Tom Bolton

A locked gate marked 19½, a tiny office, and a stubborn 19‑year‑old knocking on every bar and hotel in Durham, this is how The Magic Corner began. We sit down with Tom Bolton to unpack how a 10–12 seat room became a destination venue, why careful lighting and sound cues matter as much as sleights, and how seasonal shows keep locals returning with new guests in tow.

Tom walks us through the show’s architecture: a bar‑hatch first half, a bookshelf reveal to a ring‑seated second half, and production choices that turn tricks into theatre. Hear how he frames a multiple selection using “principles of magic,” layers Double Cross so spectators can’t backtrack, and uses Inject and Toxic to deliver deeply personal, phone‑based impossibilities. We dig into Loops and PK Touch performed surrounded, Optix for a jaw‑dropping phone vanish, and a chop cup that pays off a promised “elephant” at the perfect moment.

Then comes the signature piece: Goblet of Fire. A name is written, the ember rises in amber light as music swells, and the room fills with that hush only real wonder creates. Tom explains how QLab, DMX, and an Audio Ape remote let him run every cue himself, transforming small‑room magic into a cinematic experience. We also explore reviews and tourism wins, TripAdvisor recognition, Fringe lessons from Edinburgh and Adelaide, and a candid banishment of ego‑driven hype.

If you love intimate magic, theatrical polish, and creative routing that turns constraints into strengths, this one’s for you. Subscribe, share with a magician friend, and leave a quick review to help others find the show. And if you make it to Durham, grab tickets to The Magic Corner and tell Tom we sent you.

Tom Bolton’s Desert Island Tricks: 

1. Multiple Selection 
2. Double Cross 
3. Inject 2.0
4. TOXIC +
5. LOOPS
6. Optix Pro
7. Chop Cup 
8. Goblet of Fire 

Banishment. Ego in Magic 

Book. The Particle System 

Item. QLab 

Find out more about the creators of this Podcast at www.alakazam.co.uk

Chapters

• 0:00 Stumbling On 19½ And A Dream
• 2:00 Announcements: Alakazam Live Podcast
• 3:00 Meet Tom Bolton And His Venue
• 5:02 Building The Magic Corner Pre And Post‑Covid
• 8:00 Designing The Two‑Room Show Flow
• 10:30 Seasonal Themes: Halloween And Christmas
• 12:30 Programming Lights, Sound, And Atmosphere
• 15:30 Reviews, Tourism, And TripAdvisor Win
• 18:00 Audience Travel Challenge And Durham Pitch
• 20:00 The Island Format And Tom’s List Setup
• 21:00 Pick 1: Deck And Principles Multiple Selection
• 27:30 Pick 2: Double Cross With Layers
• 31:00 Pick 3: Inject As Go‑To Impromptu
• 34:00 Pick 4: Toxic As Emotional Closer
• 37:30 Pick 5: Loops And PK Touch
• 40:00 Sponsor Break: The 1914 Announcement
• 41:00 Pick 6: Optics And Phone To Impossible Location
• 46:00 Pick 7: Chop Cup And The Elephant Callback
• 49:00 Pick 8: Goblet Of Fire Set Piece
• 54:00 Banishment: Egos And False Hype
• 56:30 Book: Joshua Jay’s Particle System
• 59:00 Luxury: QLab, Lights, And Audio Ape
• 1:01:30 Dates, Fringe, And How To See Tom
• 1:03:45 Host Closing And Subscribe CTA
• 1:15:16 Ad: Liquid Forks Teaser

Transcript

SPEAKER_03: 0:00

I walked around and I went into every single hotel, every single bar, every single cafe, and just said, I just need a room. I want a room that I can just kit out. It can be mine. But being a 19-year-old kid, not many people took me up on it. They all said no. So me and my mum, we pretty much gave up. But we were just walking down the street. We walked down the street that we don't usually walk down in Durham. And we walked past this gate that has an address of 19 and a half on it, which is a very cool address. And there was a little toilette sign, like a rent sign up next to it. Oh, that's really cool. There was a guy painting some stairs, and we asked him, like, oh, is this place up for rent? And he said, Yeah, yeah. Do you want to have a look inside? And we're like, Yeah, absolutely. That sounds great. So we go in and it is very small. And um, the guy said, uh, oh, the landlord's just around the corner. Do you want me to get him over and he can maybe talk to you about it? And we're like, oh yeah, for sure. So landlord comes over, he he gives us his price, and he's like, and we're like, okay, yeah, we'll think about it. And then I basically told him the ideas in my head of what I wanted to do with this space. And there and then he plummeted the price, and he was like, I want you to do this. So we were like, oh my god. So the next day we had it, and it was it was basically go, go, go from there.

SPEAKER_01: 1:57

So aside from that, we have a brand new podcast, and that is the Alakazam Live Podcast. This goes out every Tuesday. It's another free podcast, so you can download it and listen to it free. It's on every major streaming platform, exactly like this one. And on the live Alakazam live podcast, you're gonna get Peter Nardi every Tuesday talking about a subject, maybe behind the scenes of magic. Uh, he'll be joined with different guests. A lot of the time it will be with Wayne Goodman, but you can listen to that. Now, if you want to see that live, it's actually every Tuesday live on Alakazam. But in order to reach the biggest audience we can, we've decided to then take that and pop that on podcast platforms. So if you're driving, going for a walk or for a run or whatever you're doing, then you can listen to that as well. So, wherever you're listening to this podcast, search for the Alakazam live podcast, and you'll be able to listen to that too. So, let's stop babbling on about that because I'm very excited about today's guest. I've known about today's guest for a long time. He actually came down several years ago now when he was building a Halloween show, and we sat down and we spoke all things magic. And since seeing him then, watching his career grow and learning about his magic venue, he has his own magic venue. Considering he is so young, it's absolutely unreal. I think that the things that he has achieved in his short time on this earth is probably as substantial as someone who's been in this career three times him. He's absolutely done some incredible things. He continues to make that a larger thing. He just told me that he's developing other ideas with it. I've not had the chance to go down there either, which I'm gutted about. He does lots of different uh fringe shows, so he works with Luke Osland, who we've had on this podcast, and a couple of other guys with Insane Magic, which he sometimes stands in at Edinburgh and he does it at the Adelaide Fringe as well. I think they're heading out there soon at the time of recording. But his own show, which I've seen clips of, which is called Grow Up Magic Man, which looks absolutely brilliant, it looks whimsical, it looks fun, it looks completely different to anything that I've seen. And of course, I mentioned he had his own venue, that is the Magic Corner. This is such a cool little venue that uh Tom puts on shows himself, and it's packed week after week, year after year. It's so difficult to actually get a ticket. Of course, today's guest is the wonderful Tom Bolton. Hello, Tom.

SPEAKER_03: 4:44

Hello, Jamie. Thank you so much for having me.

SPEAKER_01: 4:46

Well, excited to have you on. Now, before we get into everything uh and finding out about your list, we have to find out about the Magic Corner because I think it's such a great venue. So tell us about the Magic Corner, what it is, what you do there.

