A tiny building in Barry measuring just 16ft by 12ft, is the smallest magic theatre in the world, the smallest theatre in the UK and the smallest cinema in the UK, according to owner and magician Jasper Blakeley.
From the outside it is clear that the theatre called 'The Small Space' lives up to it's name, however you may not realise just how small it is until you enter. With the theatre only seating 25, the audience takes up more room than the stage itself.
There are stairs that lead to the bar area in which you are able to speak to the magician, Jasper, before the show, during the interval and after the show making it an almost immersive experience. The quaint bar has a homely feel to it but very Welsh echoes of 'sorry' could be heard as guests squeezed past each other to get to the bar or the toilet.
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As we took our seats, Jasper introduced himself to the audience before the show and even before he officially launched into the show, myself and the rest of the audience were already laughing, with one person stating, "my cheeks are hurting," from laughter. Throughout the performance the audience were in hysterics at Jasper's sarcasm and wit, and it felt as much like a stand-up comedy act as a magic show and at one point I shed tears of laughter. Read more about The Small Space and Jasper here.
As it is a petite theatre, the performance felt intimate and we were able to see the magic effects close-up, leaving little room for mistakes, however there were none. From an audience perspective the show ran seamlessly and every effect wowed myself and the rest of the audience, leaving the audience repeating 'how did he do that?'. Many of the magic effects included members of the audience, therefore due to the small audience everybody was included.
As well as mesmerising the audience with his magic and making us laugh, Jasper also shared his knowledge of past magicians and facts relating to the art form. For example, did you know there are more ways to arrange a deck of cards tan there are atoms on Earth?
Overall, I really enjoyed my night visiting The Small Space and I would recommend it to all 18 and older. The audience was a mix of different ages, but all enjoying it just the same. The experience I had at The Small Space was completely unique, like nothing I have been to before but something I would definitely visit again.
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