upfront
Do you miss your religion?
Not at all. I remember one morning waking up,
feeling a bit down, and realising that I didn’t have
that figure of God to call on, who valued me despite
how I might be feeling in myself. But a second or
two later I realised that from now on my self-worth
had to come from myself, from my own thoughts
and actions. That was very liberating and I’ve never
looked back.
Is there a trick or performance you
are most proud of?
The Hero and Apocalypse shows meant the most
to me, as they made a genuine difference to our
contributors and were enormously emotional and
uplifting for all of us involved. Other than that I like
the work over the years, but I don’t feel it’s important
or worthwhile enough to feel actual pride about.
Maybe I’ve yet to discover what that it is.
You’ve mentioned before that you are
‘always honest about your dishonesty’
– why is that important?
As a magician you deal in dishonesty, but then again
so does a fraudulent psychic. It’s important to not
send out an irresponsible message about what you’re
doing. I want the audiences that come to my stage
shows to feel a sense of wonder and amazement, but
at the same time to know that nothing supernatural
is happening. Challenging easy beliefs is an
interesting area for me. I like to take what, say,
mediums do and then do a better job at it and assure
people it’s not happening for real. Then you’re left
with something more interesting and valuable than
just believing someone’s lies.
It’s a tricky line to get right, but I aim for an overall
honesty which allows me to manoeuvre as a magician
within that. Certain things are true and important
– I never use stooges, for example, and plenty of
magicians do. That to me is lazy and breaks the
contract with the audience. Beyond big rules like
that it’s about putting on the best show possible,
and making sure people go home scratching their
heads and feeling moved or amazed, rather than just
believing in something that isn’t true.
You’ve been pegged as the man that has
brought magic/mentalism/illusion into the
mainstream – what is it about your shows
that you think has captured people?
From the start I worked with great people who, far
more than me, knew about TV. Then I think a key
thing to the longevity has been to keep it fresh and
ever-changing. I’ve not stuck with one format for
more than a handful of shows. I’ve also moved the
focus away from myself, which has to be a good
thing for magicians of any sort. Otherwise they just
start to seem like posturing fools once the initial
fascination wears off. Other than that, if the shows
have been successful, it’s about having a good team,
strong ideas and not settling for the normal TV
compromises and cheap formulaic nonsense that
gets churned out.
Why did you decide to become a patron
for the Parrot Zoo Trust?
I had parrots for years, and they asked if I’d take
the role. The Parrot Zoo is an astonishing place near
Skegness, and the guy who runs it is a genuinely
wonderful man who cares deeply about these
extraordinary creatures. His obsession is infectious.
The birds are hugely rewarding as pets – they can
be noisy but they’re endlessly interesting. It’s like
having a small toddler around, only one that can fly.
Do you ever feel guilty for tricking people?
No, because I’ll have been through the months of
work to ensure that the participant is going to be fine
and safe throughout and in a better place at the end.
It’s hugely exciting – not much compares to sitting
back and waiting for your unwitting contributor
to walk into the most elaborate, ambitious and
expensive practical joke you’ve been able to come up
with – and it can be moving, and fascinating, but I
don’t ever feel guilty. So much goes on to make sure
everything will be fine; we have a huge duty of care
towards these people.
What should people expect from the
new show, Infamous?
Hopefully a great night. It’s more fun than the
TV, and relies on audience participation. So if
you’ve been sceptical of watching it on TV, which
is understandable, this is a much better way of
seeing it or taking part in it. It’s a more personal
show than previous ones, more stripped-down, which
I like a lot. I hope above all it’s a unique night that
you couldn’t find anywhere else. Beyond that, the
show is a secret, because it’s better if you don’t know
what happens. So my lips are sealed.
Where do you get the inspiration for
your tricks and performances?
Nowadays, just life and conversations. The TV
ideas come from sitting around with a co-writer or
two an