SPEAKER_03: 5:02

Yeah, so the Magic Corner, it's um it's it's sort of it's sort of been my dream since I was a a child, really. It's uh I started in 2019, uh about four months before COVID, which was terrible timing. Uh, but you know, since COVID, people were desperate for things to do, so it definitely sort of shot off from the end of COVID, which was good. Uh but yeah, it's it's essentially a very, very small, intimate magic show um that is only 10 to 12 people at a time. So it's a very small room. Uh essentially the idea of it initially was I wanted the back room of a bar, I wanted the spare room in a hotel, uh, definitely the uh the chamber of magic. Um Steve Cohen, I think, does uh that definitely was something that I saw and I was like, yes, that's sort of what I'm what I'm what I have in my mind. And then obviously Joshua J. brought out Six Impossible Things, which again is a similar idea. And I was like, yes, okay, cool. This is this is doable, this is workable. Uh people have shown that it works, so I'm gonna try and push this. So uh yeah, so I uh sorry. I live in Durham. Uh for those of you that haven't been to Durham, it's a very magical city. Uh Harry Potter was filmed here. Uh, if you walk down the streets, it's very, very sort of old and whimsical. It's it's it's a lovely, lovely little city uh in the northeast of England, and it's somewhere that uh a little magic show would work. I walked around and I went into every single hotel, every single bar, every single cafe, and just said, I just need a room. I want a room that I can just kit out, it can be mine. Um and the reason for that is because uh I wanted people to have a drink during the show, so I thought like if it was in a hotel, they can get a drink at the bar and bring it up to this magic room. But being a 19-year-old kid, not many people uh sort of took me up on it. They all said uh no. Uh so me and my mum, we pretty much gave up. Uh, but we were just walking down the street. We um we walked down this street that we don't usually walk down in Durham for for no reason at all, other than you know, we're here to find something unique, so let's just have a look. And we walked past this gate uh that says that has an address of 19 and a half on it, which is a very cool address. And there was a little toulette sign, like a rent sign um up next to it. Oh, that's really cool. So there was a guy painting um some stairs uh on the outside, just inside of the gate. And we asked him, like, oh, is this place up for rent? And he said, Yeah, yeah, do you want to have a look inside? And we're like, Yeah, absolutely, that sounds great. So we go in and it is very small. It's basically it's like an office building. There's a there's a couple of rooms, and it's just an office, really, but it's empty. It is it is up for rent. And um the guy said, uh, oh, the landlord's just around the corner. Do you want me to get him over and he can maybe talk to you about it? And we're like, oh yeah, for sure. So landlord comes over, he he gives us his price, and he's like, and we're like, okay, yeah, we'll think about it. And then I basically told him the ideas in my head uh of what I wanted to do with this space. And there and then he just plummeted the price, and he was like, I want you to do this. So we were like, oh my god. So the next day we had it, and it was it was basically go, go, go from there. We basically we very much rushed into it. So we took this office space um and with uh a lot of help from my parents, we just kitted it out. You know, we we got some chairs, we got we me we painted the walls, it we just there is two rooms separated by a little staircase that goes down. We we've separated that now so it is what uh two individual rooms rather than sort of one big room that stretches round, and we have a a bookshelf door in between them. So that sort of uh the first half of the show is in this bar area um where they where they serve drinks, and the second half of the show is down the stairs and uh through the bookshelf. It's nice because it kind of creates uh very two different halves of the show. So the first half is the bar. Um there is a little hatch. It used to be a little window, but we turned it into a hatch that went into a little utility room. That utility room is now the bar where I serve drinks through the hatch. So that essentially how it works, a group of 10 people come in, uh, they sit down, uh, I serve them drinks through the bar, and the show basically starts in that room. And then the second half of the show, uh, well, there's an interval for more drinks, and then second half of the show, they go through the bookshelf, they take a seat in sort of like a ring formation, and the second half is down there. Um but yeah, that's basically it. It's a very close-up show, with it being only 10 to 12 people at a time. It's uh uh it sells out quite nicely. Um, so I do three shows a day, usually Thursday to Sunday, sometimes Wednesday to Sunday. Occasionally I'll do a Monday show. Um so yeah, so yeah, that's basically it. I don't know if I've missed anything out. I'm not sure, but maybe.

SPEAKER_01: 9:33

Well, it sounds incredible, and I know that you theme your shows as well. So this isn't just uh a show that you do year-round. I mean, you you have your your staple show, of course, but then you do things around Halloween and Christmas as well.

SPEAKER_03: 9:49

For sure, yeah. So the show changes um purely because a lot of people come back. Uh it's it's one of those things that I think the reason it's it's become quite successful is because people go to the show and that as soon as it finishes, sometimes even at the interval, they're already thinking who they're gonna bring. Because all they want to do is bring people, other people to their show. Uh so you get people coming with like uh with like their work, and that's say that's 10 individual people with their work. Those 10 individual people all want to then bring their family and friend and friends as well. So it sort of takes off from there, which is which is really, really good. And word of mouth is so strong for it as well. Um, but yeah, throughout the year, so from January to say, I would say August, it's it's just the normal show, the normal magic corner show. Uh, and then in August I'm in Edinburgh Fringe. Um, and then sort of like mid-September till early November, it's the Halloween show. And again, mid-November till sort of like end of December is the Christmas show. Uh the Halloween show is the biggest difference. Um it's the first half is very much magic, but sort of with a spooky theme. Uh, the second half is a seance uh that I remember we we talked about uh years ago. Uh so the second half of the show, yeah, with it being the seance, everyone's already sat in a big ring, so you just put a big table in the middle and you do that sort of theatrical seance. So it's not it's not like a real seance, it's more of a theatrical one where um lots happens um towards the end, it sort of builds up. Uh and then the Christmas show, yes, it's just different, it's just Christmas themed. Uh put decorations up, change the change the colour of the lights and stuff. And and yeah, um the show it has uh I'm always tweaking it, but not just the magic side, I am changing the tricks, but I'm a big, big believer in making magic theatrical or as theatrical as possible. I think um doing the magic corner, I've realized how important lighting and sound is in a show. Uh so now in the magic corner, everything is programmed from the every single bulb in the room is programmed through DMX. Every single uh I've got little spotlights, I've got um little battery-powered lights that they're all they're all controlled by Qlab. Um, everything is controlled, and it's it's what in my opinion, what's made the biggest difference to the show is the uh the lighting. Um it I I can't even stress how how important lighting is in in shows. Um so like for example with Halloween, just having that like sudden blackout moment is is vital. And you can have a remote, but you know, they're not always reliable. Whereas if you just have everything programmed, one click of your little audio ape and just everything blackout and you can get the spotlights coming. And yeah, so uh yeah, so the show show changes throughout the year and you know, always tweaking the lights, always trying to improve it as we go.

SPEAKER_01: 12:35

And correct me if I'm wrong, this is done really well in terms of local trip advisor and stuff like that. And you've done really, really well with like tourism and just getting people from outside who don't necessarily know what the magic corner is in.

SPEAKER_03: 12:49

Yes, for sure. It's uh I think the furthest someone's ever traveled for the magic corner was from I think Germany. Uh and the reason for that is ages ago before I started the Mag no, when I was just starting out the Magic Corner, uh this um it was like this little pocket guide got in touch with me from Germany and said, Oh, we're we're basically writing a little pocket guide of Harry Potter locations. And I was like, Oh, that's cool. And they were like, Um, I know your show isn't like a Harry Potter location, but obviously Durham is, and you're like a magic show in Durham. Would you mind if we put you in? I was like, Oh yeah, absolutely fine. And it must have been three years later, uh, a couple from Germany came to the show and I was like, Oh, so how did you guys hear out hear about the show? And they were like, Um, oh, we we read it in this little pocket guide of Harry Potter locations. I was like, Okay, you're the first people to ever come from that, but it's good to know it worked. It was free at the end of the day, so you know I can't complain. So I think that's the furthest anyone's ever come for it. Um, but yeah, people do travel for it, which is really nice. Um the reviews are great. Uh, I always um I don't I don't push reviews on people at the end. I have a little line that I say at the end if you wouldn't mind leaving a review, it'd be very uh uh very kind of you, sort of thing. Um and the I think the good thing about it is people don't just leave a review, they actually they leave like a good solid review, like they actually write par like a paragraph rather than just saying, oh, it was great. They they do really go into detail and it's really helpful. And I think, yeah, over the past six years, I think across all platforms were nearly a thousand reviews, which is really five-star reviews, um, which is really great. And yeah, the TripAdvisor thing, I I got in touch with TripAdvisor when I first started, and they just denied my application so many times. I think something to do with being a uh just a sole business, I I'm not sure, but um somehow I'm on TripAdvisor now, so it wasn't me. Someone else must have put me on, uh, which is absolutely fine with me. Um and yeah, it's gathered some reviews on TripAdvisor, and uh I got an an award not that long ago. It's something to do with the top 10% of worldwide attractions, and I'm not sure what that means exactly. I know it's something to do with the reviews, and uh, because obviously I I could I in my head I'm like I'm there's no way I'm in the top 10% of attractions worldwide when you know you're up against you know the you know the Eiffel Tower and stuff like that, you know. Um but I think it is based on the quality of the reviews. So there's not a huge amount of reviews, but every single review is is really detailed with you know they're long reviews, they're not just it was it was fun, you know. So I think that's why. But uh yeah, I was really happy to get that. It's probably the first award um I've got for it. Uh and hopefully there'll be more in the future.

SPEAKER_01: 15:25

Well, I want to put this out there now. So if you're listening, Tom just said that the furthest someone has travelled to the Magic Corner is Germany. I think we can beat that. If you're over in the UK from abroad, from overseas, and you're here for maybe a convention or for a holiday, please book into the Magic Corner and tell Tom that you heard it on this podcast, and Tom will let me know that uh that the furthest what how far can we Australia? Should we America or Australia Canadian uh Canadian? That'll do uh Canada, yeah. Um yeah, okay, right. I believe in you. I believe in the Alakazam listening.

SPEAKER_03: 16:09

Durham's a lovely city, we're not too far from Newcastle. It's not many people visit the northeast of England, but honestly, it's the there's some of the nicest people in the world. And Durham's uh a lovely city, and it's not expensive as well. It's very cheap. Hotels are cheap, so yeah, you you'd be doing well. You it you it's worth coming to Durham even if you don't come to the show.

SPEAKER_01: 16:27

So you kind of alluded to this earlier. I'm guessing having this environment allows you to change up the material that you're performing quite regularly. So did that help inform your list or or was that worse because you had so much to choose from?

