If you put on a show about a man with a huge following, his devotees are almost guaranteed to turn up in droves to honour their hero - which probably explains why Marc Burrows plays to full houses with his show, The Magic of Terry Pratchett.
Convivial, light-hearted and earnest
It's likely that fans will love anything that promotes the man, his writing and his perspective on life. The test is whether people drawn by curiosity - who may know the man only by name, and who may never have read any of his many books (yes, fans, such people do exist - I’m one of them) - can find it rewarding.
Burrows is aware of this, and his informal poll of the audience before the show really gets underway proves that he’s preaching to the choir. His skill lies in making the show accessible to those with no prior knowledge, and who want to know how a man of humble origins became a cult figure. Burrows lays this out clearly in a chronological presentation that is rich with projected photographs, newspaper headlines, video footage of the man himself and quotations from his speeches and books.
His approach is convivial, light-hearted and earnest. His encyclopedic knowledge of the author becomes less surprising once we learn that Burrows was the first - if not the official - biographer of Pratchett, his credentials enhanced by the blessing of the Pratchett estate. He is, without doubt, an authority on the subject, fired with the zeal of a disciple and a touch of nerdiness. There is much to listen to and much to see as the presentation progresses, littered with humorous asides and witty juxtapositions.
There is plenty that plays to Pratchett’s avid readers, with references to many of his works and frequent quotations. They lap it up and cheer him along, while those of us on the sidelines can delight in seeing them so thrilled - without feeling left out.
