CHILDREN’S SHOWS

Magic Roman’s Summer Holiday

Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose (Venue 24), until 28 August

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What could be better than a trip to the seaside? A magical trip to the seaside, of course – and we’re in a safe pair of hands with Magic Roman, member of both the Magic Circle and the Cambridge Pentacle Club.

Roman warms up the crowd straight away by pitting parents and kids against each other in a friendly competition to produce the loudest cheer. Once our voices are completely gone, he launches into a well-choreographed routine through the guise of going on holiday to Blackpool – with the end goal, naturally, being to win the all-important sandcastle building competition. Roman transports us to a plane, a cinema and a zoo with zeal; the location changes keep each scene fresh, and open the door for all kinds of magical mishaps.

Roman caters to the whole family: while his one-liners and witty asides amuse the grown-ups, his magic delights the younger members of the crowd. He offers a relentless streaming of commentary while setting up his tricks, which effectively maintains the energy in the room. Perhaps most impressive, however, is the crowd control on display – it’s no mean feat to keep a room of six-year-olds entertained for a whole hour, but Roman makes it look easy as he switches between tricks and silly musical numbers with seemingly endless enthusiasm.

He always makes sure to involve the young audience, too, encouraging them to shout out answers at every turn, so whether you’re interested in card tricks, kazoo solos, or just want to keep the kids engaged for an hour, Magic Roman’s Summer Holiday won’t disappoint. ARIANE BRANIGAN