SPEAKER_03: 16:45

It it did. So with the Magic Corner, there's um most of the things on my list I do do in the Magic Corner, if not to be honest, all of them, mainly because that is my that's pretty much my life at the moment, is doing that show. Uh yeah, with the show, it I do tweak it, I throw in new stuff every so often. It's also great to practice stuff. So it, for example, if we are doing so, for example, with Grow Up Magic Man, sometimes I would take the tricks from there and do them in the magic corner because it's only 10 people at a time, so that it's really good to practice these tricks. Uh so if it goes wrong, at the end of the day, you're only letting down 10 people at a time, so it's not too bad. Um, and it's great to practice, but yeah, I do throw stuff in, but there are a lot of staple pieces in the magic corner that have very much they they've I've I've almost been doing them from the start and they've got to a place now that I I just feel like I can't take them out of the show. It's it's one of those that people bring their friends purely because they want to show them this trick. Because I was always a big believer of I need every year I need to change the show, and then it was I can't remember who it was. I think it was Graham Shaw who told me but that people will come back purely to see that trick, and they might actually be disappointed if that trick isn't in the show. So there are a few staple pieces in the show that I will talk about that I do quite a lot. Um, but generally, yeah, unless there's a theme like Halloween or Christmas, the show will stay the same. Or I'll tweak it, like throw in something new. Like, for example, at the moment I've got a traitors themed trick because traitors is absolutely huge right now. So as soon as I uh say, oh, you know, uh I say sort of something along the lines of yo, mind reading, you know, what is it? You're sort of looking at people, seeing how they react in certain situations, uh, that sort of thing. And there's a whole D TV show dedicated to this. Uh, does anyone know the one I'm on about it on right now? And as soon as someone said the words traitors, I press my button, the whole room goes red, and then it's sort of like the the music starts playing, and then we go into sort of like um uh an oddballs routine uh to do with the traitors. So I'll throw in stuff like that. If there's if there's something that's worth throwing in, I will. Uh but generally it's it's insane. But yeah, my list is primarily stuff that I do in the show.

SPEAKER_01: 18:52

Okay, well, that can keep us guessing for now. If it's your first time listening, the idea is we're about to maroon Tom on his very own magical island. When he's there, he's allowed to take eight stricks, banish one item, take one book and one non-magic item that he uses for magic. Particulars, who's there, what's there, all of that good stuff, we do not mind. It's in Tom's own imagination. So let's go to your island now, Tom, and find out what you put in position number one.

SPEAKER_03: 19:17

Yeah, so I I've listened to the podcast quite a lot. Uh some of the stuff that I'm about to say has been said before, but obviously uh I'm gonna start with the the obvious ones. Uh the foot number one is, of course, a deck of cards, uh, just a normal deck of cards. A lot of people say like a memorized stack and stuff. Uh not for me. I've I've never I've never never learned a stack to this day. Um we'll get into that in the book section soon. Uh, but yeah, I've never learned a stack, so it is just a normal deck of cards. Um, I assume you're about to ask me what I would do with that deck of cards. Oh, yeah. And that is the yes, and that is the first trick of the show. Um basically, before the show starts, I have a big bucket of cards, so many cards and pens as well. And before the show starts, there Is an announcement that says before the show starts, you have to go grab a packet, grab a single card, and I want you to sign it, make it unique. Write your name, your signature, your bank deals, anything you want on that card, uh, and then the show will begin. So, everyone, it's just something that rather than I've never liked starting a show by going, Hello everyone, my name's Tom, I hate it. I I I need them to be doing something first to just just to get them warmed up, you know, so I don't have to do the warm-up essentially. So they all grab a card and then I actually start the show in the hatch, so in the bar, and I do a few tricks there. But when I come into the room, I collect every single card from them and I do a multiple card selection with those cards. Uh so they all get lost into the middle. And the multiple card selection that I do is something that I do in the Magic Magic Corner, but I've also done on stage as well. Uh I did it in One Hour of Insanity, which is the Insane Productions uh sister show. It's the um it's the circus show that they did. So they have One Hour of Insane Magic and One Hour of Insanity, which they trialed last year, uh was really fun, a big success. Uh there was a magician, there was a circus act, a comedian, and a juggler, uh, and a um circus act as in juggler and a hula hooper as well. Uh so in that show, I was the magician in the show and I did the multiple card selection in that. Now, the multiple card selection that I do is it's all to do with the principles of magic. Uh, I saw a video on TikTok uh a few years ago, and it was it was the seven principles of magic. And it was a CGI video uh with this guy, and he he does like appearance, uh uh disappearance, um, transposition, teleportation, you know, all of those sort of things uh in this video with a balloon. It's really good. You should definitely check it out. And I saw that, I was like, that would be really cool if you could find a card using each of the principles of magic. So yeah, so I in the Magic Corner I do do it. Uh there's a few different differences to the Magic Corner one to that I do on stage. On stage, I have a big screen behind me that sort of brings up the principles, and um yeah, so on stage I just do six cards in the magic corner. There could be 10 to 12 cards, so I do just find some non-principle, just you know, it appears in your back pocket or whatever. Uh but yeah, the the six or seven principles I do on stage are so the first one's appearance, so you make a card appear, that's the first card. The next one is transposition, where their card changes into another card. Uh, the next one is uh misdirection, uh, where I find a card with one hand behind my back with the other hand up here, misdirecting. The next one is escape, so I just talk a little bit about Houdini. In the magic corner, I have a pair of handcuffs, the Moroccan wrist straps. I'm sure you're aware of them. I have those and I hand them out and I can get them checked out. I lock them in, I lock myself in, and I find their card whilst locked in and then escape from the handcuffs, you know, true Houdini style. Then I lock them in the handcuffs and just leave them for the next 10 minutes in them, which is always fun. Uh, and then I think it's prediction. So, you know, you have you have a card in view the whole time, and that is a signed card that someone's chose. Uh, and then it's oh I think it's teleportation. So on stage, I would do angle Z. So I rip off the corner of their card and it appears in a randomly chosen pocket in the audience, um, with as you can imagine, a lot of pre-show involved, which is always scary. I did that in Adelaide last year, and oh my god, every single time I was just backstage staring at that person, making sure they don't see that in that card's corner card in their pocket. I was like, oh no, if they find it, the game's up. Um, and then at the moment in the magic corner, I end with uh a disappearance with an omni deck, but I'm slowly trying to transition into using Leviosa because that can use two principles of principles of magic, telephonesis and also levitation. So I I would like to end with that as well. So yeah, so I think in terms of the multiple selection, I haven't seen anyone. There might be people that do it like that. I haven't seen anyone doing it using the sort of principles of magic. Uh but yeah, that's what I that's what I do with the as a normal deck of cards. That's my favourite routine.

SPEAKER_01: 24:09

Well, I think that sounds great. I love the idea of using the principles of deception just to you know make it more interesting and a bit more engaging because I guess it's quite a repetitive thing. So the real skill there is to make it engaging and in entertaining.

SPEAKER_03: 24:23

Yeah, and in in terms of that as well, I think one thing one thing audiences love, and I don't know why, because I'm actually not the biggest fan of card magic. I've always liked doing magic with like other objects, but audiences love card magic, they really do. I think they love they love one-to-see skill. Um, it's it's one of those that it's funny because whenever I do the show, there are some things in the show that people like dumbfounded, they have absolutely no idea. And then when it comes to the card stuff, they say, Well, I know that I know he's doing something, I just don't know what it is. But like they've in their head they've like figured it out. They've like, oh they know what's happening. No, they know something's happening, they just don't know what's happening. Um I think people like that, they sort of like knowing that there are there is some serious sight of hand going on, I just can't see it. And and and like it's sort of a game, you know, that the audience is sat there trying to see you, trying to work it out, and they just can't, even though they know it's happening, they just can't see it. I think audiences love that. I think by adding the principles of magic as well, they're also getting a bit of a lesson. Uh these are all words that they've heard, but they've maybe never seen in action. So it's always nice for them to oh yeah, misdirection. Oh, what's that again? Oh, that's what it is, you know, that sort of thing. So not only are you finding a card, you're also giving them a bit of a lesson, which I think is quite nice as well.

SPEAKER_01: 25:37

Well, I think that's a great choice in at number one. And Devil's Advocate didn't come out because you knew what was going to happen anyway. So let's go on to the number. What's in uh position number two?

