When I was a boy, I wanted to be a magician. Then I discovered that becoming a professional means mastering 40 ways to palm a coin and 20 variations of the same effect. I stuck with writing. It’s easier.

Which means I spent last night watching three young UK lads do the disciplined work I was never prepared to do – and loving every minute of it. Cameron Gibson, Tom Bolton, and Luke Osey aren’t just a magic act. They’re a band.

Gibson handles mentalism, Bolton is the sleight-of-hand specialist, and Osey brings stunt magic. Like any great band, they mostly work as an ensemble – but each gets his solos. The chemistry is electric without being manufactured. The lads are likeable and wholesome, the kind you could bring home to meet your mother.

The band analogy kept striking me throughout. The countdown timer at the start, the accumulated energy of three young UK lads – at one point Busted’s Thunderbirds theme popped into my brain. Later, a heartbeat graphic on screen lifted straight from a Westlife tour. These are men with genuine star power that doesn’t depend on their illusions.

The show is billed as lightning fast-paced. It isn’t – and that’s a compliment. The pacing is generous, giving the audience time to absorb each scene before the next begins. At 30 minutes, I felt like we’d been there much longer. At 45, I was convinced we’d hit the climax. The show ran the full hour and earned every minute.

Audience participation was extraordinary. So many people were pulled into the performance that I lost count – including me, in a locked-box climax I won’t spoil. By the end, the show felt like it belonged to the audience as much as the performers.

Two moments stood out for their humanity. Luke Osey, who looks about 19, pre-empted the inevitable questions – how old are you? are you single? – with a timing that married wit to craft. And Tom Bolton, completing an effect with a teenage boy named Ollie, offered him a quiet, uplifting message about the impossible being possible. I hope Ollie took it to heart.

Twice I thought I’d spotted how an effect was done. Both times, the magic reclaimed me within seconds. That’s the real trick!