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1. How did you first become interested in magic, and what motivated you to pursue it as a career?

I was 7 or 8 years old and my grandfather made a coin disappear in a glass of water. That got me hooked. I got books from the library and a magic set for Xmas and kept on practicing.

The motivation to become professional? I was an IT consultant for about 15 years but did performances as a side business. I had the chance to get a 80% position with the company meaning I worked 4 days a week and 1 day a week I focused on magic. I did that for about  7 years. My company at the time had some restructuring going on and my position was moved to another country. I had the choice to go there or take a package and look for a new job. I decided on the later and decided to do Magic full-time for a year to see how it goes. That was 12 years ago!

2. How did you come up with this idea of doing your own ticketed show?

Initially I read about Hofzinser and the shows he did in a his living room and I thought that is something I’d love to do. A couple of years later I met Steve Cohen years in a magic shop in Japan. He told me then that he wanted to do something like the Hofzinser show and about 2 years after that I saw his show in New York. I thought in Singapore we can only see the big shows like The Illusionists etc. but small shows don’t really exist with the exception of stand-up comedy. That was the trigger.

3. What challenges did you face when producing this show?

Finding a suitable venue and convincing the owners.

4. What do you consider to be your signature magic trick or routine, and what makes it unique?

I mainly present classics of magic but in this show the all relate to the overall story line.

The one trick that I have performed the most is probably card to mouth. I have been doing this for almost 30 years and the routine grew into a 7 minute piece that I have done for 1 person and for and audience of a 700 in a theatre. Even if you don’t speak english you understand the effect and you are entertained.

5. How do you interact with and involve audience members during your performances to create a sense of participation and wonder?

All my shows are based on interaction. People take part either by joining me on stage or by making decisions. I think the sense of wonder is created by having an easy to understand plot and by having a story that relates to you or the trick.

In drawing room deceptions all the tricks to the countries I have lived in (Germany, Japan, US, Singapore) . E.g. there is an effect with origami and a true story about a Yakuza I met when I was performing in bar for tips.

6. Can you share an experience where a magic trick didn’t go as planned, and how you managed to recover from it?

I forced once the wrong card on a person. While he showed it around noticed that the correct card was at the bottom of the deck.  I told him that I saw his card, took it from him and repeated the force with right card.

7. How do you continue to innovate and push the boundaries of magic in an era where audiences have access to a wide range of entertainment options?

Performing as much as I can live and in-person. Magic has to be experienced this way. Why were virtual magic shows more in demand than other entertainment options? Because people could participate and interact with the performer and this is even better in-person.

8. Have you met audience in the show who are skeptical and criticial and tried to challenge you during your magic show?

Sure, but not so much at my ticketed show. People are there to have a good time. When I am doing close-up at a cocktail event or dinner I sometimes run into guests who had too much to drink. They might want to shuffle the cards or they grab your hands or they start explaining how the trick works. But to be honest it might be 1 out of 200 tables.

9. What is your perspective on the use of technology and digital effects in modern magic performances, and how do you incorporate them, if at all?

It is fine but you must have an out in case it fails. E.g. Wikitest is a great trick but what do do if you have suddenly no Wifi? Billet routine?

Also people are not stupid they know about technology and what is possible.If they tell you well this is an App the trick is explained. I think you have to find a motivation why to use the device. Regarding digital effects: If you combine it with sleight of hand it has some merits.

E.g. you plug a cocktail shaker from an ipad and then go into cup and ball routine. At the end you pour out a drink from the shaker. You open the ipad again show the photo of a stirring stick or a granish for the drink. Plug it of the Ipad and hand the drink out. This makes sense you use the pad as the prolog and the epilog.

10. Give us one thing audience can look out for when they come for your show.

Interaction from start to finish.

Reserve your ticket for the show now!