WHAT’S VIBIN’: Three Generations Behind the Magic at the Glasshouse

FRESH from creating the magic and illusions behind Netflix’s new global series Wonka: The Golden Ticket, Australian magician and illusion designer Adam Mada is bringing a very different kind of magic to Port Macquarie this October.

Mada’s Magic Marvels arrives at the Glasshouse with a fast-paced, interactive family show in which the audience doesn’t simply watch the magic – they become part of it.

Objects appear, vanish and transform, young audience members are invited on stage, and at times the entire theatre is drawn into the action.

For Mada, however, the show is also very much a family affair.

Behind the scenes, his father works as the show’s stage mechanic, helping operate and maintain the physical machinery and illusions that make the production possible, while Mada’s 14-year-old son Finn tours as one of the show’s magic technicians.

“Magic has always been about making something together,” Mada said.

“Having three generations of our family working on the show makes touring it particularly special.

“Finn gets to see that there’s an enormous amount of engineering, problem-solving and teamwork happening behind every impossible moment the audience sees.”

Adding another dimension is acclaimed musician Peter Dasent, who performs the show’s musical score live on a grand piano.

Dasent is familiar to generations of Australian families through his long association with ABC’s Play School, where he has been the musical director for over 25 years.

Rather than performing to a prerecorded soundtrack, Mada and Dasent work together live, allowing the music to follow the spontaneous moments created by children and families in the audience.

Mada’s career increasingly straddles the worlds of theatre, television and large-scale illusion design.

His recent work includes creating the magic, illusions and practical effects for Netflix’s Wonka: The Golden Ticket, including ambitious sequences inspired by the world of Willy Wonka, alongside theatrical credits ranging from Harry Potter and the Cursed Child to The Lord of the Rings – A Musical Tale.

But with Mada’s Magic Marvels, the focus returns to something wonderfully simple: gathering families together in a theatre and making impossible things happen right in front of them.

Mada’s Magic Marvels plays at the Glasshouse, Port Macquarie, this October.

NEWS OF THE AREA HAS TWO FAMILY PASSES UP FOR GRABS:

Port Macquarie News Of The Area has 2 family passes to give away. To enter, submit your “Magician Name” to chan@newsofthearea.com.au. Winners will be announced on Thursday 1 October 2026. Winners must be able to attend the Tuesday 6 October 10.30am show.