Harry Merlin Piper

A 15-year-old magician walks down a street in Los Angeles and strangers pull cars over just to have a photo with him and demand a trick. That’s the level of spotlight Harry Merlin Piper is living in after placing as runner-up on Netflix Star Search!

We sit down with Harry to get the real behind-the-scenes story: the Instagram message that kicked it off, the intensity of a competition TV schedule, and the nightmare scenario every illusionist fears, props delayed in transit while directors are waiting. He shares what it takes to rehearse major stage illusions on a ticking clock, how being a kid means mandatory schooling and strict set hours, and why constant live performing at the House of Illusion in Salou, Spain gives him an edge most young performers never get.

Then we dive into the magical island game: Harry drafts the eight tricks he’d keep forever, from his monkey vent routine and high-energy manipulation act to double levitation, suspended animation, Invisible Deck, fire spiker and chop cup. Along the way we get a sharp take on exposure culture, why revealing methods online damages creators and audiences, and why magic matters most when it helps people forget real life for a while.

Harry’s Desert Island Tricks: 

1. Monkey Vent Routine

2. Manipulation Act

3. Double levitation

4. Invisible Deck

5. Suspended Animation

6. Fire Spiker Y

7. Chop Cup 

8. His Dad

Banishment. Magicians who Reveal Magic 

Book. People around him

Item. Black Velvet Material 

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

Transcript

Sudden Fame In Los Angeles

SPEAKER_03 0:00

Do you know what? It's mental. It's unbelievable. I can't believe it. After Star Search, it's been one of the biggest things of my life, and it will be. I was walking down the street in LA. People would stop me in the street, ask me for pictures. I felt like I was in a movie. I felt like I was famous. Like walking down the street, people were like, oh, show me a trick. One day we were going to get a coffee down the road from our where we were staying. And because we were there for two months. And uh I was going get a coffee and I was walking to the coffee shop and I didn't have anything on me because I'd just quickly woke up, going to get a coffee. And on the way there, a car pulled right in front of me and went, oh, and started filming. Went, You're the kid from Star Search. And I was like, Yeah, and she was like, show me a trick. So I didn't have anything type to you, like the finger trick and stuff like that. I had to do stuff, stuff that I had to do with nothing. And then another car pulled up and went to the get lady. Did you just pull him up? Because he's on Star Search. And it was just, I was, I was just like crowded by cars. People filming me, going do tricks. I'm like, I haven't got anything on me. And I was trying out different different ways of doing magic.

Meet Harry Merlin Piper

Life After Netflix Star Search

SPEAKER_02 1:21

We've not done this for a long time, in which we've had two magicians on, and if you listen to last week's episode, you're gonna know who is on this week's episode. Just to catch you up, my advice would be if you're listening to this one first, go back to last week's episode and listen to it. That was Rodney James Piper. That's because Rodney has guessed some of the tricks that today's guest has put in his list. Oh, so you know, you can you can try this way round and and start with Harry's first, but I would recommend going to Rodney's. Today, of course, we have Harry Merlin Piper. Now, if you did not know, he is number one, he's our youngest guest at only 15. But my word, the things that he's achieved in those years is absolutely phenomenal. Of course, culminating in recently Netflix's Star Search, where he was runner-up, second position in one of the world's biggest talent competitions, is absolutely insane for anybody, let alone someone who is 15. And we've spoken about it not on uh not just on last episode, but uh one previous, just how much fun it must be for someone his age to do some of those things, and you know, we spoke about uh the levitation and how much fun that must have been to perform. So I think this is gonna be really interesting. The question we're really thinking here is will Harry manage to guess any of Rodney's, his dad's choices, and vice versa. How many do we think they're gonna get? We don't know. So if you haven't seen Star Search, please go check it out or go to YouTube. All of um Harry's performances are on there. Type in Harry Merlin Piper Star Search, watch the performances. He's so charismatic, he's so incredibly skilled for his age as well, and I know that this is gonna be a really fun list. So let's welcome on the wonderful Harry Merlin Piper. Hello, Harry. How are we doing? Are we doing well? Very well. I think that uh based on having your dad on last week, in last week's episode, I think this is gonna be a really fun one as well.

SPEAKER_03 3:42

It's gonna be fun. He hasn't taught me anything about it, so I'm really excited, I'm really intrigued to see what what he chose and what's gonna happen.

SPEAKER_02 3:49

Okay, well, it would be remiss of me to not talk about your incredible achievement recently, which your dad gave us a little bit of insight to anyway. Let's let's just talk about it for a second. How incredible! Congratulations for doing what you just did. You're now on the world stage at 15. Uh, and he mentioned, you know, you're now going places and people know who you are straight away, which must be trippy.

SPEAKER_03 4:16

Do you know what? It's mental. It's unbelievable. I can't believe it. Um, after Star Search, it's been one of the biggest things of my life, and it will be. I was walking down the street in LA. People would stop me in the street, ask me for pictures. I felt like I was in a movie. I felt like I was famous. Like walking down the street, people were like, Oh, show me a trick. One day we were going to get a coffee down the road from our where we were staying. And so we were there for two months. And uh I was going to get a coffee, and I was walking to the coffee shop and I didn't have anything on me because I just quickly woke up, going to get a coffee. And on the way there, a car pulled right in front of me and went, Oh, and started filming. Went, You're the kid from Star Search. And I was like, Yeah, and she was like, Show me a trick. So I didn't have anything to type to you, like the finger trick and stuff like that. I had to do stuff, stuff that I had to do with nothing. And then another car pulled up and went to the get lady. Did you just pull him up? Because he's on Star Search. And it was I was I was just like crowded by cars, people filming me, going, do tricks. I'm like, I haven't got anything on me. And I was trying out a different way to do magic.

