History Theatre / MagicGoesWrong

* VomitIndiscretionShot: After the "saw a woman in half" trick goes badly just before the interval, Schitzmause can be seen throwing up as the curtain closes.

A spin-off show called ''Mind Mangler: Member of the Tragic Circle'' premiered at the Edinburgh Festival, with more focus on the eponymous mind reader. This show has been renamed ''[[MarketBasedTitle Mind Mangler: A Night of Tragic Illusion]]'' for its off-Broadway run.

** The Mind Mangler is likewise introduced as a magician who was performing at a Travelodge on the A60 ("Not even a real motorway")

* AnArmAndALeg: [[spoiler: The Blade eventually loses his arm in a botched knife-throwing trick]].

* UnexplainedRecovery: [[spoiler: The Blade seemingly drowns during a botched escape trick, but shows up mostly fine shortly afterwards]].

* BadBadActing: The ”audience volunteer” the Mind Mangler calls upon (actually his roommate).

-->'''”Brian”:''' No, we are not living together.

* ComicallyMissingThePoint: When the Mind Mangler’s “volunteer” forgets his lines, he requests he channels the spirit of Creator/GwynethPaltrow. When the Mind Mangler tries to rerail the show by suggesting they talk to his grandfather, the “volunteer” says that his grandfather is still alive.

* LukeYouAreMyFather: The Great Sophisticato introduces their sponsor as “my father’s assistant and sometimes mistress, and my possible real mother”. [[spoiler: The letter from said father thinks the same way]].

* PoorMansSubstitute: InUniverse

** The Mind Mangler is likewise introduced as a magician who was performing at a Travelodge on the A60 (“Not even a real motorway”)

* SignsOfDisrepair: The lit-up sign that reads "Disasters in Magic Charity Fundraiser" has various letters go out over the course of the production causing the sign to say various silly things. Examples include "SAT IN UNDIE", "MAGIC ARSE" and "TRAGIC".

* UnexplainedRecovery: [[spoiler: The Blade seemingly drowns during a botched escape trick, but shows up mostly fine shortly afterwards]].

* FunWithAcronyms: The Great Sophisticato starts the show with one of his father's tricks, a “Brilliant Display of Stage Magic”, which unfortunately got abbreviated on the production sheet, resulting in some [[UsefulNotes/BDSM interesting choices in costumes and decoration]].

* FunWithAcronyms: The Great Sophisticato starts the show with one of his father's tricks, a “Brilliant Display of Stage Magic”, which unfortunately got abbreviated on the production sheet, resulting in some [[{{BDSM}} interesting choices in costumes and decoration]].

* AbusiveParents: The Great Stupendo’s father, the previous Great Stupendo, refused to allow his son to touch any magic equipment, favoured his other family in Germany and gave his son’s room and inheritance to his pigeons after the latter moved out. [[spoiler: Though it turns out he had good reasons to do this]].

** The Great Stupendo and the Mind Mangler actually saw their benefactor in half by removing the safety bar.

* BaitAndSwitch: The Great Stupendo implies that their benefactor slept with the theatre owner to secure them a spot… only for her to reveal that it was him who did that.

** When the Great Stupendo loses his doves, he warns the audience to look out for them, as they can be dangerous to handle. The obituary reel later shows that someone in the audience was pecked to death by them.
* ButtMonkey: The Mind Mangler can’t have anything good. His assistant botches his act constantly, the sound cue goes off at the wrong time, the Great Stupendo doesn’t think highly of him in his will, the teleprompter writers [[{{Troll}} change his dialogue on a whim]], the montage of recently deceased wishes death upon him [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking and his car gets repossessed]].
* ChekhovsGun: Bäare and Schitzmause insisting on snapping the Great Stupendo’s wand.

* CruelToBeKind: [[spoiler: The Great Stupendo kept his son away from magic tricks because he knew the latter might not possess the same talent he did]].

* DisneyDeath: [[spoiler: The Great Stupendo during the last act]].
* EpicFail: The show receives little to no donations because the Great Stupendo forgot to post the website anywhere. And what little donations they do get are subtracted to pay for damages.
* FunWithAcronyms: The Great Stupendo starts the show with one of his father's tricks, a “Brilliant Display of Stage Magic”, which unfortunately got abbreviated on the production sheet, resulting in some [[{{BDSM}} interesting choices in costumes and decoration]].

* KarmicDeath: The previous Great Stupendo was crushed by all the props that he refused to allow his son to touch. And for added icing, said son couldn’t help him because [[IronicEcho he wasn’t allowed to touch any of the props]].
* LastDisrespects: The Great Stupendo refused to follow his father’s will and snap the wand in half during the funeral.
* LukeYouAreMyFather: The Great Stupendo introduces their sponsor as “my father’s assistant and sometimes mistress, and my possible real mother”. [[spoiler: The letter from said father thinks the same way]].

To raise money for victims of magic related accidents, several magicians gather together to perform tricks for the crowd. Too bad [[HighHopesZeroTalent none of them are that good]].

* AnArmAndALeg: [[spoiler: The Blade eventually loses his arm in a botched knife throwing trick]].
* BadBadActing: The”audience volunteer” the Mind Mangler calls upon (actually his roommate).

* BaitAndSwitch: The Great Stupendo implies that ther benefactor slept with the theatre owner to secure them a spot… only for her to reveal that it was him who did that.

* FunWithAcronyms: The Great Stupendo starts the show with one of his faher’s tricks, a “Brilliant Display of Stage Magic”, which unfortunately got abbreviated on the production sheet, resulting in some [[{{BDSM}} interesting choices in costumes and decoration]].

** The Mind Mangler is likewise introduced as a magician who was performing at a Travellodge on the A60 (“Not even a real motorway”)

-->'''Mind Mangler:''' What a strangely worded sentence, but true nonetheless

* ChekhovsGun: Bär and Schitzmaus insisting on snapping the Great Stupendo’s wand.

* DidIJustSayThatOutLoud: The Blade, when showing off who Bär (supposedly) can’t understand English, says that he can’t perform sexually. Then he begs the audience to forget this.

* EpicFail: The show receives little to no donations because the Great Stupendo forgot to post the website anywhere.

* AccidentalMurder: The Blade kills the cameraman by throwing a knife at him.
* The Great Stupendo and the Mind Mangler actually saw their benefactor in half by removing the safety bar.

* PoorMansSubstitute: The Blade is introduced as David Blaine…’s brother’s accountant’s tennis coach who also does some magic,

* ButtMonkey: The Mind Mangler can’t have anything good. His assistant botches his act constantly, the sound cue goes off at the wrong time, the Great Stupendo doesn’t think highly of him in his will, the teleprompter writers [[{{Troll}} change his dialogue on a whim]], the montage of recently deceased wishes death upon him [[Arson!urderAndJaywalking and his car gets repossessed]].

* CruelToBeKind: [[spoiler: The Great Stupendo kept his son away from magic tricks because he knew the latter might not possess the same talent he did]].