SPEAKER_03: 25:47

Uh number two is double cross. Uh again, it's been mentioned a few times, but uh I again it's a fantastic trick. Um, I've actually put the heart version rather than the cross version. Uh the reason for that is because it just works for me in the show. So on the walls, I have um I have uh all of the suits um in like sort of frames. Um I've found them online, they look great. So for double cross, the way I do it in the show is one thing I don't like about double cross is hold your hands up, uh draw draw an X, like get it and throw it. It works in some situations. Obviously, if you're doing a gig, it's very loud, it's very uh there's lots going on. So sometimes you just have to just do it, you know, make it as visual as possible. With the Magic Corner show, it's very it's quite a long routine, actually. Um there's a lot of I think the problem with double cross is if someone remembers you touching them, the sort of the gigs up a little bit. Uh so I've added many layers to to the trick. Uh one of them being two stop forces. Uh they stop on a suit. So I'm I go, oh, can you stop me on one of one of the four suits? And they stop me on the heart. Um, and last but not least is the uh the stop of a person. So basically I get every so everyone is sort of sat in a bit of a bit of a semicircle, sort of scattered around, but they are in a general semicircle, I'm stood in the middle, and I do that thing. I don't know what you call it, but you know when you hold your hands up and you put turn them upside down, you put one hand over the other and crap them together. I have no idea what that's called. I hate it. I hate it so much. I hate the fact that I do it, but it's such an easy lead-in for double cross, so I do it. So yeah, I do that first, and then whilst everyone's sort of like, oh, how's I it didn't work for me, that's when I'm getting my uh getting my spectator. That's when I'm choosing my spectator. Because I say, right, let's do it again, and I've already I've already stamped them. And then I get everyone to hold their arms up, put one hand behind their back. If they keep the hand out, that's the hand. If they put it behind their back, I put okay, pop the other hand, keep the hand behind your back so I can't get to it. And then I do a stop force on the the heart, and then do a stop force on the person as well. Uh generally it hits, I think like 99% of the time it hits. If it doesn't, I'll I'll minimize it down to one person, and that person is the person, and then I do you know to throw it over. So with this, with that way, uh, one, you get to choose the suit. It could have been any of the suits, you chose a heart, and two, you get to choose the person. So even if someone goes, Oh, he did touch me, then some usually someone else in the room goes, Yeah, but but but that person chose you, they could have chosen them, and that but you know what I mean. So it's if you add layers to it, I think it just makes it a bit more um impossible. So yeah, that's my number two.

SPEAKER_01: 28:33

I think that's really clever that you're using that offbeat moment, that reaction moment, to do the dirty work, so to speak. Um because I'm probably in the same category as you, in that I think um it's quite an easy trick to backtrack. Uh it's it's a very easy one to pick. So any way that you can minimize that moment, like for example, not saying which hand do you write with? Because you're still drawing attention to the fact that they've got their hands out. Um so I think that's really, really clever. Now, is this something that you've done for larger audiences as well? So is this something that you would do on stage or at the fringe, or do you just keep this for a smaller group?

SPEAKER_03: 29:21

Yeah, so this is no, this is I've never done it on stage. It's primarily uh for the I do it in the magic corner. I do it at gigs as well. Um, and I will try even at a gig to still do those steps. Uh, I don't use the heart of the gig, I do use the cross. Um but I will still do the sort of stop force on the person if I can. I I just think as you say, like it is an easy track trick to backtrack. So if you can just add that one more layer where someone can go, but it could he could you could have chosen anyone to another person, then I think yeah, it just makes it just more impossible. Uh but yeah, as you say, it it it it can be backtracked. So adding those layers just yeah, makes it better.

SPEAKER_01: 30:01

Amazing. Now at the head of the podcast, you said that there was one trick that you know you couldn't take out the show, that you you always have to keep in the show. Uh are you gonna let us know what that trick is when it comes up, or do you want us to guess it and let us know at the end?

SPEAKER_03: 30:19

I will oh that's a good point. I wasn't planning on going into too much detail on it because I think not only is it my favourite ever trick that I've sort of come up with and perform, but it's it's also when you see it, it's so magical. It's it's one of the most magical things you'll ever see visually uh and impossibly. I will, yeah, I will I will mention it, but I think if you can same with the principles of magic, if you can say something just to just to make the audience because sometimes magic's really complicated, right? But if you can put something that's familiar to it, for example, um in the show I do uh a whole back to the future segment. Um and and back in time things, uh it's one of my favorite plots of magic back in time, like the honorable mention, Texas page. I think it's brilliant trick, brilliant, brilliant plot for magic. Um, I think if you can familiarize it with a film, for example, like back to the future, then instantly it becomes way more recognizable and so much easier to follow as well. Um, so I in the in the back in time in the back in time segment, there's um back to the future music that plays, you know that chime. I think if you can familiarize it with a film, for example, like Back to the Future, then instantly it becomes way more recognizable and so much easier to follow as well. Um, so I in the in the back and time in the back in time segment, there's um back to the future music that plays, you know, that chime, like like the exact moments where things happen, even if an audience doesn't see it, they hear it and they're like, oh, okay, that's what's happened. It it just makes it so much more easier to understand. Same with the principles of magic. You know, you can make a card appear, but if you tell them that's a principle, then they're like, oh, I've seen a card appear now, you know. So yeah, uh, I will, I will, I will, yeah, I will explain. I I will talk about it a little bit. I just think it looks so nice, but yeah, it's definitely something that's a staple piece in the show and and and will never leave the show as well.

SPEAKER_01: 32:21

Well, you've given us too many clues to not realize which one it's gonna be now at this point. Great. So let's go on to number three. What's in your third spot?

SPEAKER_03: 32:28

Number three, I have one of my fate probably my favorite impromptu trick, uh, inject 2.0. Um, I think I can't really go into much detail about it. If you know it, it's it's it's fantastic. Uh the magic horn is quite popular in Durham now. So if I go out in Durham, generally someone will come up to me and go, Oh, you're the magician. I'm like, oh yeah, yeah. And they say, Can you show me a trick? Uh that's the trick I show them. Um, because I I don't like taking a deck of cards out with me. I barely have pockets. I don't like taking loads of gimmicks with me. Uh to be honest, I I don't really like performing um outside of when I need when um outside of a show. Uh that's my that's my go-to impromptu trick. If I'm ever out and about, you don't need your phone. I always do the version with two phones where you create the prediction on one phone and so on. I have I have a few subtleties on that that uh if anyone would like to get in touch with me, uh I would happily go over it with them. Um just some subtleties that I've learned from doing it for the past like five years. Just things like the when they search for a person, why are they searching for a person? Just things like that. So yeah, so there's a few subtleties that value into it, but that is my go-to impromptu trick. It's uh I would never change it. I don't really have any other impromptu tricks apart from the thumb thing. So yeah, that's basically it. Maybe the pinky finger will come off every so often.

SPEAKER_01: 33:43

Well, I think that's another great choice. Uh I'm a big fan of Inject, and my thing with Inject that I've discovered is I think it does so much that magicians get lost in the swell of it can do this and can do that, and they don't know where to begin. So I think the routine that you mention, the idea that you borrow a phone, so your technology is not involved, you make a prediction on that phone, you borrow a second one, that person searches for something. So when I perform it, I do a a song, so I say what's your favourite song of all time, and then when person number one opens up their phone, it's on a YouTube video of that song. So it can be just as simple as as that routine. Um, but why have you not gone for any other impromptu ones? I know you mentioned that you don't like carrying stuff and like uh stuff like that, but there's so many EDCs, there's that buzzword, guys. Um EDCs nowadays. So what is it about inject that you went with?

SPEAKER_03: 34:41

So I think inject is is one, it's it's super impossible. Uh it's one of those things that genuinely I I'm a big I'm a big believer in magic has to be personal. Um or I I think doing doing a close-up show for so long, the things that I've realized that audiences like the most are things that happen in their hands or things that are personal, or again, things that they've thought of, you know, like the sort of under-the-personal thing, like think of a name. So in terms of uh propuls impromptu stuff, um maybe one thing I'd love to get into more is impromptu mentalism. Um, you know, think of a person, tell another person, that sort of thing. Uh that's something I'd love to do. I know I I did do uh I can't remember what it's called, uh, but it's Pete Turner's Think of a Destination. It's on a it's on a DVD from a while ago that Magic, I think Magic Box released, but it was it's it's dream location or or something like that, where basically the spectator in their head picks a colour from the rainbow, they paint this image of a landscape, and um I won't give away the ends because it sort of gives it away, but they but you guessed where they are, where they're standing, how they're feeling and stuff. I I did do that for a while. Um, it didn't always hit, but I would say like 90% of the time it did. It's a it's a fantastic trick. I actually used to do it in the Magic Corner with everyone just to see how many people I could get to think of it. Um so yeah, that that I would like to get into that more. Uh the reason I choose inject, I one, it's it's it falls under all those categories. It sort of happens in their hands because it's their phone. And also it's it's sort of personal because they have thought of that celebrity. What I do in the Magic Corner is I get everyone to think of a celebrity. So at the end, in the interval, it's always fun because you always hear people go, So who were you thinking of? And they go, Simon Cowell. I'm like, so why was I thinking of Tom Cruise? And you and like they're like, oh, he he's obviously I think as well, people think that I have guided them towards, for example, Tom Cruise, you know, and and I think that's a really strong thing as well. Because people walk into the Magic Corner, like, okay, look around. All right, what's he already trying to push on us? You know, uh, so people think in through speech, I've I've I've pushed them towards Tom Cruise. And obviously, as we know, I haven't, but you know, it's uh it's uh yeah, I I quite quite like that concept. If if that's what people think, then great, that's fine with me, you know. Also, it uses their phones and uh just yeah, you don't have to do anything. And in terms of everyday carries, I had um do you know that that keychain where you get where you press it and you get uh the uh you get the the the seven of hearts on your thumb and finger and you the blister blistering it's called. Um I had that on my keychain for years, completely forgot about it, and then uh found it once. And I I did do that once when I was out. I was like, oh, that's fantastic. Why have I not done that before? I just completely forget I have these things because I go to is inject, and occasionally someone will have me a pack of cards and I might go into some stuff, but yeah, inject's the one. So good.

