You know, I get phone calls every week from parents and event planners who express surprise when I tell them I don't work with a rabbit in my magic show ... 'but we thought all magicians pull rabbits out of a hat?' I'm one of the few in Brisbane and on the Gold Coast who doesn't.

Why?

Times are moving on really. Circuses featuring animal acts are fast being replaced by animal-free circuses. It's hard not to be aware of what Cirque du Soliel has achieved by redefining the traditional circus experience.

Is time running out for the magician's rabbit?

Not for a while I would think but consider this...

To make a rabbit make a startling appearance in the show, they need to be produced from something that seems small, or unlikely to even fit an animal. Take this as a given that they are held in a small, and dark secret compartment, somewhere in the magician's gear.

Do Magicians look after their animals?

Many of the rabbits, birds and ducks that feature in magic shows are skillfully, carefully and lovingly reared by magicians to do this. I can tell you stories of Brisbane and Gold Coast magicians who have tirelessly carried their young animals around in slings, across their chests, so the animals can get used to the firm and dark conditions they will be working in. Many of these animals get so comfortable in these situations that they are known to doze off right before the TA-DA! moment.

Many rabbits are cuddle junkies and they LOVE the attention and handling they recieve from kids after a show.

Being an animal in a kids party magician show is a comfortable and cruisy job, highly sort after in the animal world. So I would say magicians most definitely look after their animals.

I choose not to have an animal in my shows simply because of hot Brisbane and Gold Coast summers. If I knew every show would be in an air conditioned theatre, or shopping centre, I would reconsider having a rabbit (I mean they really are great marketing tools for magicians.)

I don't have that luxury. Many of my jobs in summer are outdoors, where the temperature can be 32 degrees in the shade. In a small box where the animals own body heat has no chance of escaping, the temperatures can get considerably higher. My rule of thumb in these situations is to ask: would I do this to my daughter? For me the answer is no I wouldn't.

Therefore I choose to work without an animal ... a live one that is. My choice is to have puppet animals like Peeky The Cheeky Monkey and Dickens The Well Read(but very naughty)Dog keep the kids rolling around on the floor in fits of laughter. Oh, and how could you forget the antics of Hernando The World's Strongest Flea.

The great thing, though, is that you have a choice too.

Now Brisbane and the Gold Coast has a kids party magician who can provide you with an animal free show if that fits your needs.

I hope you better understand my position ... now let's get going, we've got to get those kids laughing and having the best party in Brisbane.