SPEAKER_02 5:10

Oh, that's amazing. Well, uh, you know what? You absolutely deserve it. Uh, I think that you are incredible on it, especially, you know, like I said, considering you're only 15, to to have the skill that you have, to have the charisma that you have as well, you come across really, really well on there as well, which I think is half the battle sometimes on them shows.

SPEAKER_03 5:30

Do you know what? Uh it's all because of my dad, really, because he owns the House Solution in Spain, it's a theatre that um we perform together every night. We perform tonight, tomorrow and I, every single night in the summer. We've got eight shows a week, sometimes more, and that's sort of every night. And to be able to practice so much, it'd be so lucky to be able to have a stage to rehearse on and work on new routines and work with so many amazing magicians. We've had Fism winners, we've had people that are crazy come to the House Flusion. And I've seen him perform and they've helped me. It's just been I've been so grateful for that, and I've been so lucky to be able to work with so many people and perform so much that I've been able to work and well, people say I'm good at it, so I guess I am.

The Brutal Star Search Schedule

SPEAKER_02 6:08

Yeah, I think that they are absolutely right. But tell us about the actual star search process then, because your your dad, I can't remember if he mentioned it on the podcast, but he spoke to me definitely uh before and after just about how crazy it was. It was so intense for you during the whole process.

SPEAKER_03 6:26

Do you know what? It was it was intense, but it was really fun. I mean, it started all with an Instagram message of them sending one going, Hey Harry, we've seen you. Do you want to appear on Netflix? And I thought, this is not real. Me on Netflix, like, what is this about? Like, it must be a joke. So we talked a bit more, and then I found out it was actually like Star Circle, the real show. And I was like, Yeah, 100%. So we it was a mental time. We got out there, we the first week we were there getting all like filming stuff, package videos. Second week, uh, well, we had the set on the second week we had the show, and our prop didn't arrive yet because all of our luggage got stuck in Paris. Because so we've flown from Barcelona to Paris and from Paris to LA, and when we got to Paris, there was a big snowstorm that wasn't expected, and Paris is not ready for a snowstorm. So we got stuck in Paris for 28 hours, and then we got another we've we were able to find a flight to LA, and they said, Oh, you can't fly to like another 10 days, and we're like, that's not happening in MTB on Netflix. So we're able to find like a connecting flight to Minapolis and then fly to LA. It was all mental. And we didn't have none of our props. So suspended animation, the illusion that I did was not even there. And I had to do the look at look-see, that's what they call it, to the directors that were sitting there. And I went to them, well, I would, but I haven't got my props. So it was a bit a bit awkward because the first of a time I met the directors of this Netflix show and I had to show them what I had, I didn't have anything. So I had to like mime it and stuff. And it was really funny because the first time we ever did it, they just breed the stage floors, so my shoes fell off in front of the directors, so it just all went bad. Like it was like the illusion wasn't there, my props weren't there, my shoe fell off. I made a joke about it, I blagged it, and and everyone was just laughing. We're having a good time, and I was able to make fun about it at the end. But then when we got to the show, it luckily it went all well. Oh, and then and then the weeks after the second week was crazy as well. We did the Fire Spiker, uh, then we did the double levitation that I loved it was incredible because it's the illusion that I've always wanted to do, and it's and Dad's always wanted to do. Uh, he's always wanted to do a double levitation. And my favourite part about that is that uh when we did it, we got it. And the first time I flew up, I just looked at dad and grinned at him because he was there like uh I was like, Oh yeah, look, I'm doing this before you. So I loved it. I was having the best time of my life, and that was that was crazy as well. And what was mental about it is that after the so the first week and the second week, really we had them down before we came out. But I was like, Oh, it's an American show, I don't know how this is gonna go, like they might love the Americans more. But then we're able to get the third week and able to get to the final at the end. So we each week we had three days to choose what we're gonna do for the next episode, and then three days was like choosing the prop, getting the prop, rehearsing the prop, and to rehearse and do illusions that you've never done before. Trust me, it's not easy because normally you have to find your own way, and and you've got like a week to learn it, no, no, two days it really was, and then we had to show it to the directors, and then it was a show day.

SPEAKER_02 9:09

Well, your your dad said to me, again, I'm not sure if this was on air, but he said that your schedule was literally you had something every day. Everything was scheduled, you had almost like a timeline of everything that needed to be done. You had no free time at all.

SPEAKER_03 9:23

No, so what it was is that every so every night before we'd go to bed, um, Victor, Victor's the guy that organized all the contestants, the best guy ever, he would um send us a schedule, and it would be like uh, oh, tomorrow Harry's got hair and makeup, then he has package videos, then he's got rehearsals for two hours, then he's got school for three hours, then he's got rehearsals, and then he goes home. And like I was a minor, legally every day I had to do like so many hours of school. And uh well, I so like I live in Spain, they didn't really teach Spanish in Catalan there, they touch American, but I was there just having a good time and learning some stuff. And then um as well, I had to be finished by six uh or six six in the afternoon because uh I was a minor and I could I I could only have so many hours on set. So some days I would come in later and finish later, and sometimes I'd put them in early and finish early. Luckily, I wasn't one of the earliest ones because I know some contestants that got called in at 5 a.m. some days, and I was like, no, I'm alright. I need my sleep. And because I'm used to staying up pretty, like I'm not used to staying up late, but like I like we work in the show business, most of us are used to like going more bed late and waking up like at nine, ten o'clock, and not going to bed at seven and waking up at five. That's not my kind of thing.