SPEAKER_01: 37:29

Great. Well, that's a great one in at number three. Let's head on to number four. What's in your fourth spot?

SPEAKER_03: 37:35

Uh number four again, uh it's been mentioned a few times, but uh toxic i thump, can't beat it. It's it's it's genuinely one of the strongest, strongest pieces of magic I've ever come across. And I remember the first time I saw it, I was absolutely flawed by it. Uh so yeah, that that ends the show at the moment. How how it ends the show, it actually, so at the start of the show, you know how they pick the cards, the playing cards, they sign them. I say, hold on to them, we're gonna use them at the very end. So at the very end, we actually get the final number using the cards that they've picked. So instead of getting them to s to shuffle the cards, I want them to keep their own cards. So we do a human shuffle. So I play some music and we all play musical chairs, everyone's switching seats, and then they and then when the music stops, sit down on random seats. So now those cards are in a completely different order, and then we do a multiplication using those cards, which leads to the final toxic uh date and time, which I think's great. I I think it's it's a really different way of using it rather than just asking some questions. Uh it sort of makes it it sort of ties in the start with the end. One thing I love doing in shows is having that tie between the start and the end. I think it's really important. Um, so yeah, toxic is fantastic. It's one of my favorite things to do. It's also pretty much impromptu. So again, actually, I lied about inject. I will do toxic from time to time if I'm out and about because yeah, it is good. I completely forgot about that. Yeah, of course I do. Uh but yeah, it's it's it's really good. Um with it being uh 10 people in the room as well. Um, you know, when you get that uh the the random number as such, I actually get each of them to pick one and go around the room and get everyone to pick one, which I think is it's sort of better than getting one person to just go crazy on it, you know. So um I think if they each pick a number, obviously there's 10 people and there's usually nine numbers that pick they pick, so I just say oh someone missed, but that's okay, you know, that's believable. So yeah, toxic. It's going, it's gone there. I I didn't want to put it in because I knew I know a lot of people have put it in, but to be honest, it's one of those things it's you you can't miss. It's it I don't think you can get stronger really than it. Also, it falls under those same categories. Uh it's in their hands because they're holding on to their phone and following it along. And it's also it's kind of personal because it's it's that date and that time. And that's something that cannot be created any other time, any other day. It's that exact date, that exact time. It's a moment that everyone in this room right now is sharing, and no one else will ever share again. So, yeah, so it it's sort of it's nice.

SPEAKER_01: 39:57

And looking at your list so far, we've gone from multiple support. So you've got like a card trick in there, you've got uh like a weird thing with a pen, uh, you've got uh inject, which is like a core prediction thing, and now you've got toxic, which you you mentioned is your closer. So I think that really reflects what you were talking about at the beginning. How uh maybe you don't like card tricks and you like just doing lots of different things, uh, and certainly in your show uh from the clips that I've seen, it's very, very varied. I mean, you've got like clothes changing and all sorts going on in your show.

SPEAKER_03: 40:33

Yeah, for sure. Yeah, yeah, it's it's there's a lot that goes on. Yeah, with with every show, there's I try to just do as many different things as possible, especially in especially in the magic horn. I think a lot of people come and they they expect to see card stuff, and they will see card stuff, but to be honest, there's only a few card tricks in the show, and then the main thing is the multiple selection, and that is done within the first eight minutes of the show, and then after that, there's there's barely any card stuff to be honest. So, yeah, it's it's also it's yeah, it's I I do like doing magic with everyday objects as well. I think that's uh it's all borrowed objects, it's always fun as well. So uh we'll we'll sort of get into that in a second as well.

SPEAKER_01: 41:12

Lots of teasers going forward, I like it. And let's go to number five then. What's in your fifth spot?

SPEAKER_03: 41:18

Number five, I put loops. There's so many things you can do with them. The main thing I do them with them is is PK Touch. Uh that's another thing that has been in the show since day one, and I will never take it out, and I don't think I'll ever not do it. It's so strong. Again, it falls under that sort of magic in their hands, it's happening to them. Um I do it surrounded as well in the magic corner, so everyone's sort of sat sat around them, which uh again makes it more impossible because you know they can't see the secret the secret stuff, and yeah, so loops, but also you know, just for levitation-wise, and there's there's so many things with loops that I haven't learned yet, and I will eventually. I think uh the thing you can do with a ring is really, really great. Um something I haven't learned, but it looks so good. Yeah, so uh it's an obvious one, I think, but again, I just can't really can't really miss it out. It's it's it's so good, you know. I would think one of the greatest magician tools you can have on you. And sometimes I know I'd said I don't take stuff out with me, I will have something on me. I will have one of those on me just in case because it's yeah, that is the one thing that I'll take out with me. One, but but honestly, give it like like three hours by the I I go to do it and I'm like, oh it's gone. So oh never mind. I was gonna do this really cool thing, but not anymore.

SPEAKER_01: 42:47

Well, I think that's a a great choice, and I don't think it's necessarily an obvious one, um, but it is the first sort of uh utility tool that you've given on your list. So, what is the one routine with loops that you haven't yet learned? The one the one routine that you really want to learn, would it be the ring, or would it be maybe a haunted deck or something else?

SPEAKER_03: 43:11

Yeah, so I've done I've done haunted deck, uh I've done uh uh the levitation of a bill, um, PK Touch. So yeah, it would be the ring. Um I did ages ago try and learn it, and I think I did learn it, but it's been so long I I wouldn't even know where to start with it. I think one thing I've never done with it, but I do love is you know the thing with the straw where you sort of make it move or you make it go from one hand to the other, that looks great. So that's probably what I'd do because you know at the end of the day, I'm also the the magical in it, it is a bar. So I could if I could just just at like a spontaneous moment in the show, grab a straw and just go great, you know. So that's probably one thing I'd do, um, would learn with it. Or the uh the sort of the teleklesis thing where you sort of you know make it fall out of their hand, that looks cool as well with a straw. So that's probably what I'd go for. But I think the ring looks looks looks fantastic, so maybe maybe one of those.

SPEAKER_00: 44:07

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SPEAKER_01: 45:29

Great choice in at number five. Let's go into number six. What's in your sixth spot, Tom?

SPEAKER_03: 45:35

Uh number six, I've got Optics. Either Optics or Optics 2.0. Uh one of my favorite plots in Magic is Object to Impossible Location. Um, I think it's great. I've never been a fan of a card, like a like a signed card to impossible location. My favorite is a phone, a mobile phone. I think it's it's oh man, it's so good. It's a it's a big object. Uh and you know, this if you can make that object disappear and reappear, you know, it's it's again, it's it's personal, it's their phone. You can prove it's their phone by either calling it or just having that, you know, the picture on the front of whatever their home screen is. Um, so there's good proof there rather than it just being a signature. That's like solid proof that's their phone. But in terms of the vanish, I think optics is is the most visual vanish of anything I've ever seen. Uh I've thrown it into so many shows. It's been in Groat Magic Man, we do it in Insane Magic Show. Uh it's not it's one thing I've never done in the Magic Corner, but would like to at some point. I think with it being a bit a little bit angle sensitive, it it for me it doesn't work in the Magic Corner quite yet. But uh it's uh yeah, it that vanish is it's so visual. It's it's the best, I think it's the best vanish of anything I've ever seen, to be honest. Uh I've I'm a I prefer the first one, the original, um rather than the second one. But I have started using the second one um more because it's a bit cleaner uh for what we need in in the insane show. Uh but yeah, optics. Yeah, but in terms of phones from possible locations, the ones I mean, we've uh me and my friend Corey, who you know, uh Corey's my go-to guy for any solutions, anything, anything I need. Corey comes up with a solution uh very quickly. He's very good. Uh so he helps me, he helped me write Grow up Magic Man. And we we've done phone to gift box, we did phone to rocket. That was one of my favorites. Uh uh, like a we'd make the phone vanish and then talk about the whole speed of light, uh, and then the speed of sound is a bit slower. And before I make the phone vanish, I'm setting an alarm on their phone, make it vanish, I say the and then I say uh the speed of light is fast, but the speed of sound is a little bit slower, and then their phone alarm would go off, and there's a rocket on the stage, like a little toy rocket inside the toy rocket, it was their phone. That was we loved that. It wasn't easy to pull off, but man, uh I love that trick. Uh, and the reason it wasn't so easy to pull off is uh well it wasn't easy to pull off, so we we we changed it into a gift box and had an alarm clock on it, so the speed of sound is a little bit slower, and then we like I basically made this big remote control alarm clock, which is great, and that would go off, and you know, next to that on top of underneath that would be the gift box that the phone was in. Um I won't go into details of what we do in the insane magic show, uh, because you'll have to come see it. It's great, it's really fun. Um, I think Luke talks about it a bit. I think uh um he he didn't mention it mention it, so uh go listen to Luke's podcast. Um and the Insane lads, actually, uh Luke, Cameron and Elliot, they've all they've just recently released a new trick, which I think is probably the best phone to impossible location I've seen. I think it's really good. Uh something I'll definitely be putting into my shows. You make a phone disappear and it appears in a big box of rice. So you make the phone disappear in a bucket of water, and obviously, if you drop your phone in water, you put it into a box of rice on the stage. They have a box of rice, you pull a plug, all the rice drains out the bottom, and inside and slap bang in the middle of that rice is their phone. Uh, and you can call it as well. It is oh man, it's really good. It's it's it's in my opinion, the best phone to impossible location I've ever seen. So I'd recommend it. It's a I think it's available now, it might be on pre-order from the time of filming. So yeah, I would uh check it out.

