Lie. Cheat. Steal. Confessions of a Real Hustler

• Anna Millar
• 5 August 2012

This article is from 2012.

Slightly underwhelming show from Paul Wilson, writer and star of BBC3'S The Real Hustle

It’s a tricky old business recreating small screen success on the theatre stage, but Paul Wilson, writer and star of BBC3’s The Real Hustle handles it with reasonable gusto, albeit in a far more confined environment. It was The Sting movie, which encouraged Wilson’s career as an expert in conning, scamming and conjuring, he tells us, before working his magic on a pack of cards and pulling up a slightly reluctant member of the audience for the shell and pea game. Wilson’s skills as a host are sound; but without the nifty camera angles and replays, it’s difficult to fully get the wow factor from the card tricks being played out in front of you. The show picks up pace towards the end with a smart coins in a cylinder trick before a pay off finale that gets the biggest clap of the night, for very good reason.

Fans of the show will doubtless enjoy it, but considering the seriously high skill set at play, it’s all slightly underwhelming.

Zoo, 662 6892, until 27 Aug, 8pm, £12 (£11).