SPEAKER_02 10:33

I guess in a roundabout way, because you had like less time as well, because you know, the laws and stuff like that, you actually had less time than the other contestants overall as well.

SPEAKER_03 10:44

Yeah, so some of the contestants would come in and rehearse whenever they want. So I legally had to have a day off as well. So most of the contents so the adult contestants had a day off, but if they wanted to come on to set, they could to rehearse, and most of them did, but they wouldn't have like filming that day or rehearsal, like they'd just be able to rehearse their acts. But with me, like I was a minor, legally I had to have a day off. So what would happen is that the day straight after the performance when we found that we won, we'd walk off stage and they'd ask us, right, what are you doing next week? So we would tell them the illusion and the song and the close-up trick, and then we'd say it will change, but it's gonna be like this. The day after, I legally had to have a day off. So we only lost a day out of five that we had to make the act. So that was one lost. The next day we'd get in and they'd film all my package videos for the week after, and they'd film the star like walk and everything with my competitor. So that would be another day lost. Then the third day, that's when the proc would arrive, we'd start rehearsing, and then with the next day, we would have dry block. The dry block is when you're on stage and you like do the act, but you it's more to talk about it with the directors and like say, right, cameras here, cameras here, lights like this. Then the day after we'd do camera block, it's the same as the dry block with cameras, and then you'd have dress rehearsal and the show on the next day. So, really, we only had one or two days to fully get the act down and rehearse with the illusion.

SPEAKER_02 11:56

Wow, that sounds intense.

SPEAKER_03 12:00

Yeah, but it was fun. Do you know what? It's part of the journey, it's part of the fun, and it's what made it it's what made it Netflix.

Weird Gigs And Fast Opportunities

SPEAKER_02 12:07

Yeah, well, like I said, you did an amazing job, and I'm sure that will be not just something that kind of lives with you forever and the memory of that, but hopefully that's gonna open up so many doors. Your dad mentioned just the sheer amount of events that you're doing, um, and like all of the interviews and stuff like that. Even now, it just sounds like you are absolutely chock a block.

Guessing Dad’s Desert Island List

SPEAKER_03 12:30

Do you know what? It's uh it's unbelievable. I can't, I can't believe it. All the stuff I've had off of it, I've had stuff that I can't talk about. I've been on a lot of Spanish TV shows, some English TV shows. I've got some gigs, some really fun ones, some really strange ones, but also fun. Like some, oh, do you want to do a gig in a shopping centre? We're building the stage for you. And I was like, in a shopping centre, and they're like, Yeah, so we I want you to theme it with toys. And I was like, all right, I'll do a show theme with toys for you. And they're building all the stage for me. And then we're fucked. There's just someone's like, we want to do this show on a yacht. And I was like, oh, okay, cool. Like, what type of show? We want flying. I'm like, on a yacht? Is there a stage? Is there a and like it's just a little like all these things that are coming in? And do you know what? I'm so lucky to have dad and some of the magicians that have like dad's friends that have helped us. Also, we've got Matt here in Spain now that he performs at the house with, so he's been helping with some other things. But I'm so lucky to have dad that knows a lot about magic, and he's got a really good mind for magic and TV magic, and he's been helping me a lot with the kind of stuff.

SPEAKER_02 13:25

Well, let's talk about your dad for a second then. So we had your dad on last week, and you know the concept of the podcast. He has picked eight tricks, okay? Let's see how many of these you can guess, alright? So from the eight tricks, how um we'll see who wins out of you and your dad. One of you is gonna win. Hopefully, you're gonna draw. Which tricks do you think he put in his list?

SPEAKER_03 13:50

Right. Okay, we're gonna start with the basics, with the classics, right? The classics of Ronnie James Piper, Fork Bending, Yori Geller. That's one of them for me, right? I think that'll be in there. I think that's one of his tops that should be in there, but I don't know. Okay, then I'm oh okay, I'm gonna think of some other ones. Maybe so he's um I know, uh, his cards across routine, the electric jazz, right? It's a really fun routine that he does. I don't know if that's in there, maybe it is. Then um, then I'm gonna say the invisible deck. It's a classic trick, but it hits a lot of uh hits a lot, like it's it's a very basic trick, but it's so good. Like, don't you think? Right, it's it's it's just the simplest thing, it's so easy, but it just hits so well. You can do it in so many ways in so many situations. I did it on the radio the other day, and it worked really well. Then other things, I've got three right now. Then we're gonna go with um his hypno like hypno routines. I don't know if that's a trick, but you know what I mean, like that kind of thing. Uh we're gonna go with his I'm trying to think now.

SPEAKER_02 14:58

From the four that you've mentioned, yeah, you've got one correct. Just one! Just one. So is that forks? Your dad took forks with him. Um but the electric chairs, invisible deck, those ones aren't in there so far.

