Pete Firman: The Pete Firman Magic Show

"Jokes and tricks!" is Pete Firman's catchphrase, and also an accurate description of his show. The quality of both elements varies wildly, and that's really the point, as Firman mixes hilarious gags and genuinely impressive illusions with terrible puns that are hilarious in their delivery and weak tricks that are hugely entertaining in their execution. This is quite a feat, and Firman's northern charm helps his cause considerably as he picks out audience members and gently pokes fun at them, without ever turning unpleasant.

The tricks form the basis of the show, but it's the comedy around them that makes this a rather brilliant parody of the traditional magician's act. A routine that starts with a version of an ancient trick linking two coat hangers, ends with the introduction of a hacksaw to get them apart, which is eventually discarded having been linked to the hangers 'accidentally.' It's this kind of play on familiar magic staples that makes the show such a success, and ensures the ambitious comparisons to Tommy Cooper aren't too wide of the mark.