• Support Wokingham Today
  • Get the print edition
  • Sign up for our daily newsletter
Tuesday, June 3, 2025
Wokingham.Today
  • HOME
  • MY AREA
    • All
    • Arborfield
    • Barkham
    • Beech Hill
    • Binfield
    • Bracknell
    • Charvil
    • Crowthorne
    • Earley
    • Emmbrook
    • Finchampstead
    • Grazeley
    • Henley
    • Hurst
    • Lower Earley
    • Norreys
    • Reading
    • Remenham
    • Riseley
    • Shinfield
    • Sindlesham
    • Sonning
    • Spencers Wood
    • Swallowfield
    • Three Mile Cross
    • Twyford
    • Wargrave
    • Winnersh
    • Wokingham
    • Wokingham Without
    • Woodley
    • Woosehill
    • Yateley
    The Newbury Building Society team receive an award from ceremony host, comedian Simon Evans..Credit: Smart Money People.

    Top awards for building society

    Hurst Morris

    Hurst Morris People help show off contrasting dance traditions

    Group gathers in Wokingham to mark International Conscientious Objectors Day

    Picture: Thames Valley Police

    Child sexually assaulted and chased by man in Finchampstead, police release CCTV image

    Cllr Stephen Conway addressing the annual meeting. Pic: Andrew Batt.

    Spend on new exec roles questioned

    Cllr Clive Jones. Credit: Michael Anderson.

    Call for minister to meet Wokingham businesses

    Wokingham Festival Pictures: Andrew Merritt

    More acts announced for Wokingham Festival 2025 with early bird tickets still on sale

    Works are still planned for the busy junction. Pic: WBC.

    Weekend junction closure postponed

    Charvil Picture: Wikimedia Commons

    Nine homes in Charvil approved

  • SPORT
    • All
    • Binfield FC
    • Reading FC
    Wargrave Sprint Triathlon

    Entires still open for Wargrave Sprint Triahtlon 2025

    Joel Pereira

    Reading FC goalkeeper Joel Pereira ‘weighing up options’ ahead of summer transfer window

    Reading Football Club, Joe Jacobson

    ‘This club has tremendous potential’: Reading FC CEO speaks on transfer targets ahead of summer window

    Reading FC

    Reading FC to enhance matchday experience for fans

    Joe Jacobson Picture: Reading Football Club

    ‘We’re in a position to grow’: Reading FC’s new CEO speaks on his objectives

    Reading FC

    ‘He didn’t get the culture of Reading’: Former controversial Royals CEO appointed at Valencia CF

    Reading FC fans

    ‘Together we can be successful’: CEO thanks Reading FC fans for their support as season tickets go on sale

    Rob Couhig and Todd Trosclair

    Rob Couhig speaks on aspirations of Championship return for Reading FC

    Goalkeeping coach Tony Warner Picture: Luke Adams

    Reading FC coach set to depart to join fellow League One side

  • READING FC
  • COMMUNITY
    Hurst Morris

    Hurst Morris People help show off contrasting dance traditions

    Group gathers in Wokingham to mark International Conscientious Objectors Day

    Works are still planned for the busy junction. Pic: WBC.

    Weekend junction closure postponed

    Wokingham Borough Community Lottery

    How you can play the Wokingham Borough Community Lottery

    Inner Wheel members take to the catwalk for charity

    Erleigh Cantors will be singing in a concert on Saturday. Picture: Foto-Rabe via Pixabay

    Celebrate 35 years of music with an Earley concert of Sacred music

    Share Wokingham operates at locations across the borough, through the week, providing fresh groceries. Picture: courtesy of Share Wokingham.

    Struggling families can get help with groceries

    Children and carers meet at Kings Kiddies in Wokingham. Picture: Esi Grunhagen via Pixabay

    Fun for toddlers and carers in Wokingham

    Staff and residents from a Wokingham care home enjoyed a memorable day out at Reading Football Club. Picture: West Oak Care Home

    Care home residents enjoy football nostalgia at Reading FC

  • LIFESTYLE
    • All
    • Food
    • Health
    • Obituaries
    • People
    Share Wokingham operates at locations across the borough, through the week, providing fresh groceries. Picture: courtesy of Share Wokingham.

    Struggling families can get help with groceries

    Wokingham MP Clive Jones Picture: Andrew Batt

    MP calls for action on ‘dangerous’ delays

    Mike's company, Kill A Watt, aims to help households cut down their energy bills and reduce their impact on the environment. PIcture: Dock8 via PIxabay

    Naturally Speaking

    Christen  Forster speaks about the explosion of life in Spring, and at Pentecost. Picture: Christen Forster

    Church Notes: Impossible things to believe?

    Entries are open for this year's event.

    Enter now for Wokingham Bikeathon

    A government push for more radiotherapy machines has been welcomed by ministers as the Royal Berkshire Hospital is among the services to benefit from them.

    Royal Berks one of 28 Trusts to see new radiotherapy machine investment

    A banking hub in Yorkshire. Pic: Murray Scott/Link.

