Outdoor magic shows

So it is that time of year when the magic shows start going on outside.

How nice would it be to have everyone entertained outside, BBQ cooking away and the sun shinning down. Everybody having a wonderful time, except the magician! This seems a little bit grumpy and I am over exaggerating, because the truth is I am happy anytime I am performing magic. Just magic shows outside can be quite problematic, even for the most seasoned professionals like myself.

Why are magic shows for birthday parties outside problematic?

Well there is a lot to contend with and keeping 25 six year olds entertained for 1 hour requires a lot of hidden talents and skills. Unfortunately this is made ten times harder with the added distractions outside, adverse weather and angle issues (magicians need the audiences sightline to be correct otherwise their magic secrets can be exposed).

An example- A trick with a magic wand that I have done for 15 years, always gets the biggest laughs. The children without fail will be screaming with laughter as the wand comes to life and begins to float out of my hand and eventually up my nose. This happens without fail, however, during an outside show this would just get a small laugh and minimal reaction. This could happen because of a number of things, the moment is shrouded by the wind blowing over the backdrop. The trees blowing violently at the time of the magic. The sun shinning directly into the child's eyes preventing them from seeing the magic. Despite having a PA system the microphone may still not amplify my voice effectively like it would inside.

What is the solution? To be honest, I still do the magic shows outside and usually always enjoy them like my audiences.

I do though, ask the booker to have a contingency plan if the weather is bad of course. But deep down I know that if the show was held in their living room the whole experience would be better and the show would be a lot better for the audience.