SPEAKER_03 15:14

Okay, I'm not going well. I'm doing really bad. Oh no. Right, I'm trying to think. What else would he take with him? He would take, right, let's think, think, think, think, Harry. So he's got forks, right? Right. His watch routine, but he doesn't need to take anything for that, so it's just himself. So maybe yeah, his what his watch routine. Um, the only like, I don't know if this is a trick, but really, with all the routines that you're doing, is there people on this island or not?

SPEAKER_02 15:40

It's your island, so it can be however you want it to be. I will say, your dad had quite a few people on his island by the end of it. Um, but it can be anyone you want.

SPEAKER_03 15:50

So can uh can a trick be like bringing people? Like I need people for it. Yep, can it be that if you want it to be that? Okay, we'll go with that, because we need freeze forks and freeze watch. We need people, we need we need people to say that. Then um what else? What else? Like uh watch routine, he would do that. Oh, maybe this phone unlock. Maybe. He performs it in the Hoy Show sometime. I'm trying to see, I'm trying to think what he does nowadays, like what he performs, but I don't know what he used to perform, I can't remember exactly. I know he does fork's watch and phone unlock in the show, but then could it could it be an illusion, his final guess? That's the question. One of his guessing it'd be an illusion.

SPEAKER_02 16:27

Wait there, let me help you then. So let's see how many illusions he put in. He put in two illusions.

SPEAKER_03 16:34

Right, we're gonna go with double F. We're gonna go in with double L then. Because I think it's a trick that he really wants to do and he'd love to have on an island with him. Or suspend animation. Right, double level. We'll go with double lev.

SPEAKER_02 16:47

Okay, so let's say uh borrowed watch is one of your dad's items, right? And double levitation is also so out of his eight, you've managed to get three. Oh no, I haven't passed the exam. That's not a good that's not a good. That could still be a winning number, right? Because your dad only guessed seven of yours. So he might still have got them all wrong. You never know.

SPEAKER_03 17:13

The problem is with me, right, is that he's the one that's probably or showed me all these things or teached me all these things. So he probably knows all of them. Well, it would be. I don't know. Well, I know some of them, but I don't know what he used to do 20 years ago that he loves.

SPEAKER_02 17:26

Well, I can tell you his full list now, right? Because the game is over. So the first one he put in was a stealth assassin wallet. Right, yeah, okay. Second was forks.

SPEAKER_03 17:36

Yeah, knew that.

SPEAKER_02 17:37

And he told us a brilliant routine that he does in the show uh stand up with hypnosis, which is brilliant. Number three was a borrowed watch for his borrowed watch routine, which he didn't tell us what it was because he wants us all to come to the show and see it in person.

SPEAKER_03 17:50

Yeah, you should. It's something, it's incredible.

SPEAKER_02 17:53

He mentioned a boat appearance, which he said has never been done, but they've always got it.

SPEAKER_03 17:57

Right, yeah, yeah, that's that's yes. I forgot about that. That was such a great idea he made up. And we were working on it together. We we want to add it into the house vision show because um um I'll tell I'll tell you one little thing, because the house vision is right next to a port. That's the reason why. And he told you that, yeah? Yeah, yeah. He said that.

SPEAKER_02 18:13

It sounds like a great idea, but it did push him to maybe put it in the show now. So he did say maybe he's gonna start working on it. Um he also kind of twisted the rules because he did two things that we've never had in nearly 150 episodes of this podcast. He put a person in position five. So I said that, didn't I? Who do you think he put in position five? Me. I'm afraid it's not you. I'm trying to think of his favourite people now. He is part of the Massive Illusions family, Matt? Right, right. So it sounds like you've got competition with Matt Edwards for your dad's favourite person.

SPEAKER_03 18:56

Well, no, I've I've got to say, right, Matt did start with my dad when he was about like 14 or something. So but still I'm his son, so I don't know why I'm not on that list.

SPEAKER_02 19:05

Well, so his he's he'll redeem himself in a minute, alright. Let's let's live it there. So what he said was Matt was like an encyclopedia of magic, and sometimes that's an invaluable thing to have.

SPEAKER_03 19:19

Yeah, I agree with that. I agree that Matt's like a book that can get anything out of, he's got so many good ideas.

SPEAKER_02 19:24

Alright, so don't don't be angry at your dad just yet, alright? His next uh his next thing was a fire spiker.

SPEAKER_03 19:32

Right, yeah. Good illusion.

SPEAKER_02 19:34

Seven was double levitation, which you got correct. Yeah. And then eight, he changed the rules again and he did another thing that no one's done. He took a place to his island.

SPEAKER_03 19:45

The house of illusion.

SPEAKER_02 19:46

He took the house of illusion in one of his uh his uh you know what?

SPEAKER_03 19:51

Some of the stuff he've I I he said is are in my list as well.

SPEAKER_02 19:55

Don't ruin it. Right. So nothing more than that. Nothing more than that.

SPEAKER_03 19:58

Okay, I'm not gonna say I'm not gonna say anything else. I'm sorry, I'm sorry.

SPEAKER_02 20:01

So his banishment, he uh we won't make you guess these ones. He it was jealousy, he doesn't like jealousy. His book was The Mind and Magic of David Burglass, and his item, just to redeem himself, was his family.

SPEAKER_03 20:16

Oh, right, right, okay. Okay, that was good, right.

