But, yeah, mainly it's just, like running and screaming.
So when I was really young, I saw a magician on stage age— really flamboyant, big hair, beard, like the stereotype of what a magician looked like.
When he came out to thank everyone who came to the show, I gave him a picture I drew of him and he really liked it so he gave me a free magic set. I started doing magic tricks at school with the magic set but then that kind of died away for a while until I saw that same magician come on TV when I was about 12 and then I've just been doing it ever seen.
So seeing the magician on TV was sort of my entry into really wanting to become a magician.
Have you ever had a really crazy audience reaction?
I remember I was performing in Covent Garden and these two women came up to me and both kissed me on the cheek.
But, yeah, I've had the classic just people, like, running away, screaming, people saying that I'm the devil and this is juju. This shouldn't be possible. But, yeah, mainly it's just, like running and screaming.
The best reaction for me is actually just silence and people just staring at me because they just don't know what the hell has just happened. So a stunned silence and you could just see it in their eyes, how it's kind of, like, affected them. That's the best reaction.
Does living and working in a city as unique as London influence your performances, your style, your creativity?
I'd say the friends that I've managed to make in London. I've been to school here my entire life, secondary school, college and university. You just meet so many different types of people from so many different backgrounds. A lot of my friends now are doing so many different things, a lot of them in the arts industry.
That's really influenced me in terms of how I kind of navigate the world being a magician. Has it influenced my performance in some type of way? I don't know. I think what's influenced my performance style is just how I am as a person and how I am socially which kind of dictates how I perform.
London has a rich history of magic and mystery. Are there any specific locations or landmarks in the city that inspire your magical storytelling or performance?
There's a place called the Horniman Museum in Forest Hill, and you can see the skyline of London in the park up there. And also near my dad's place, there's a park where you can see the skyline of London.
I've noticed every time I pass a skyline and it's in the evening, you see all the lights. That kind of gets my juices flowing a little bit. Even when I'm driving in the car and I'm just driving around London, that's a time for me to kind of be still and let my mind go where it wants to go.
Are there any places that magic nerds should check out?
There is a magic shop on Clerkenwell Road. It's called the International Magic Shop, and it's one of the shops I used to go to when I was a teenager. I used to go there every weekend and just pester all the magicians working behind the counter— "Can you teach me something? Can you teach me something?"
It's just a great place to go if you want to see magic tricks. If you even want to kind of get into magic and buy a little magic trick for yourself that you can perform like friends and family.
If you could teleport anywhere in the world right now, where would you go?
Jamaica because it's hot, it's sunny. I've got family members there that I haven't seen, so that would be nice to go see them.
Do you have a magical role model? Real or fictional?
Ok, this might be controversial, but Michael Jackson. Obviously, he's quite a polarising person right now, but as an entertainer, as someone who excels at his craft, singing, dancing, creating music, and creating experiences, he is like a magician in his own right. And I feel like as a magician, you want to look at, as an entertainer, you want to look at the people who've done it to the highest level.
Prince is another one. Those two people are inspirations to me in terms of the way they captivate audiences just through their art. As a magician, you know, I'd like to aspire to do the same.
Would you rather be able to predict the future or travel back in time?
Predict the future, because the past is the past. Let's just leave that alone. Plus I can predict the future, you'll see if you come to Magic & Martinis.
