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If you’re WANDering if you should buy tickets to Barry Potter and the Magic of Wizardry, that will depend on how astute you are to magic, pun-filled humour, and your enjoyment of highly interactive stage performance.
This is a family-friendly show. We attended with our four-year-old and twenty-month-old, who were swept along by the illusion and theatrical energy of Tim Motley. For children roughly aged six to ten, this interactive style is likely where the show shines most.
Audience participation is a major feature, with frequent call-and-response moments, volunteers invited on stage, and a strong emphasis on keeping the crowd engaged.
There were moments, however, where the performance felt a little under-rehearsed.
A handful of tricks didn’t quite land, and there were some missed beats, including uncertainty around details such as the city the show was being performed in. Given the realities of Fringe scheduling and a last-minute room change at the venue, this is understandable, it would throw anyone slightly off their rhythm.
The humour leans more adult, relying heavily on clever puns and wordplay that often went over younger children’s heads. While kids clearly enjoyed the spectacle and involvement, many jokes were written more for the parents than the children.
One weaker moment was a particular card trick. The way the deck was divided, shuffled, and cut made the method fairly apparent to anyone familiar with card handling, which took away from the sense of mystery. With greater finesse and tighter misdirection, this routine could be far more deceptive and impactful.
That said, several illusion moments were genuinely impressive.
A few tricks were illusionist gold, leaving audience members visibly gobsmacked and delivering those satisfying “wow” reactions. It’s also worth acknowledging the skill required to script, perform, and maintain audience energy while executing technically demanding magic.
Overall, Barry Potter and the Magic of Wizardry earns a solid 3 out of 5. Best suited to primary school-aged children who enjoy being part of the show, with parents who appreciate puns and can embrace a little Fringe-world chaos along the way.
Barry Potter and the Magic of Wizardry is now showing at Fringe World until 8th February 2026.