Harry’s Eight Tricks Drafted

SPEAKER_02 20:20

So you're allowed on his island. I'm allowed. Along with Matt and the House of Illusions. So that is your dad's uh list. So now we're gonna go the other way. We're gonna find out what your list is. Your dad has already told us what he thinks you're gonna go for. So by the end of this, I'll be able to work out whether he got any of them correct. He's probably gonna get all of them right. Don't don't surprise me. Right. Well, he did also mention that there is a prize involved. So no, this isn't fair now. Right, I'm gonna make up tricks now that I've never performed before. So he also said that you would say that.

SPEAKER_03 20:58

So did he actually?

SPEAKER_02 21:00

He did. Yeah. Right.

SPEAKER_03 21:01

Is he in there?

SPEAKER_02 21:02

Is he in here somewhere? So we're just gonna break away for a second. If this is your first time listening to the podcast, the idea is we're about to maroon Harry on his very own magical island. When Ezeri's allowed to take eight tricks, 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 Harry's own imagination. So, Harry, let's go to your island and find out if your dad was right. Which item are you gonna put in number one?

SPEAKER_03 21:31

So, items, right? First one, I'm sorry, but we're gonna go with my monkey routine, right? My vent routine. This magic and vent, right? It's a mixture, it's the monkey routine. So the monkey vent routine is a routine where I have like this big ginger monkey and then it's mean like a ginger monkey, get it because I'm ginger as well. And I bought out of this box and I go, the most dangerous animal in the world, and then this little cute monkey comes out of it. And then um I do the I I've got this big gin ginger, like very hairy monkey mask that I put on uh someone on stage, and we sing songs. The monkey wheeze all over the audience, we repair bananas. It's it's not it's it's not bonkers, it's bananas, that's what I say.

SPEAKER_02 22:07

So if people want to get into venting, because venting is such a a niche within a niche, how how did you learn to to do all of that?

SPEAKER_03 22:16

So vent was actually a straight. So I like started more with vent than magic, really, because I always used to do magic. But I've seen I've seen a lot of people do vent on like YouTube or on like got talents on shows, and I and no joke, I tried it and I could and dad said I could do it. And slowly, I think by working it more and learning the letters that are really like B, B, you've got to use your lips to do it. So you've got to do like you've got to give it like a D and stuff. But I still struggle with it now, but I try my best. So um, because if not it sounds like a ghee, you've got to like find the right way of saying it. But it's just I think the more you do it, the more you get better at it. As an example, I do it every night in the Hoy Show, so it like working on every night, you find different ways of doing it, better ways for you, like it's just in general a mixture.

SPEAKER_02 23:00

Okay, well, uh I can tell you now, he's already got one right. We're not starting well, we not. Well, I did get the first one right as well. That's true, that is true. Uh, but yeah, he did say your monkey routine.

SPEAKER_03 23:15

Right, okay, okay.

SPEAKER_02 23:16

So next one.

SPEAKER_03 23:18

Go on then, go for number two. I'm gonna put in my Minipact. So my Mini-pact is um it's uh a Manipulact, it's where I pay a card. No, so I do it to um it's a version of all the lights, a song from Kanye West, but it's an edited version, so it like it starts really slow with the piano version and slowly goes in where cards transform into lights back into cards into sticks, and in it it's just mental. It's just cards everywhere, magic everywhere. Because some minipacks go more to the classical and old style, but I make it more energetic like some other people do as well.

SPEAKER_02 23:50

I think listeners are gonna have to work out whether your dad's got this one right, okay? Because he said you would take specifically manipulation cards. Oh but he didn't say it was a manip act, so or maybe you can be there.

SPEAKER_03 24:06

I think I need points that that don't count.

SPEAKER_02 24:08

That doesn't count. Okay, that doesn't count then. Um maybe it does, but like maybe a quarter of the point. You know what I mean? No, it's it's either a hitter or not. That doesn't it's not a hit then. I don't think it is. It's not a hit.

SPEAKER_03 24:21

My manip act is not just cards.

SPEAKER_02 24:24

Okay. Now I've seen your manipulation act. And it's actually changed now compared to when you've seen it. And I'm actually working on a new one right now. What's new about the new are you allowed to say what's new about the new one?

SPEAKER_03 24:35

Yeah, well, um, yeah, so I wanted to work on a different routine because I think it's good. Like I will go back to all the lights, but um, I've performed it so much for two summers now that I think I just want to like work on something new for a bit and try out some new like moves and try out some different things. With all the lights, there's a bit more like there's more nicer moments now. It's um just always working on new stuff. But I think with the Minip Act, I've performed it two summers in a row now, and it's not like I'm I'm getting rid of it. It's still there and I will still perform it. But I want to try and um just work, work on some new fun, like like little things, and I think trying out new things, and maybe one night I do one, maybe one night I do another, and just trying out and working out new routines. How did you get so good at Manip so young? Good question. Pretty much doing it in school under my desk while my teachers were not looking. That's that that is it. That is it in school when we finish an exam, someone and they'd say read a book instead of reading a book. I'm doing the macatendo under the under the desk, trying to trying to get trying to get the cards out and then dropping one of my teacher puts me in detention for playing with my cards in class. No joke, that's a true story. I got put in detention for playing with cards in class. Uh, because I was trying to learn the macatendo uh and I got put in detention because one of them fell on the floor. Because it's not it's not an easy room, it's not a move because um it it it gave me finger cramps at the start because you've got to like try and like hold hold it out like that, and depends how your fingers are, like the grippiness. Uh depends the time if you've like your hands are a bit sweaty or something, you can't do it or you can.

