The I Hate Children Children's Show

• Thom Dibdin
• 10 August 2018

This article is from 2018.

More of the same, but different, from magician Paul Nathan

Run children, run! Paul Nathan returns with more avuncular rudeness and an all-new, improved version of the magic show for kids which pretends to hate the audience and is all the more engaging for it.

That's 'returns' as in, goes back into the room where he has just performed his original I Hate Children Children's Show with a second audience for the day. And 'all new' as in, these are tricks that he hasn't done in the original show – but with cutting a rope in half, forcing cards and plenty of deft sleight of hand, they are by no means new to the world.

As for 'improved', well yes, you might say so if you happen to think the added edge given by routines and tricks that aren't quite fully formed yet is an improvement. They don't all work, but that doesn't matter, he can always blame his oh-so-willing helpers.

There's still glasses of (cheap) bubbly for the mums, John Anaya on ironic guitar riffs and knowing interaction from Nathan who makes sure as many kids as possible get on stage to help with the tricks. And it's still a great magic show with tricks that engage to the point where you cease to care how they are done, just enjoy their presentation.

theSpace @ Surgeons Hall, until 25 Aug, 1.35pm, £11 (£8).