There is more to
Sparkles' performance is spectacularly effective
As Mavis goes about her day, we start to get a glimpse of the magic in her routine. Her trolley is a treasure trove. Using transformative stage magic, props tricks, and a well designed set, she turns her tea break and her mopping into a delightful dance. They are very nifty sequences that make you unable to look away for fear of missing the magic. Most of the illusions are just simple reveal tricks which will not fool many little ones, but they’re still infectious when performed with Mavis’s panache. In between, Mavis tell us more about her family: about how her father the Magician met her mother the Dancer, and about the performance they used to do. She shows us some of their stage tricks by transforming a section of the trolley into a stage. Even when we get to see behind the stagecraft, the performance remains spectacularly effective.
The storytelling sections between tricks allow Mavis to tell the us more about her past. These are nowhere near as gripping as the illusions and, sadly, allow a chance for interest to lull. These sections could do with a little cut. However, whenever attention began to drift, Spike is wheeled out with Machiavellian timing to re-enrapture the audience. He is an excellent and very cute companion that has the audience wrapped around his little finger.
The overall message of following your sense of adventure was well targeted for the slightly older children, and accompanied by a heart-warming finale with shadow puppetry and stars. Not to mention the magnificent final transformation of the mystical trolley.