    Banking hub plans for village

    Retrospective plans have been refused. Pic: WBC.

    Vending machine plans refused

    Mind in Berkshire, which provides support, advice, and signposting for mental health services in Berkshire, was commissioned to examine Black people's access to necessary services, as part of a wider drive from the Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust to address inequalities in local services. Picture: PixaBay

    Mind in Berkshire report finds serious deficits in mental health provisions for Black people

  • WHAT’S ON
    • All
    • Arts
    • Entertainment
    Double Standards

    New play ‘Double Standards’ at South Streets Art Centre to explore hypocrisy in dating

    Wokingham Pride

    Could you help Wokingham Pride 2025?

    REVIEW: “Three Hens In A Boat” at The Watermill Theatre

    Siren RG1

    Siren RG1 to mark first anniversary with weekender celebration

    Wellington Farm Shop

    Wellington Farm Shop celebrates its 20th anniversary

    Two concerts in one day from Reading's APO. Picture: Pexels via Pixabay

    An orchestral event in Wokingham promises evening of drama and contrast

    Eva Wong Nava will be at Trinity Hall Church on Monday from 4pm until 5pm. Picture: Eva Wong Nava

    Young writers can meet children’s author Eva Wong Nava

    Crafters can join a project  to decorate Twyford village centre with bunting Picture: Hello I'm Nik on Unsplash

    Get out the bunting for VE Day at Wokingham’s May Fayre

    Crowthorne Symphony Orchestra's performance of American music promises to be a fun and high energy evening. Picture: CSO

    Discounted tickets available for summer concert in Wokingham

  • JOBS
  • ADVERTISE
  • CONTACT
No Result
View All Result
Wokingham.Today
No Result
View All Result
Home What's On Arts

Morgan & West swap magic for science for new family-friendly show – but will you be able to tell the difference?

by Staff Writer
October 24, 2019
in Arts, Entertainment, Featured
Morgan and West

Morgan & West

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

You have been working together for over a decade, how exactly did you first meet?

We were both studying for science degrees at Oxford University, I for a physics degree and Rob (Mr. West) was reading chemistry.

I say studying for degrees, what we were actually doing was using our degrees as a rather paper-thin cover story to be involved with as much theatre as we could.

We first met in a production of Terry Pratchett’s Wyrd Sisters and bonded over a love of Eddie Izzard and Look Around You – a cult tv show which parodied the old Open University videos we’d all watch in science lessons in school.

It wasn’t long before we were writing musicals and other shows together and eventually, we decided to form a double act. We both had a passing interest in magic and so made that our focus. The rest, as they say, is history…

And you were also teachers, at the same school no less?

Indeed, after our degrees we trained as secondary school teachers of science and mathematics and taught side by side (not literally of course, team teaching is brilliant but there’s only so much double act work that you can do in one day…) at King Alfred’s in Wantage.

How scary was it to leave teaching in order to become the duo Morgan & West?

Enormously terrifying.

Related posts

REVIEW: A memorable morning with Morgan and West

Morgan & West’s day of magic for all ages to enjoy

At the time, we had done two runs of magic shows at the Edinburgh Fringe and were also doing small shows in village halls the length and breadth of the UK. We would go into school on a Monday completely exhausted having been performing in Cumbria the night before.

Things took a big leap forward for us in the summer of 2011 when we appeared on Penn and Teller: Fool Us (ITV) where we fooled the eponymous Las Vegas magic duo. We took this (and the bags under our eyes) as a sign that we had to make a choice between teaching (which we loved) and performing (which we loved).

We chose performing and spent the next eight years touring the country and indeed the world with our magic shows.

Morgan & West appear to be Victorian gentlemen, where did the idea for the characters come from?

We love dressing up and what better excuse to wear frock coats, double-breasted waistcoats, and brightly patterned cravats than Victorian fashion?

The facial hair it affords you is pretty fun too.

We were also very much influenced at the time by the golden era of magic, when the line between conjuring and reality was blurred – much like the line between mind reading and reality is these days.

All in all, it’s excellent fun to play characters on stage who are a little larger than life.

With a decade of touring magic shows, why have you now turned your hand to family science fun?

Science education has always been an important part of our lives starting with fantastic teachers at school, through our degrees, and into our (admittedly brief) teaching careers.

We’ve been searching for a way to come back to this through our shows and we finally decided to take the plunge, put down the deck of cards and pick up the test tube rack.

We were always known for our rather irreverent and fun approach to magic, so it’s time to carry that same sense of silliness over to science!

In many ways it’s a real reaction to a time where experts in their field can be shouted down and ignored by people with louder and vastly less experienced voices than them. We want to show people that science is fun, and this not only is it alright to trust people who have spent their lives studying it, it’s very much the right thing to do.

It’s a fine line to tread to do this without lecturing or preaching and we like to think that we’ve managed it pretty well.

What can we expect from Unbelievable Science?

It’s a big, flashy, fun, silly, over-the-top extravaganza for all the family to enjoy together. Plenty of explosions, live experiments, lightning on stage, optical illusions, and whole host of nonsense play over a theme of what the scientific method is all about and why scientists do things the way that they do. 

