Elgregoe to visit Invercargill schools next week
Kiwi magician Elgregoe is once again hitting the dusty trail throughout the country, rearing to get his live show off
the road and into Invercargill and Southland schools this week.
The celebrated performer – almost an educator in his own right - has a new live magic show for 2016 and children from
five to 12-year-olds at Windsor North, Drummond Primary, Heddon Bush, James Hargest Junior and Makarewa Schools are in
for more action-packed tricks than ever before. From Elgregoe’s sidekicks Zazu, Ecce and Ruby the talking parrots, to
the Floating Man trick, to an unbelievable show of ventriloquism, there is plenty to entertain.
But Elgregoe, (known off-stage as Greg Britt), is more than just an entertainer. Years ago, he was immersed in
conversation with a friend. The friend, a school principal, professed frustration at the phenomenon of school-yard
bullying. At a loss, he jokingly challenged Elgregoe to make bullying disappear with his magic.
Jokes aside, it’s a task Britt has continued to face year after year with his popular blend of humour, magical illusions
and behavioural education. More than 850,000 Kiwi kids have been treated to his show, and this year thousands more will
learn about how they can become part of the solution to bullying in schools. Britt hopes to see students having fun at
the show, while still engaging with the messages around the seriousness of bullying, and key elements needed to make it
disappear.
"Every time I step onto a school stage I say to myself: ‘this one is for them’. I want to take them on a journey, to
give them that sense of wonder I felt when I first saw a magician and, more importantly, to remember the messages,”
Britt said.
“I want school to be a positive experience for them and give them the skills to have a bully free day because that's the
real magic!”
This year’s show theme, Traffic Lights, fits into the 2016 curriculum for primary and intermediate schools, with an
emphasis on healthy relationships at home, in class or on the playground. Britt and his show assistant and wife, Sue,
engage students with the fun of the show to help “stop bullying, slow down to consider their actions, and go be that
student who makes a positive change.”
ENDS