SPEAKER_02 25:58

Well, Alakazam, do not condone any of our younger listeners. We do not condone you getting yourself in trouble in lessons uh by playing with manipular cards under the desk instead of doing exam.

SPEAKER_03 26:09

Do it, do it. If you pass school, you study it all, you can always play with a couple of cards. Learn the Macintando under your desk. Go on, that's that's the deal.

SPEAKER_02 26:16

Uh so let's go to number three. So your dad's only got one writer, right? Because we're saying manipulation cards, he did not write. If he's listened to this back, you can tell right now he's having a a right old game.

SPEAKER_03 26:27

If he was in this room, he's not, he's he's at his other venue now working on because we're opening a couple new venues this year in Salu. But he's already got a load, he's got Chaplains, he's got House Russian, he's got Amazon, we're opening another one. But um, yeah, if he was in the room right now, he'd be looking at me. He he would come on. He would he would be on here right now, going, What do you mean it's not? But he's not. He's not, he's left me alone.

SPEAKER_02 26:46

Okay, so let's go to number three then. What did you put in your third spot?

SPEAKER_03 26:50

So number three, I'm gonna go with double lev. And I know he's probably put this in as well. Double lev is a where um pretty much it's what it sounds like someone uh lays down on the table, they fly very high up, uh, you cover them with a cloth, they fly up again, you stand behind them, you fly right up to where they are, you come down, then you rip the cloth up and they vanish midair.

SPEAKER_02 27:09

This one was on Star Search, and Star Search. It was absolutely brilliantly performed. Just explain to her. Because your dad mentioned that the first time that you did it, he took a photo of you, and a bit like you mentioned earlier on, you're looking down at him and you're grinning, but he said at that moment he was he was filled with so much happiness for you in seeing you being able to do that. So, what was it like for you being 15 and having access to this incredible not just the prop, because the prop would have been amazing to do, but just doing that incredible routine.

SPEAKER_03 27:49

I mean, I couldn't believe it. I couldn't believe it. When dad when when we were talking about like what should we do for round three? And dad went double left, and I went, no, I can't, I can't do the double F. Like, I've never done it ever. He's like, We're gonna do the double left. And then when it got there, I was like, I was so excited for it. I kept on, I remember we're in the hotel room, and I kept on going, like, like putting my arm up, like showing him how I'm gonna fly up and stuff and taking the mick out of him, going, like, I'm gonna do it, and you're not. And I kept going, like, I'm gonna do it with this leg and go up like this. And he's like, and then we got it, and the first time I ever did it, do you know what? It was a bit scary. Like for magicians, they know it's a bit it's a bit scary the first time you do it. Um, but then when when you got used to it, it was just like, yeah, let's keep on, let's keep on going up. It's fun. This like we were rehearsing it, and um and the poor guys, but we were rehearsing it, and I was like, Alright, let's just go up again. Come on, let's do it again. It's fun, it's fun. Because when you're up there, you're very high up. And like for people that people that know, like it's you're very high up, like you're very high up, and you've got to keep your balance and stuff, but it it's really fun. It's it's really fun. It was a crazy experience. We wanted to do the vanish um with the time that we had. We don't know if it was possible, but we got it done in the end. It was a crazy experience, but it was really fun. No, yeah, really fun.

SPEAKER_02 29:00

Yeah, I can imagine just the the uh the exhilaration of the flying to begin with would have been incredible. But then I bet being in that studio doing it in front of those judges would have just given you just this extra level of wow, this is incredible.

SPEAKER_03 29:19

I mean, yeah, if you can see on some rounds, like I'm not performing it, I'm just having a good time. Like, I am performing, like I am always having a good time, but you can see in the double level when I'm up there and everyone's cheering at me, I don't care what I'm doing. I'm just laughing and having a good like I'm like, oh, we had all this choreography made for when I was at the top, and I skipped alpha bit because I was just having I was just like, yeah, look at me, I'm flying. Like I was like, we had like where I like did a fist and then like my hand, my both hands went over. We had some really cool things to do, and I just didn't do none of it. But like, no, no, like the guy the um the um the guys that were like right, what if you do this and this? And I was like, Yeah, I'll see, I'll see, I'll do it. And then I just didn't do any of it because I was just like laughing and having a good time myself at the top, like, I did it, I did it, I did it. And then when I got down, you can just see my face, it's like, oh my god! And sometimes, like on SARS, which I'm always having a good time, I'm always performing, but sometimes you can see when I've done a trick that I've never done before, you can tell I'm a little bit more excited than what I normally am.

SPEAKER_02 30:14

Well, it came across really well, and I'm afraid to say, your dad put that one at number one. Uh, so he knew you were putting that one in there. He's two up.

SPEAKER_03 30:24

So he needs to get one more right and then we're tied.

SPEAKER_02 30:26

Yeah, right, let's go to number four. What would you put in your fourth spot?

SPEAKER_03 30:30

Number four, I'd put invisible deck. It's a trick that you can do anywhere, any place. And I think it's um uh it's a very good trick for radio, TV, show, close-up. It's good for any situation. It's just something that I think it's always good to carry on you. It's like a deck of cards because it's just an impossible trick that you can do anywhere.

SPEAKER_02 30:49

So you mentioned that you did it on the radio. Explain how you you went about doing that.

