Kids’ entertainers on the tricks of their trade: ‘My years in the police were very useful’

From the DJs hosting mini raves to a Viking battle master – it takes a special talent to contain a room full of rowdy children

When Mandy Holliday’s then husband booked himself a masterclass with the magician Paul Daniels, two decades ago, Holliday couldn’t stop thinking about it. Her husband was a children’s entertainer, and Holliday was a West End actor with little prior interest in magic, but she couldn’t resist. “It was so inspirational. You know those days where you feel: my life has changed? He told us, ‘If you want to be a magician, the first thing to do is amateur dramatics: you can learn all the magic tricks in the world, but if you’re not comfortable in front of an audience, you’re not entertaining; if you don’t have a good routine, it’s boring.’ And I thought, ‘Oh, God, I should be doing this myself.’”

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from The Guardian https://ift.tt/VSJX6BT