Oakwood is playing host to the UK's largest illusion show until Friday (April 4th) with world-class illusions direct from Las Vegas.

The park has teamed up with critically acclaimed, award-winning illusionists The Twins to create theatrical Easter production The Illusioneers.

The Twins, Paul and Gary Hardy-Brown, are the world's only identical twin illusionists and their aim is to push the boundaries of illusion, delivering inconceivable and visually spectacular tricks.

Caroline Ashton, entertainment manager at Oakwood said: "We're delighted to have The Twins on board as production managers and directors for this production.

"Six months of intensive planning has gone into this show and we can't wait to amaze our visitors with it."

The show contains more than £100,000 worth of illusions and the staging boasts realistic and atmospheric artwork by West End set designers, lighting designers and choreographers.

The Western Telegraph was invited to a special premiere of the new show, complete with back stage passes to meet the cast and producers.

"We've had a number of illusions designed specifically for Oakwood and have a fantastic cast and crew who have pulled out all the stops to make this a very magical experience," said Gary from The Twins.

"Being cut into eighths, levitated, crushed, stretched, burnt alive, shrunk and impaled is all in a days work," added Paul.

Guests are ushered down a gloomy, boarded-up passageway complete with the sound of drilling and hammering, specially conjured to create the unnerving effect of ongoing production work.

The stage area gives much the same impression with a cluttered set littered with empty drums, machinery and warning signs glowing through an eerie cloud of smoke.

The factory sound effects continue with an occasional voiceover from a loudspeaker announcing that a rehearsal is about to take place, giving the audience the impression of being in a test zone.

From this chilling introduction, The Illusioneers' front man Matthew Powell bursts into action with a seamless compilation of tricks, slicing his beautiful assistants into several pieces or packing them into tiny boxes which he impales with swords.

But, the original assistant emerges unscathed from the pokey contraptions, often followed by a second and a third assistant.

The show is also packed full of dance routines and special effects, like the magical illusion of snow wafting through the theatre. There is audience participation in some of the illusions and a chance for young volunteers to get involved in some trickery of their own with magic kits on sale in a shop in the theatre's foyer.

After the show The Twins perform a little bit of magic on me!

I was told to lie down and close my eyes, and the next thing I knew I was being levitated off the ground. It was a strange sensation being held in mid air by an invisible force, and onlookers were left completely spellbound.

The Illusioneers is an incredible experience that truly has to be seen to be believed.