SPEAKER_03 30:55

So uh what we did is that like we didn't have of course I was I was on the radio there, so of course people can't see it. So it was it, we did it, but it's just like so, because you've got the people then you just go, I've got a deck of cards. I had a dream last night. I turned this is my dad's script, I nicked it off of him, and I love doing it now. Uh, I turned the card around last night when uh before I went to bed, I turned the card around thinking about this, and then I asked him, name any card, and then they go the Queen of Hearts, and then I spread the cards out, pull the Queen of Hearts, let's turn around. And on the radio, we were trying to find the right way of doing it because we were the the main problem was at the start, they went to us, right? We want to do it like online, and I was like, Yeah, that's fine, we'll get a zoom, and they were like, No, we'll just do voice. And I was like, Voice? And I'm like, Oh, we're gonna struggle here with tricks, with like magic to do on on radio just with voice, because normally you need like to see them to like pick a card, think of a name or whatever. So we were like, we have some versions, but they weren't as powerful, and then we were able to get the camera on. So yeah, we did the invisible deck, I explained it whilst I was doing it, it got a really good reaction, and then yeah, and then I think it's hard to do magic on radio, but not if you if you've got the right people helping you. Like, I think I think you just need a lot of minds to go, what do you think of this? What do you think of this? What do you think of this? What do you think of this? And then you're able to get it. Like, a load of there's a load of like tricks with music that you can hear. Uh there's some really good tricks that dad's got with music, like just in general. There's it's just the way you perform it and the way you explain it.

SPEAKER_02 32:13

Have you ever done Invisible Deck on stage at the House of Illusion?

SPEAKER_03 32:17

Uh I do. I did it on Netflix, I did it on Star Search, I did invisible deck the final round. Um I did it, yes. Well, what I do with invisible deck is I do it um with a blank deck, and there's one card inside the blank deck, and it's there. So I don't do like the cards face down because I do it with the um adjunct carotella. I always make messy second name. The the paper ball scene where you throw out the paper balls in the audience, they name a card, they open it, it says two of spades, and then the cards turn around the deck. So that's what I do it with. But then yeah, just but you can do it with anything really. You can have a load of them, like dad's made up some amazing ideas and other stuff just with the deck of cards.

SPEAKER_02 32:55

Well, you'll be pleased to know that your dad hasn't put that in the list.

SPEAKER_03 33:00

Right, right, good, good.

SPEAKER_02 33:02

So you you're still you're still not drawing on into the the you're thinking I've put most most of them he's gonna put in now, I know he is.

SPEAKER_03 33:11

That's why I've tried to keep him. That's why I've tried to keep him for the end.

SPEAKER_02 33:14

Well, let's find out what's in number five.

SPEAKER_03 33:17

Suspended animation. Suspend animation is um is an amazing piece of magic that I did on my first round of Netflix Star Search, it's a big illusion, where it's this clear glass box where someone gets in, you cover with a cloth, you stand next to them and then you do the change. But I actually created a a special version of the show that I did at FISM, so I was the youngest ever competitor in FISM where we did a version of it where I was standing um where we did suspend animation, but instead of the cloth touching the box and doing the change, I would stand two metres away and do the change two metres away, and the switch would happen like from a big gap in the middle of the box.

SPEAKER_02 33:47

Yeah, so I've seen this done so many times now. Uh, it's a big one on on TV shows. But what I thought was particularly good about uh when I when I saw you do it is uh, and you know, don't I don't mean this in a negative way, but you look so much smaller than the prop does compared to maybe someone who is a bit more uh bigger, but it it made it look even more impossible. I don't know why, but my brain was how on earth has has he managed to get that far, that high, that quick?

SPEAKER_03 34:26

I mean, yeah, that's code there. Uh but do you know what? Um we rehearsed we we perform at the house illusion, we rehearse it a lot. It's just actually got back from LA, it couple it got back week back last week and we built it again. Um but I think it's just running it and running it and running it. I mean, I've got you've got to have some pretty good arm strength. And I think it's just the more you do it, the quicker you get. I did it at the clapping grand as well. And I've got the that was do you know what I was really proud of? I did it at the Magic Circles uh awards when they did it at the Clappand Grand, and I was really proud of that because that's probably one of the quickest times I've ever done it. It was like thum thum thum. It was so quick.

SPEAKER_02 35:05

And um one would presume that there's a lot of trust with that trick with the partner that you're performing it with as well. So, how how is it doing that with someone else every time?

SPEAKER_03 35:17

Do you know what? Uh so I did Netflix with Emily and Zoe. Emily uh has been with my it's worked for my dad's company and Zoe does as well. Emily's done fizzing with me, Emily's done shows in Madrid with me, so she performed that routine a lot of times with me. So I was actually pretty, it wasn't like, oh, we're at Netflix, let's learn this. So it was pretty good that we already both of us knew the basics of it. But as an example, when we were rehearsing this, when uh at the thing, once we did it and they made new cloths for us, but the thing that happened, they made new silky cloths for us. So when the cloth went over the box, it just slid off. Uh but it wasn't, it was just like a rehearsal. So we had to like find a way of um velcro in it. But when you velcro, you wouldn't be able to rip it off. So what I did is I just put dots of Velcro inside and not the other side of the Velcro, so it's still grippy, but then you can still rip it off. And that was you, if you I think there's a top shot of the camera that you can just see a little dot of Velcro at the top or something on Netflix. But yeah, it was just um um it was good that we already knew how to do it because we only had like a day to get that fully down because it wasn't there, it got there laid.

