One of the things I enjoy most about the Melbourne Magic Festival (MMF) is taking the time to enjoy some family magic shows (whether I’m with my 5 year old or not!) Family magic shows typically have a more relaxed pace and vibe than the magic shows that are geared towards adults or more ‘serious’ forms of magic like mentalism or shows dedicated to card magic.

This year I was delighted to partake in Fab Fiona’s brand new family magic show “Fab Fiona’s Enchanted Toybox”. This is a show with something for all family members – for adults it’s a pleasant trip down memory lane, featuring childhood pastimes that we all know and love (look – I’m STILL a big fan of colouring in, ok?!) through to toy trends across the years. Even the humble cassette tape makes an appearance – adults get ready to explain those to the younger generations! Of course, all of the toys in Fab Fiona’s Toybox are actually enchanted and that’s the other strength of this show – the magic is perfectly themed, well presented and very entertaining. Children in the audience were glued to Fab Fiona’s every move – they didn’t want to miss a moment of her magic. Fab Fiona provided many opportunities for audience participation, which children relished. There are a few surprise moments that had the whole audience giggling which added to the fun vibe of this show, along with a great finale.

VERDICT: “Fab Fiona’s Enchanted Toybox” is an absolutely delightful show – perfect for sharing with your family across all generations. This show delivers equally across childhood nostalgia, magical talent and entertainment. If you’re attending the Melbourne Magic Festival with your family this year, “Fab Fiona’s Enchanted Toybox” is show your family is set to enjoy.

In terms of star ratings, I give this show FOUR STARS!

*Disclaimer: I attended this performance as a guest of Fab Fiona.

Click here for booking details and more information for “Fab Fiona’s Enchanted Toybox”

The Melbourne Magic Festival runs from June 29th until July 11th at Arrow on Swanston – 488 Swanston St Carlton. More information can be found here.

I’ve come to realise that one of the aspects that makes me a unique reviewer is the sheer amount of magic shows that I have seen across 20 years of being a magic fan – in total I’ve seen over 850 magic shows (located in Melbourne and across the globe). One of the gifts that my longevity of magic fandom has given me is the chance to see younger magicians grow into magic and ‘level up’ so to speak, over time. One of those performers is Liam ‘LJ’ Jumpertz, who over time, has honed his magic (and variety) skills and has graduated to the BIG theatre within the Melbourne Magic Festival. “Abracadickhead” may be a show with a cheeky title, but behind that is a show with an engaging backstory, well honed comedy, magic & variety skills paired with impressive levels of audience rapport and showmanship.

Throughout “Abracadickhead” Liam Jumpertz took his audience through a timeline (both visual on a screen and skill presentation) of his life and times in magic, with his journey in magic commencing when he was 11 years old, through to present day (at 26). Rather than being a self aggrandising focus, this aspect of the show was a nice glimpse into the man behind all the skills and also a valuable reminder that we all start from somewhere. Now, I personally know that Liam Jumpertz is epically talented, however if you were ever unsure of that fact this show absolutely proves it! What impressed me most was equally – the breadth of Liam’s skills – across magic but also with fire, whips and comedy AND his ability to entertain and maintain rapport with literally hundreds of people at once. Liam made sure at regular intervals that no one in the audience felt ‘left behind’ and regularly appeared towards the back of audience to ensure everyone remained engaged and entertained throughout the show.

I cannot write enough about the impressive levels of showmanship carried by Liam Jumpertz in this show – you really need to witness this for yourself. To top it all off, if Liam’s skill and entertainment strength doesn’t impress you, the finale of “Abracad!ckhead” surely will – the audience was literally screaming in disbelief!! It was UNBELIEVABLE!

With an age rating of 15+, the content of “Abracadickhead” could go to a lot of places, however Liam Jumpertz keeps everything clever and cheeky without overstepping things. If you’re looking for a comedy magic show to share with your friends and / or teens that are 15+ that packs A LOT of skill and entertainment into a relatively short time, “Abracadickhead” packs a punch and delivers on all aspects. It’s truly a comedy magic focused one man variety show!

VERDICT: I’m confident that “Abracadickhead” will be a highlight of your Melbourne Magic Festival – a thoroughly entertaining smorgasbord across comedy, magic and variety paired with epic levels of showmanship with an unbelievable finale.

I give this show FIVE STARS!

*Disclaimer: I attended this performance as a guest of Liam Jumpertz.

Click here for further details or to book your tickets to “Abracadickhead”

The Melbourne Magic Festival runs from June 29th until July 11th at Arrow on Swanston – 488 Swanston St Carlton. More information can be found here.