Since you both studied different sciences at university, which one is better?

Of course, I’m going to say physics and Mr. West would say chemistry but there’s an easy answer to your question – neither.

They’re all part of a bigger picture and that’s the best thing about science, it’s all linked up somewhere and the quest to find those links is what makes it so fascinating. 

Is there anything in the show that is dangerous to do?

Our risk assessment is a weighty tome and everything is done very carefully in the show as there are a few bits that could be rather dangerous if mishandled.

You really want to know what you’re doing when 230,000 Volts is being generated a mere 50cm from your face…

So, has anything ever gone wrong on stage?

Apart from the usual missed lines and theatrical mess-ups you mean? Actually yes, yes it has.

We spent August at the Edinburgh Fringe doing the show every day and one time one of our chemistry experiments went off a bit early.

By that I mean we’d got some water where it shouldn’t have been and as a result there was a small explosion in Mr. West’s hand.

Thankfully it was short-lived and he only had a few minor burns – had he not been wearing his safety goggles it would have been a different matter!

Since then we’ve rechecked the procedure for everything dangerous and altered that one slightly to ensure that can’t happen again.

What a day that was!

Finally, what’s your favourite part of the show?

Personally, I love a good ‘dad’ joke, the kind of joke where the whole audience groans but still rather enjoys themselves.

There’s a particularly good one in this but I can’t say any more else it’ll spoil the surprise! Science-wise we do a live experiment on the audience and I’m always amazed at how well it works.

It’s all to do with sound and, as far as we can tell, it’s never been done like we’re doing it before. It’s astonishing to witness how successful it is every night.

The show will take place on Monday, October 28 at 11.30am and 2pm. Tickets are available from £9. 

For more details, call the Norden Farm box office on 01628 788997 or log on to norden.farm


Keep up to date by signing up for our daily newsletter

We don’t spam we only send our newsletter to people who have requested it.

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

Tags: Eddie IzzardLook Around YouMorgan & WestMorgan and Westnorden farm morgan and westpenn & TellerTerry Pratchett's Wyrd Sisters
Previous Post

Barkham Beauty Rooms launches new look ahead of 10th anniversary celebrations

Next Post

TILEHURST END: Bowen’s Royals show gutsy aggression at QPR

FOLLOW US

POPULAR THIS WEEK

Hurst Morris

Hurst Morris People help show off contrasting dance traditions

June 3, 2025
Reading Today; 18th March 2023;  Thames Water HQ - Extinction Rebellion protest

Thames Water issued £123M Ofwat fine–the biggest ever–over environmental breaches

May 28, 2025
A banking hub in Yorkshire. Pic: Murray Scott/Link.

Banking hub plans for village

May 28, 2025
Cllr Carol Jewell. pic: Stewart Turkington.

Carol appointed as borough mayor

May 31, 2025
Wokingham Children?s Book Festival.

Save the date for children’s book festival

May 28, 2025
Staff and residents from a Wokingham care home enjoyed a memorable day out at Reading Football Club. Picture: West Oak Care Home

Care home residents enjoy football nostalgia at Reading FC

June 1, 2025

ABOUT US

Wokingham Today is dedicated to providing news online across the whole of the Borough of Wokingham. It is a Social Enterprise, existing to support the various communities in Wokingham Borough.

Wokingham.Today is a Social Enterprise and aims to ensure that everyone within the Borough has free access to independent and up-to-date news. However, providing this service is not without costs. If you are able to, please make a contribution to support our work.

CONTACT US

[email protected]

Keep up to date with our daily newsletter

We don’t spam we only send our newsletter to people that have subscribed

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

  • Support Us
  • Book Advertising
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Get the Print Edition
  • Sign up for our daily newsletter

The Wokingham Paper Ltd publications are regulated by IPSO – the Independent Press Standards Organisation.
If you have a complaint about a  The Wokingham Paper Ltd  publication in print or online, you should, in the first instance, contact the publication concerned, email: [email protected], or telephone: 0118 327 2662. If it is not resolved to your satisfaction, you should contact IPSO by telephone: 0300 123 2220, or visit its website: www.ipso.co.uk. Members of the public are welcome to contact IPSO at any time if they are not sure how to proceed, or need advice on how to frame a complaint.

No Result
View All Result
  • HOME
  • MY AREA
    • Arborfield
    • Barkham
    • Beech Hill
    • Binfield
    • Bracknell
    • Charvil
    • Crowthorne
    • Earley
    • Emmbrook
    • Finchampstead
    • Grazeley
    • Henley
    • Hurst
    • Lower Earley
    • Norreys
    • Reading
    • Remenham
  • COMMUNITY
  • LIFESTYLE
  • SPORT
  • READING FC
  • OBITUARIES
  • WHAT’S ON
  • JOBS
  • PHOTOS
  • ADVERTISE WITH US
  • CONTACT US
  • WHERE TO GET THE PRINT EDITION
  • SUPPORT US

© 2022 - The Wokingham Paper Ltd - All Right Reserved.