Dynamo, the British magician, is to become the first performer in residence at a new high-end venue in London with just 90 seats.

The new theatre, called The Abandoned Room, will recreate an “underground speakeasy” for magic in the basement of The Mandrake, a boutique hotel that opened last year. It is hoped the intimacy of the space will spark magicians’ imaginations and allow them to perform magic that would never work in a big auditorium.

Dynamo told The Sunday Telegraph: “How amazing is it going to feel when the performer is right in front of you? Everything that should technically make it difficult for a magician is what this room gives you. The magic is undeniable.”

Dynamo will be the first performer-in-residence, between Nov 15 and 22, with a show called Times Are Gone for Honest Men: “Without giving too much away, it’s going to be a show where the audience is fully involved and the magic happens to them directly.”

As both producer and performer, he is planning to host some of the world’s greatest magicians: “In Vegas, David Copperfield has famously got his theatre at the MGM and now I’m excited to be the one to bring it to London.”