From 23 June to 8 August 2026, the pair were on the road with a show of their own: It's Not a Game, twenty-nine performances in 28 theatres around the UK. They called it their most ambitious project to date, and it was. This magic tour has now taken its final bow, but new dates are coming. If you saw it, you'll know why people asked for more. If you missed it, this is the story.
On this page
It's Not a Game, in a nutshell
Most magic shows are a string of tricks. This one was a story. Jay & Joss are trapped in a futuristic, glitching world run by an AI assistant called Debra, and the audience's choices shape what happens next. A video wall and a countdown clock keep the pressure on throughout.
The illusions, escapes and stunts all sit inside that story. One of them is locked in a water-filled box over his head while the clock counts down. They hang upside down beneath a giant spiked rig. Sparks and fire come from their hands. There's levitation, a tower of glowing screens and volunteers brought up from the seats.
Then the finale, Jaws of Death. Two straitjackets, two men hanging by their feet, and above them an enormous mechanical bear trap with a timer ticking. Not one for the faint-hearted.
Why tell a story with illusions?
Plenty of magic tours string together a run of big illusions with a bit of chat in between. It's Not a Game took a different route. Every escape and every stunt had a reason to be there: the AI is testing them, the clock is running down, and the audience is part of the decision-making.
That changes how a crowd watches. You're not just asking how it was done, you're asking whether they'll get out in time and what Debra will throw at them next. Writer Ryan Simons built the script around that tension, and Jay & Joss built the illusions to fit the script rather than the other way round.
It also explains the scale. A countdown clock only works if the danger looks real from row Q, which is why the show leaned so hard on video, light and fire.
The next run is coming.
Check a dateWhere the magic tour went
The run opened at Theatre Severn in Shrewsbury and finished at the Floral Pavilion in New Brighton, with two nights each at Welwyn Garden City and Theatre Royal Winchester. In between, it called at:
- Leeds City Varieties and the Victoria Theatre, Halifax
- Blackpool Grand
- Watford Palace and Chelmsford Theatre
- Worthing Pavilion, White Rock Theatre in Hastings and Tunbridge Wells
- Malvern Theatres and Theatr Brycheiniog in Brecon
- Key Theatre Peterborough and Marina Theatre, Lowestoft
- Lighthouse, Poole
You’re doing it: the documentary
The people who made it
A show like this needs more than two performers. It was written by Ryan Simons and produced by Alex Moran, with music by Ben Parsons and lighting by Andrew Crofts. Tom Elderfield was magic consultant, Neal Austin directed the illusions and Matt Crockett took the production photography. The tour was financed and marketed by Fine Entertainments Ltd, who also manage Jay & Joss.
That team shows on stage. The lighting, lasers, projected smoke and LED work are cued to the story, so the big moments land as theatre, not just as tricks with a drum roll.
Programming a theatre? Talk to us early.
Get a quoteWhat audiences and critics said
Shows closed to standing ovations, and critics called it "completely magical". The Hampshire Chronicle ran its review under the headline "Britain's Got Talent magicians bring interactive thrills in cinematic stage show".
Adventures of a Hampshire Family gave the Winchester performance on 24 July five stars and wrote: "It's clever, modern, funny and completely mesmerising from the very beginning".
Watch how it was made
If you want to see what goes into a magic tour of this size, there's a short documentary called You're Doing It. It follows the making of It's Not a Game, from building the show to getting it on the road, and it's the video on this page.
For more clips, trailers and the press kit, head to the media page.
Check a date for your venue.
Enquire nowBefore this tour: Imagination, West End Magic and The Void
It's Not a Game didn't come from nowhere. Their earlier show, Imagination, was a mix of projections, lasers, spikes, blades and fire, and from 2022 to 2024 it played all of the Butlin's resorts at a rate of 250 performances a year. Early in 2025 it went to Wicksteed Park too, where they marked the visit by vanishing Merlin, the park's train.
In September 2022 they joined West End Magic, London's longest-running theatre magic show, on its tour stop in Norwich. And in 2025 another touring production, The Void, named them as its illusion designers and consultants. Among the pieces they made for it: someone seemingly floating in space.
It's worth remembering where this started. In 2021, with theatres shut, Jay & Joss were performing to people's living rooms over video call, an online show that won each of them a Silver Star from The Inner Magic Circle. Five years on they were filling theatre stages with lasers and pyrotechnics. If you want the fuller story, it's on the biography page.
So by the time they built their own show, they'd seen touring from both sides: on stage every night and behind the scenes making illusions for someone else.
Is the next Jay & Joss magic tour on sale?
Not yet. Right now the pair are on Legend of the Seas, a Royal Caribbean ship, in America's Got Talent: Live on Stage, one of its original line-up, the first time the Got Talent format has gone to sea. New theatre dates are coming.
The best way to hear first is to keep an eye on the live dates page and the news page. That's where the next magic tour will be announced.
The next run is coming.
Check a dateTheatres: bringing the show to your stage
If you programme a theatre and want Jay & Joss on your next magic tour route, talk to us early. The 2026 production used pyrotechnics, strobe, lasers, a video wall and large illusions, and ran about two hours including an interval. Your venue's stage, get-in and technical setup all matter, so the conversation starts with those.
Send the venue name, capacity and any windows you're looking to fill through the [enquiry form](#enquiry). There's more for programmers on the theatre bookings page.
Programming a theatre? Talk to us early.
Get a quoteTour questions
Is the It's Not a Game tour still running?
No. The 2026 run finished on 8 August at the Floral Pavilion, New Brighton, after twenty-nine shows. The tour has taken its final bow, but new dates are coming. Watch the live dates and news pages for announcements.
Who was the show aimed at?
Venues sold it to teenagers, families and anyone who loves magic, but it used pyrotechnics, strobe lighting and special effects and had a darker sci-fi story. Think older children upwards rather than little ones. If you're after something for a young family audience, see the family magic show page.
How long was the show?
About two hours including an interval, based on the 2026 venue listings. Any future production may differ, so check the details with the theatre when dates are announced.
Can I book Jay & Joss for a private event while they're not touring?
Possibly, depending on dates. They're performing on Legend of the Seas at the moment, so availability is tighter than usual. Send your date, venue and rough numbers and the team will tell you straight away whether it's workable.
Where can I see what the tour looked like?
Start with the documentary You're Doing It, which is on this page. Production photos and other videos are on the media page, and there's more coverage on the press page.
If you're a theatre programmer, send your venue, capacity and the dates you're looking at. If you're a fan, keep an eye on the live page for the next magic tour announcement. And if you'd rather have Jay & Joss at your own event, send your date, venue and rough numbers through the [enquiry form](#enquiry) and we'll reply with whether they're free.