SPEAKER_01: 49:24

Amazing. Well, again, another really, really quirky choice. Optics Pro. I think it follows suit with your list. Every single thing that you picked is distinctly different uh in every way. So I'm excited to see what your last two are gonna be. I genuinely cannot think where this is gonna go because uh there's no real theme here other than everything's just different. Uh unl unless you're about to say Statue of Liberty disappearing, I I've got no idea where this is gonna go. So let's go into the tail end of your list with number seven.

SPEAKER_03: 50:00

So number seven, yeah, it's again it's it's it's a classic, but it as you say, it's different to everything else. It's the chop cup. I love the chop cup. It's um it ends the first half of my magic corner show. At the start of the show, before I start the show, I say throughout the show, you're gonna see a variety of magic, as you can tell. A variety of magic, you're gonna see some uh some misdirections, some sleight of hand, you'll see some mind reading, some illusions at the end of the first half. We're gonna make an elephant appear. I can promise you that. Uh, and then that gets a good laugh, and then it's it sort of plays on people's minds. It's something I learned from um I can't I can't remember who told me, but uh someone who works on the streets, and they said you always give them something at the start to keep them till the end, you know, something to look forward to. And obviously with the magic corner, you know, that's that they're not gonna leave like in a street show, they don't have the opportunity to leave, they're sort of in there, they're paid to be there, sort of thing. But it's it's still a nice thing to have that tie in with the start and the end. I do, I think it's really important to have that tie in with the start and the end. And it it's something that plays on people's mind. Like, when's that elephant appearing? Anyway, so I do the Chop Cup, uh, I do Mark James's routine, which is um it's in my opinion the best because uh I know Mark uh said that you know you it's not one of those constant guessing games. It's not like where's the ball now? Where's the ball now? It's just it's fast flowing, and the last thing that I make appear is uh a stuffed elephant that is way too big to fit in that way too big to fit in that glass, in that cup. Um, but you know, it squashes down. So when you pull it out, it really does expand and it looks it looks a lot bigger than it should be uh than it than fitting in the cup. So so it's I say I say before I end, and remember at the very start, uh I said that we're gonna make an elephant appear at the very end where that moment is now, and you know, lift up the cup, and there's that elephant. Uh and it ends with a blackout on that moment sort of thing. So yeah, it's uh a little, it's um a chop cup. I love the chop cup. It's also nice to say before you start that this is a classic in magic. This is actually one of the oldest tricks ever recorded, uh one of the oldest tricks in the books, and it's it's also genuinely genuinely one of the first tricks I ever learned uh as well. So uh well, it wasn't the chop cup, it was the cups and balls, but same difference, you know. So yeah, so chop cup, I'm gonna go with that.

SPEAKER_01: 52:10

I love the idea of the the elephant throughout the show.

SPEAKER_03: 52:13

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01: 52:14

The idea that the the elephant's gonna appear. Uh, does that prompt people just to be on their guard even more? Because earlier on you mentioned when people come into the venue, they're they're already looking around at, you know, what's this guy doing to us? So does that prompt them just to constantly throughout the show be looking for w what this elephant is?

SPEAKER_03: 52:32

Pretty much, yeah. It's it's one of those things that just plays on people's minds. By the end of the show, they do they do forget about it. There's actually a couple moments like that in the show. So at the very start of the show, I I do a cube, uh, a matching cube to a cube in a jar. Uh, I say that the the I show them the jar at the very start and do the gag of, oh, I'm gonna solve it, and then you don't say that would have been good to start the show, wouldn't it? Um, and then I get them to place it anywhere in the room. Uh, and then it sort of gets forgotten about so that when you have that cube that they've just mixed up, you can sort of have that sort of like realization moment of oh my god, it's gonna match the one in the jar anyway, and then you go grab the jar and it matches the one in the jar that has been in the room the whole time. So there's a few of those moments. Um, yeah, I think it as you say, it's just it's one of those things that it distracts people a little bit, not in a bad way, like it's not like they're constantly thinking about oh, that one, the one in the jar, they're constantly thinking, where's this elephant? I think it's more of the one of those moments that when it happens, they're like, Oh, I did say he was gonna do that, I should have been looking out for it more, you know. So, yeah, so I I think uh I I I I love the tie-in. I I love I love I love callbacks. Uh I think with films, you know, when a film has a callback, I love it. It's one of my favorite things so in a film. So yeah, if you can do it in magic, that's great.

SPEAKER_01: 53:43

Amazing. Well, let's go into your final position then. What did you put in your eighth spot, Tom?

SPEAKER_03: 53:49

Yeah, so the eighth spot is it's my favorite trick I've ever performed. It's uh I call it Goblet of Fire. And basically, there's a there's a whole story behind the show. I I don't know how to say this without giving away the methods, but I don't think it's enough to give away a method to anyone. So, you know, filter paper when you light, when you set fire to filter paper. Do you know what that looks like?

SPEAKER_01: 54:10

It floats up.

SPEAKER_03: 54:11

It floats up, yeah. It's it's it's it's physics or something. I don't know. Anyway, it looks great. It's one of the most magical looking things you can possibly do. So I used to do this trick where the the paper would float up and you'd get someone's thinking of a name, and you know, you rub it on your hand and it spells out the name of the person they're thinking. And genuinely, this nine-year-old, this nine-year-old kid in the show once went, Wow, that looks like the paper from the goblet of fire. And I said, Kid, that is the best thing I've ever heard in my life. I didn't actually say that. I was like, oh yeah, it does. But in my mind, I'm going, oh my god, realization that is the greatest thing, the greatest thing that's ever happened in the show. So anyway, the next day, I I went out and I bought this goblet-looking thing. And essentially, without giving away any of the methods, they like freely, they write down the name of someone that's really close to them, they fold it up, they drop it inside the goblet of fire, you put the paper on top, you light that, and it it floats up and it spells out the name of the person they're thinking, and it is as free as that. Genuinely, it's it's there's no it it's it's so free. It's one of those things that over time has got better and better and better uh with the lighting as well. So I have a spotlight directly above the goblet and spotlights either side as well, on like an ambery colour. Now, when you like that thing, yes, it looks great when it when it rises up in normal light. If you add a slight bit of amber, if you if you have the opportunity to have a spotlight on a slight orangey amber colour, like a fiery colour, I promise you that that ball of ash, or whatever you want to call it, will look so magical when it's going up. It's something about the light, the the way the light so obviously it burns, and then when it goes up, there's no fire, but there's still a few little sparks on it. So they really are amplified by the light, and also the smoke coming off it fills the room. It also smells lovely, but it fills the room, and the light, and it goes into the light because the spotlight is directly above it, it rises sort of into the light. And I've done that trick now for five to six years. I recently I added the lights about three years ago, and I am not bored of it. I get goosebumps every time I watch it happen. So, like just just knowing that these people who are here for the first time are seeing that. I know, I know the feeling that they they're getting, and because I still get it. I when when that when that piece of paper rises up, it just looks so magical. It's it's in my opinion, one of the most magical moments in the show. And it's if anyone sees it, it it's one of the most magical things you can possibly see. It's it's a levitation, it just looks great. And then obviously when it spells out the name, that's like the that's like the bonus. Um yeah, so it has a lot of magical moments. Obviously, it has the levitation, it has the spelling name, the the the lame, the name. Um, I don't bang on about the level, I the the when it floats, I just let it happen. I let them sit with it. I don't I don't think you should say, and it floats up, blah blah blah. I just let let them see it, and then when it spells the name, uh that's that's sort of the impact. Yeah, so that's the trick. Um, I might have bigged it up too much, but it's it's it's really good. It's it's really fun, it looks really good. Uh, it's one of those things I am not sick of at all. It will never leave the show, and still to this day, I love performing it. You know, when you've performed a trick for so long, you sort of start to get a bit bored of it. This I'm just not bored. I just love watching it every single day. So yeah. At least get it filmed, maybe. I'm not sure.

