show is recommended for ages 12 and over.

All performances start at 8:00 pm, with doors open from 7:00 pm. Tickets start from £24, and you can pick from either the early January run or the later one if the first doesn't suit. The Komedia Basement is at 44-47 Gardner Street, Brighton, BN1 1UN.