Piff the Magic Dragon

Piff the Magic Dragon has been described variously as “Jack Dee as a stage magician” and “gloriously grumpy”. Early on in tonight’s performance, and with a cheeky grin, piff labels himself as the reptilian Tom Cruise. The truth lies somewhere in between.

In an apparent effort to cement his credentials, the introduction of both himself and his magic briefcase (‘Tacular’ - geddit?) is laconic and a touch introspective, hinting that the big jolly green suit could be somewhat misleading.

Instead of then proceeding to mine this potentially fertile ground, Piff’s act consists of time-honoured magic tricks sprinkled with one-liner laden interludes. He reads cards, performs sleight-of-hand, and in a nod to his dragon forefathers, even breathes fire. There are quirks - Chris the Mind Reading Fish is a nice little twist, and there is a neat sketch involving a video projector towards the end - but they are few and far between. Piff endears himself to the crowd (especially the ladies) through regular bouts of audience participation, and appears to enjoy the performance more as the show progresses.

Herein, however, lies the problem. The flicker of pathos smoulders away beneath the surface but never looks like catching fire. Undoubtedly, it’s great light-hearted fare, and seems well pitched in an early evening slot. Leaving the venue, though, it feels like a missed opportunity. Ultimately, there is very little that you won’t have seen, and nothing that threatens to revolutionise the stage magic canon. Nonetheless, it’s harmlessly entertaining fun.