SPEAKER_01: 57:43

Oh, please do. I think everyone would love to see it with all the lighting and uh just to see the impact of it. And I think there's a couple of interesting things. So just a reference for those listening, the first time I saw this was Rick Lacks called Soul Paper, uh, many years ago, where he sucks it up through a straw at the very end. So, you know, if you want to learn a version of it, then then go check that out. But I think there's a couple of really lovely things. The the other question before I talk about those lovely things is do you have like a music cue during that m moment, like a Harry Potter-yes, whimsical moment?

SPEAKER_03: 58:19

Yeah, so I have it is the annoying thing is I I don't so the whole show is cued. I do the whole show myself through uh through a button, but um that track plays, uh, depending on how fast they write down the name and show everyone, I have to sort of stall a bit because I know there is a bit in the it's it again, I should have mentioned it before, but with the lighting and with the sound as well, there is a bit in the track that I know I need to light this this piece of paper on this moment because it's sort of it's the bum bum bum bum, you know, that bit in the in the Harry Potter, and then when it and throughout that when it's burning, it's the same track, and then when it lifts, it lifts in the song as well. It's something that could actually happen by accident. It's uh it's a it's a track that I found, it is a Harry Potter track. I think it is from the Goblet Fire film as well, but it's it's a it's it's it was a happy accident more than anything. I started the track and did the routine the first time I did it, and it it just happens naturally. There was this lift in the in the sh in the track that was like, okay, that's when that needs to happen. And fortunately, the timing was perfect. So yeah, it does lift with the music, the music ramps up to get louder as well during that moment. So, yes, yeah, the lighting and sound in that is is also it's really amplified that trick.

SPEAKER_01: 59:34

Well, I think it sounds great, and the the reason why I think it's so interesting for you in particular is if people were to see your venue, they would see that there is kind of like a brick wall outside, and there's this gate in the middle, which is very reminiscent of the Harry Potter wall that you walk through, and on the gate you've got platform nine and three quarters, but it's nineteen and a half, I think it is on the right.

SPEAKER_03: 59:58

That's correct, yeah, the genuine address of the building. Could not believe it before I even got there. The address. And honestly, it wasn't until again, like maybe the same nine-year-old kids, but this other kid went, you know, if you take nine and three-quarters and you double it, it equals nineteen and a half. I was like, Oh, oh yeah, well, I know that now. So there you go, that's fun. Uh, but yeah, so yeah, the address is nineteen and a half, and um again, like it falls back to the same thing as the Back to the Future. If you can relate it, say, we're going to create our goblet of fire, then people are already thinking, like, people are already thinking that they already know what it's gonna be, and then when it happens, they they're sort of like, Oh my god, that genuinely does look like the goblet of fire. This is this is a moment. People who watch that shit that uh film as a kid will be like it sort of takes them back to that moment of watching the goblet fire for the first time. And yeah, so again, if you can relate it to something that's familiar to them, it just makes that trick so much more memorable.

SPEAKER_01: 1:00:49

It also makes your venue feel like they're in a real house you like you want that walking into your venue in particular, you want that Harry Potter moment. You want that that Leviosa moment that's a very good thing.

SPEAKER_03: 1:01:00

You definitely definitely do, yeah. And that that is the moment of the show, yeah, for sure. You get a lot of Harry Potter fans coming to the show as well, so it's always nice to do that.

SPEAKER_01: 1:01:07

That's why I'm coming. I'm just coming for that Harry Potter moment.

SPEAKER_03: 1:01:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01: 1:01:10

Um, but it's great. I think that's a wonderful list. We've gone from multiple selection, double cross, inject, toxic plast, loops, optics pro chop cup, ending with the goblet of fire. It's definitely uh a list that I can imagine that you would put together, knowing that you're just so into so many different kinds of magic uh and you're always exploring. So I think that's a great list indeed. However, you do still have a few items left. Now, obviously, we gave you eight tricks, but we're only giving you one each of these. Tom, I want you to imagine that you are gonna dig a big sandy hole and you're gonna throw something inside, never to be seen again. We're gonna bury it on your island. What have you banished?

SPEAKER_03: 1:01:54

Yeah, so from listening to the podcast before, it is it is the same thing as what a lot of people say. It is it is egos. Uh, I'm I'm not a big fan of egos. Uh uh yeah, I can go into a little bit more detail about it, but yeah, in terms of egos, like it it's more just saying stuff to make you sound a lot better than you are, you know, just essentially just lying. You know what I mean? Um because I'm in a fortunate position where the magic corner does do really well. It it does sell out most months as well in advance, which is which is so great, but I I don't find the need to bang on about it and and and scream at the top of my lungs. I probably should at the end of the day, it's it's just it's just not something I've I've ever wanted to do. And I don't know, I just I don't know. It's it's yeah, I've never done it. Um so yeah, so so when you see it does happen a lot at the fringe, uh, and I think a lot of fringe performers will sort of agree with me on this, but like it's it's stuff like saying that you've you've sold out everything and you just you just haven't, you know, it's is it's stuff like that, and um yeah, it's just it I think I think I only think like that because my show does do quite well. Uh I mean and the and it does do quite well, but it didn't happen overnight. You know, I've spent five like I'm still changing the show, like even now, just trying to improve it. I've spent a good six years to get the magic corner to where it is now. Um because it does take time. It's not easy to sell out a show. Selling out a show is it's really hard. Uh I know and and the insane lads, they sell out the Edinburgh every year, and they I mean I've I've witnessed it firsthand. Cameron Gibson, Luke Ozzy, and Elliot Bibby work the socks off. They work so hard to get that show to where it is, like throughout the year, like the fringe is just August. Uh obviously we have Adelaide as well, but the the Edinburgh fringe is just August, but you know, they're working on Edinburgh now. They've started working on Edinburgh in September, when August finished. You know, it it's it's it takes it it's it's not an easy thing. So when you see people, for example when you see people, you know, bragging so much about you know they're shows and this, they're shows and that, and um, you know first hand that it that it it hasn't, or they've they've bigged it up. It it's just one thing that gets to me a little bit. Uh yeah, not to go off on a rant because yeah, it's it's you know, I I don't want to do that. But yeah, that's one thing that that gets to me. I guess egos is a vague term, but if you were to whittle it down, that would be the that would be the main thing that um I would I would banish.

SPEAKER_01: 1:04:26

Yeah, I think we've not had anyone talk about it in that in that way before. The idea that of course some people put in so much work to get where they are, and then someone else can just fictionalize that uh uh to to to get themselves ahead. Um I mean it can be used as a marketing tool.

SPEAKER_03: 1:04:46

I can see why people do it, and I I completely get it. Uh it's just not something that I would want to see myself do. Um but I I I get it. I understand why people do it. It does it can help sell a show. Uh I just think there's other ways of doing it than just just plain face lying to the public, you know. Everyone is capable of selling out a show, but just you don't have to you don't have to lie to do it, you know. So that that that's mainly it. I I I get why people do it, but it's just something that I would never want to do myself.

SPEAKER_01: 1:05:14

Okay, so people lying about their shows, in particular their fringe shows, um and selling out is buried. It's gone. No one's gonna ever do that again. So let's find out. Uh what's your book, Tom? What book are you gonna have on your island?

SPEAKER_03: 1:05:28

Yeah, so I I struggled with this one a little bit because I don't read, unfortunately. I I really wish I did. Uh it's just not something I've ever really done. The few I uh there's a few books that I have read, and yeah, I I I will read. My my new year's resolution is just to read more books. Not necessarily magic books, but just books in general. So I I thought, yeah, more just sort of literally about this question. What what book would I bring just to just to learn? So uh I couldn't I have a name of the book, but generally I was thinking, oh, I I would like to bring a book that has the most difficult sleight of hand known to man. So I would just sit on that desert island and I would just learn some really, really difficult sleight of hand. Not for anyone. Like I I know I I pretty much just do the basics when it comes to sleight of hand, like the double lift and so and so on. Um just because I don't think you need to, you don't you as a magician, as a performing magician, you don't need to learn the technical stuff. It's nice, but generally it is mainly just for yourself, isn't it? So I don't really do it. But um I would like to take, I don't know any books that are really difficult sleight of hand, but if if I was to bring a book, it would be that. But I uh in terms of the name of the book, um, I have it here. I bought it a while ago. It's the particle system by Joshua J. Uh, it's uh a memorized deck, it's a memorized stack, and loads and loads of routines with that memorized stack. Um my other thought was mnemonica, but I don't own mnemonica, so I've gone for the particle system. So again, it's the same reason. I would just sit there, I would learn the stack, and I would learn every single routine in the book so that with a normal deck of cards, I can go out and do some impossible things. So, yeah, that's the book I would choose, purely for the reason of just it would take me probably a year to learn it. So, yeah.

