I always imagine that magic is a difficult genre of performance to pursue. You have to obviously master the tricks, give them some sex appeal, and write the ‘patter’ that goes along with them. You then need to be able to work with all audiences; some who might not be receptive and willing, and you need to think about delivery - are you providing the right level of pzaz for the target audience? If the magician in question is working with kids, that becomes even more difficult, as they are far and away the most critical audience.
Performing at the Pleasance Dome, Brace of Spades is a magic show that is definitely targeted at a family audience. Tom Brace has the tone, the campiness and the over-the-top boundless energy that is required to keep children entertained, and manages to slip in just enough ‘mature’ jokes so that parents feel catered for.
The fundamentals of magic are the same whether you’re doing edgy street magic, or a family friendly show in the Ace Dome at Edinburgh Fringe. The end goal is to misdirect the audience and subvert their expectations. It’s how you dress up the tricks that changes the ‘perceived’ audience level. With that in mind, Tom Brace is definitely targeting, or at least is presenting in a manner that appeals to the lower end of the age bracket, and that is no bad thing.
I imagine that for many in the audience, some of whom were as young as four, this would have been their first time watching magic, and what a great introduction to the genre this show will have been. Brace has perfected his show and his delivery to make this accessible for all ages, and hopefully inspiring at least one child to watch more magic in the future.
Credit should also be given for how expertly Brace managed to overcome technical difficulties in his show. One particularly brave trick involved using a phone from the audience to place a call, and in a world where the headphone jack is being - needlessly - killed off, it could have been a problem, but with honesty and a degree of self-depreciating humour, Brace styled it out perfectly
I first reviewed Tom Brace during Brighton Fringe, and although slightly disappointed to find that his Edinburgh show followed a similar format to the last - even using some of the same tricks and jokes - the repeat viewing only consolidated my opinion that Brace has a real talent for delivering entertaining and kid friendly performances. Many of the points I raised in that review remain the same, but viewing the show in the context of what it is - family oriented entertainment - I feel certain that it will please those with children.
Brace pitched the show brilliantly, focusing on the spectacle and sparkle often overlooked in favour of opaque and elite mystery. This show is one for adults and children alike, easy watching, a crowd pleasing filler for a busy fringe afternoon.
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