Cutting-edge mind games

This is New York mindreader Marc Salem's fifth London season and he remains amazing. Salem seems privy to private musings, makes accurate predictions and at one point, in a pocket-sized Deal Or No Deal variant, talks audience members out of waltzing off with £20,000.

It is not all breathtaking though. On Second Thoughts is a new show, but there are only so many ways of using his well-honed skills on volunteers. Where he previously spotted who drew certain pictures through body language "tells", here he similarly rumbled "killer" and "victim" in a mock murder game.

What gave last night a fresher frisson, however, was a moment of true theatre. This is billed as a darker set than usual and, despite the criminally creaky patter, it literally lived up to the cutting-edge hype when Salem clumsily slammed his hand onto an upturned knife to shocked gasps.

This presumably spontaneous incident ramped up the tension as proceedings built to his riveting party piece of identifying objects with 50p coins taped over his eyes. If you've never encountered Salem before he is still a unique must-see performer. Whether he bears repeated viewing, bloody fist or not, is debatable.

Until 5 August (020 7328 1000).

Marc Salem - On Second Thoughts