Heralded by a noisy clip-reel establishing the appreciative bona fides of various TV talent-show personalities, Magical Bones is a slick street-theatre act that transfers more than a little awkwardly to a make-shift stage. This cavernous, converted church is less than ideal for a close-up brand of magic, even with some video assists. Magical Bones aka Richard Essien does more than card tricks, and his patter is generally good, but with no rake on the flat floor, audience members simply couldn’t clearly see the action, an essential component of enjoying any trick.

As a Black magician, Magical Bones is something of a rarity while his influences are mainstream; talks of his first Paul Daniels magic-show kit and his enthusiasm for Debbie McGee. That all sounds about right for a very traditional set of tricks: a levitation, some card sharpness, and an unexpected back-flip or two. The lighting exposes the tricks too, and Essien didn’t do enough to stop the audience talking amongst themselves. While it’s clear that he is an engaging performer, he’s also missing that unique angle that would make his show work better indoors than it does as street theatre. 

Assembly Checkpoint, until 28 August, 4.45pm.