By Katie Brown
There is magic… and then there is magic that goes completely, gloriously wrong. And that is exactly what makes Josh Staley’s Wacky Wizardry Goes Wrong at the Adelaide Fringe such an absolute hit with families.
From the moment Josh stumbled onto the stage, already looking slightly confused and surrounded by suspiciously floppy props, the kids in the audience knew they were in for something special. This wasn’t going to be a serious, mysterious magic show. This was going to be silly. Very silly. In fact, within moments, Josh shocked everyone by casually eating a balloon, setting the tone for the wonderfully weird and ridiculous fun that followed.
And the belly laughs started immediately.
The audience quickly became part of the chaos, helping Josh search for runaway rubber chickens that seemed to appear out of nowhere and everywhere at once. Kids squealed, pointed, and eagerly called out to help, completely invested in the mayhem unfolding on stage. Broken wands refused to cooperate, tricks misfired spectacularly, and somehow, impossibly, coins began appearing from behind ears, inside sleeves and even (to the absolute delight of the crowd) from a kid’s bottom, which sent the room into uncontrollable giggles.
The joy of this show isn’t perfect magic, it is perfectly imperfect magic.
Josh has a natural ability to connect with children, giving them just enough time to realise something has gone wrong before reacting in the most exaggerated, hilarious way possible. Every “mistake” becomes an opportunity for bigger laughs, and the children feel like they are part of the joke rather than just watching from their seats.
The balloon animal segment was another crowd favourite, with Josh attempting to twist and shape balloons while things became increasingly chaotic. His playful frustration and over-the-top reactions had kids roaring with laughter, while parents couldn’t help but join in too.
Importantly, Josh doesn’t just entertain the kids, he brings the parents along for the ride as well. His humour works across all ages, combining visual silliness with clever improvisation and audience interaction that keeps everyone engaged from start to finish.
Our five-year-old reviewer was completely captivated, laughing the entire time and eagerly watching for the next silly surprise.
“It was the silliest magic show ever. I laughed the whole time, and I will tell all my friends to go!” – KIDDO reviewer, aged 5
By the end of the show, the excitement was contagious. Kids left buzzing, parents left smiling, and the shared joy in the room was unmistakable.
Our official verdict from our very important five-year-old reviewer?
10 stars! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
If your child loves magic, surprises, rubber chickens, and non-stop giggles, Wacky Wizardry Goes Wrong is a must-see at this year’s Fringe.
For tickets and more info, go to: adelaidefringe.com.au or kiddomag.com.au
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