☆☆☆☆

While 11AM on a Fringe weekend morning might feel like an early start to adults, the kids in Mario the Maker Magician’s audience were bright-eyed and full of excitement. In his self-titled Edinburgh Fringe premier he gives them ample opportunity to burn off their excess energy, quickly establishing a pantomime-adjacent performance style that gets them all involved and keeps them engaged. The focus is always on the children, but Mario gets the adults involved too when he needs a participant with a little more focus or who doesn’t mind a bit more teasing. And no one, regardless of age, could fail to be enchanted by his magic, brought to life with the help of his adorable robots and grounded with the educational bent of his show writing.

It’s that motivational and quasi-educational element of the show that makes it feel especially worthwhile for families with young children. Mario includes famous artists and scientists in his act, using their work to inform his own and making them stick in the minds of his young fans. He also takes the extra step to draw motivational conclusions from each famous individuals’ lives, encouraging the audience to live their lives to the fullest. It’s a classic conclusion to come to for a children’s act but is presented in a way that is memorable and effective.

Mario’s magic is presented adorably. His brightly colored shoelaces and red clown noses are used to great effect to kick off the show. Children (and adults) who find themselves coveting the clown noses need not fear—without giving too much away, they may not feel this jealousy by the end of the show. Later tricks involve Mario’s very sweet homemade robots, who seem to have minds of their own but never fail to be hilariously magical. A highlight here is a robotic play on the classic cup and ball trick, which has never before felt so delightfully silly. 

Adult participants in Mario’s show face some playful teasing, but his child participants are treated like the VIPs that they are. The children who join him onstage are made to feel magical and made integral to the show, the focus squarely on their own hopes and dreams, which Mario celebrates and encourages them to pursue.

Mario the Maker Magician is a popular children’s show to see this Fringe; even on a classic rainy Edinburgh morning, on the first weekend of the Fringe, he had a very nearly sold out audience. But luckily for the children’s guardians it’s not one that they will dread to sit through, there’s enough to keep them amazed and entertained as well. Housed in the inflated purple cow, Mario is a worthwhile family destination.

More information on Mario the Maker Magician can be found here.