SPEAKER_01: 1:07:02

Well, I think that's a great book. It's a great choice. There's some wonderful routines in there. Um, but I think it's really interesting, and regular listeners are gonna realize this. It does seem to be a recurring theme, the idea of a memorized deck. I think so many people want to be able to do it and for some reason or the other haven't done it. Is there a particular reason that you haven't done it? Is there is it like a uh you don't think that you can do it or you haven't had the time to do it?

SPEAKER_03: 1:07:29

I think I uh first first initial thought is I don't have the time to do it, but that is such a lie because I do. And every every if you ever say that, you just you do, you have time to learn it. Um I don't know. I yeah, it's just it's one of those things that I've sort of I've got the basics and I can do that, so I'm just sort of happy with where everything is at the moment. Yeah, I I I would like to. I don't think I think I can. There is one trick that I used to do in the show, uh, which is a Luke Germain trick that isn't necessarily a memorized deck, but there's there's some it no, what it was is um it is a it's a it's a stacked deck. Uh I can't remember the name of the trick, but it is a stacked deck. And I got I did that trick so many times that when I was resetting it, I actually could reset it from memory just because I knew the order of the cards. So I can do it. Um maybe I should just learn my own stack based off that, but it was only, I think, 15 or 20 cards, so it wasn't many. But yeah, I I can do it. It is it's one of those things I just I just haven't got around to doing it yet. But I will. I would definitely I definitely will. But I am busy, so maybe that's it.

SPEAKER_01: 1:08:28

We'll we'll let you off. We'll let you off. Yeah, thanks. Um you're you're on this island indefinitely anyway, so you've got plenty of time to do it. Uh so let's find out what your luxury item is. So, what is your non-magic item that you use for magic?

SPEAKER_03: 1:08:40

Yeah, so I've sort of cheated here, um, if that's okay. I'm bringing a few things. It's not one, it but it's it's a whole it's a whole system. And I wasn't sure what to put for this answer, but listening to Luke's podcast, it's sort of Luke Ozzy, it's sort of the same as him. He chose a flick button. Mine is mine is my whole Q lab system. It's it's everything that r it's everything that runs the show, specifically the Magic Corner show. So in the Magic Corner, it's it's just me. There is no one helping me with the show. There's no there's no one backstage doing anything, there's no one doing the lights, there's no one doing the sounds. Everything is me with a with an audio aid. So as I say, every bulb, every lamp, every light in the Magic Corner is programmed. It's programmed by myself. Uh, I have two people that help me out called Tez and Connor. They are the the the Gala Theatre, which is my local theater, the technicians there, and they are fantastic. They know everything and editing about it. So they helped me find the lights and stuff, and they helped me program it, program it. And since then, I've sort of taught myself how to do lights on Qlab. It's not the easiest thing in the world, but it's with QLab, once you learn it, it's it is easy. It's it's you you just know. It's just you know, the initial the initial um learning is hard. But once you get it, and light on QLab is uh it's not easy either, but you know, once you get it, you get it. Um so I would I would I put it as the QLab system because I I I said at the start, I'm a big believer in making a show theatrical, and it's something that I've learned over time. Having lights and proper sound in a show, it it really puts you away from any other magic show. You know, it it it really makes secure, like even with the goblet fire trick, seeing that with the lighting for the first time was like, oh, this is this is this is a brand new trick. It's the same trick, but it is complete, it's it's just changed completely. It's gone from level 10 to level 100. You know, in that whole thing, if I was doing a show on a desert island, I would have proper lights, proper sound, and I would control it myself using an audio ape. So it's the Q lab system. Q lab, light, sound, and uh my audio ape.

SPEAKER_01: 1:10:38

We're gonna need a bigger boat, I think, to get you.

SPEAKER_03: 1:10:41

Yeah, I think so. Yeah, fortunately, I can fit it in a rucksack or well, actually, not all the lights, but yeah. I'd have to do it at night though, because you know, you wouldn't be able to do it during the day. I would need Wi-Fi. Okay.

SPEAKER_01: 1:10:51

We'll give you Wi-Fi, we'll give you we'll just give you a like a whole electric system out there as well. That'd be great, yeah. That'd be great. Uh, but I think that's a great one. It's not one that we've had before either. Um, and it is one that I thought we would have more of, actually.

SPEAKER_03: 1:11:04

I thought that's I I'm surprised by that, yeah.

SPEAKER_01: 1:11:06

Yeah, there's this and there's lots of different versions out there now as well. Um so yeah, I'm I'm really surprised it's not been mentioned more, but I think it's a great shout. And the way that you've spoken about your list as well, and how light and sound is so integral to your act and even your stage show. And uh I I you know, I think it's the best thing that you could possibly have taken with you.

SPEAKER_03: 1:11:29

It it that's it. I think when when writing a magic show, obviously write the magic first, the magic needs to be strong. Once the magic is strong, really focusing on the light. So, for example, with PK Touch, um I uh have uh I have a I think it's red or like a red light on one side and a blue light on the other side, and they cross each other, so you have a red side of the room and a black and a and a blue side of the room, and I do that during PK Touch, and it really again like it's a visual separation. There's not just two people standing next to each other's room, there are two different rooms, it's the same room, but just having that divide again, it makes it more in people's heads because they can visually see that there are two separate bodies in two separate lights. Again, like it's just one of those things that I don't know if this is the case, but in my head, they can visual it, they can visually see that there is nothing between those two people because there is a there is a or there's a visit, there's a visible line of light, of a red and a blue light. So it's just one of those things that I think it just it really amplifies any trick that you can do and and sort of creates a scene, you know, that sort of thing. So yeah, definitely.

SPEAKER_01: 1:12:34

Well, I think that's a great way to uh close out your list. Let's look at it one more time. We have multiple selection, double cross, inject 2.0, uh, toxic plus loops, optics pro, chop cup, goblet of fire, your banishment is ego in magic, your book is the particle system, and your item slash items uh is the Q lab lights and sound, uh everything bundled together, as well as plugs and electric. Um so that's uh that's a great list. And uh, you know, anyone that's around Tom's area, if this hasn't made you want to go and see his show, I don't know what will, because I think it just sounds absolutely brilliant. Even just for Goblet of Fire, I would love to be in the room when that moment happens. I bet, especially if you've got a younger person in there, like a kid. Oh, for sure. I bet it's such a lovely moment. But thank you so much, Tom. Now, if people want to find out more about you, about the Magic Corner, about your shows, all of that good stuff, where can they go to?

SPEAKER_03: 1:13:31

Yep, so uh the Magic Corner. Uh, if you just search the Magic Corner.co.uk, it will come up online. I've actually just recently designed a new website, so I'm really proud of it. So yeah, check it out. Uh, my website, like my page, is also on that website rather than having two separate websites. Um, so you can find me there. Uh my socials are generally just at Tom Bolton or at Tom Bolton Magic. Uh, you can find me there. Um, next, uh, yeah, you can see me in the Magic Corner throughout the year. The only times I'm not there is during Edinburgh, when I'm in Edinburgh Fringe uh through August, and also when I'm with the insane lads in Adelaide Fringe Festival, that's throughout February and March. So I actually we hit we fly out in two weeks' time. So I will not be the Magic Corner, but a good friend of mine called James Pyatt, who used to be the Newcastle Magic Circle president, is he's doing his own show in the Magic Corner whilst I'm away. Uh just to keep the doors open, it's a fantastic show, and uh it's completely different to mine as well. James's style is very sort of um sort of classic magic. Uh it's it's very good, uh, it's good, but primarily it's completely different to my show. So again, it gets people um in. Uh so yeah, you can check him out throughout February and March. Uh I will be back in April with the normal Magic Corner show if you fancy coming along. Uh they go they go on sale on the 5th of February, April, May, June, probably July as well. So and the Halloween show. Yeah, the Halloween show starts probably mid-September. Uh actually a little bit later this year because I'm going to Vegas. So I've got to Vegas uh in in mid-September, so it'll start when I get back. Uh but yeah, they usually go on sale on the 22nd of June. The tickets for Halloween go on sale. So yeah, and then then that.

SPEAKER_01: 1:15:08

Amazing. Well, thank you again, uh Tom. Uh we've actually been trying to get you on for ages, but because you're so busy, I know we haven't managed to. So it's great to finally have you on.

SPEAKER_03: 1:15:18

It's great to be here, really. Thank you so much for having me.

SPEAKER_01: 1:15:20

And of course, just like Tom said, if you are around his area, please do go check that out. If you go and see uh if you get the chance to see his stand-up show as well, go and see it. It looks absolutely phenomenal. And of course, if you go into Edinburgh Fringe, which lots of people do, I think it's really important to seek out those magicians and those magic acts and to really support them. So please do that. I will try everything I can this year to finally get up to the magic corner and check it out as well, because I've always wanted to go. Uh, and of course, thank you for listening. But please make sure that you press that subscribe button. We don't actually ever say it on the podcast, we need to say it more uh because that helps us get the numbers and do go check out Pete's new podcast as well, which is Alakazam Live. So we'll see you next week with another version of Desert Island Tricks. But until then, have a great week. Goodbye.

SPEAKER_02: 1:16:15

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