SPEAKER_02 36:13

And those little changes, so the the the decision to do the change of the cloth, one would presume that was production that decided to do that change.

SPEAKER_03 36:22

Yeah, so production, so yeah. Um I was so grateful they did it. It was a pain, but it was so good because of course they gave it more shine and the minute it looked better for TV because that cloth we've used in a lot of places. So I was actually really grateful they did it, and we've been able to keep all them cloths, so that's really good. So we've gone for the shows now. The only thing was is that learning new cloth with the trick as well was very hard uh to get like the trick down because it it sounds really stupid, but the cloth is so important in all tricks that exist. As an example, imagine suspended if the cloth you whack it open and it washes with the wind forward, or as an example, it slides off the box, like I said, or you're doing another thing, the fire spike of cloth. You rip it forward and the light's coming from behind and it's see-fruit. You can see through it. There's just a lot of things that are just um annoying with cloths, but I was so grateful they did all the cloths for us. They were incredible.

SPEAKER_02 37:10

Well, the one thing that you're not gonna be happy about is your dad said that one as well.

SPEAKER_03 37:15

Oh, right, we're we're tied, so it's not good.

SPEAKER_02 37:18

So now it's three for three, and I'm really sorry to say this, you're only on number six. Uh so there's there's still more room for him to go. So, what did you put in number six?

SPEAKER_03 37:29

Oh no, he's gonna know this one. Right, so what I put in number six was gonna put this one, I don't know what he's know. Fire spiker, it's in there 100%.

SPEAKER_02 37:39

So, from this point on, I'm not gonna tell you if you got them right or wrong. I'm just gonna.

SPEAKER_03 37:43

Oh no, that means I have though.

SPEAKER_02 37:45

That means that he knows it. It it may not be on there because he put it on his list. Who knows?

SPEAKER_03 37:50

Right. So the fire spikers is such an incredible trick. It's a trick where there's a box that someone gets in, spikes full of flame go through, spikes come out, you stand on top, and you appear three or two people out of it. Three is loads better, in my opinion. It's harder, but loads better.

SPEAKER_02 38:06

Yeah, so your dad spoke about this a little bit in his list, and he said, you know, when those people just keep appearing, and another one appears, and another one appears, it there's no way to fathomably work out how that is happening.

SPEAKER_03 38:22

My favourite one are the people that try and try and reveal it on Instagram, and they go, We've seen your leg glitch out, we can see the mirror, or we see the fake leg in the back. And I I love it. Like when we did suspended, they went foresome, pretty much. There's four of us, there's two twins and two twins. So I just love the ways that they said um because it's it's funny. Do you know what? When they make methods that sometimes are actually better than what the method is, but um, but it's it's it's actually really funny to to read. And do you know what? As well, with comments, I always get a lot of comments on Instagram and stuff, and you just got to take them as like a laugh. Like, don't take them personally or anything, because you get everything you get from when I did Sky News um when I was a bit smaller, I got like ginger, yeah, all them kind of things. And do you know what? They were actually pretty funny. I just had a I just laughed about them, and I don't really care because you take them personally, that's when it all goes bad. But um, yeah, the five spiker, I hope it's not on his list.

SPEAKER_02 39:13

Well, I think uh number one, it's a shame that people did say that about you.

SPEAKER_03 39:17

You always get it when you get when when you appear on TV or anything, you always get it, and you know, but it's not nothing bad. I don't like, I don't care about it, I have a good time. It was actually really funny. I made um I was writing down, um I was we were writing down to Matt gave me this funny idea with reviews, right? So like I've got a website and we were thinking of writing reviews. This person said this, this person said that, and this person said it like in like line it up or something like that to make it as like a a joke out of it, and um because I've been like working out because I've had to get like a load of stuff done. Uh so people here at my dad's uh office had been like getting like new websites fun dorm uh done for me and all kinds of stuff like that. So I'm so lucky to have all of that as well. But um yeah, it it's just it's it's just fun. Like I I I just laugh about it.

SPEAKER_02 39:59

Well, you know, only good stuff, hopefully, from from here on out. And uh yeah, I I've I've always thought it was really interesting that the next day after a talent competition, there's methods in in the newspaper. And I think it's sad that sometimes magicians are the ones that go to the newspapers and tell tell the the methods to newspapers. I I'm not sure why they do that. I don't know if it's to get money for them. Um, but it seems to be every single talent show, even uh Rafferty uh has had a video up on YouTube of someone coming up with the methods that they think he he performed as well.

SPEAKER_03 40:36

Do you know what? I think people, most people only watch them because they're there. But if I think most people just want to enjoy it, I don't think they care about what it thinks. And um, I think you'll you'll you'll see why on my list there's something about that. You'll uh oh you'll see it later. But um, I think that a lot of people just because there's a lot of people for me, magic is not just the tricks and you being better than what they are, because that's what some people take it as. There's some people take it as like, look at me, I'm the magician, you can't do this. Ha ha. But I like to see magic, and um, and dad's taught me this, and a lot of magicians have taught me this, to see in another way that that means that you see magic as like something for people. As an example, we've got a lot of people that come to our show that um have had maybe a rough time, or someone's passed away in their family, or their family are in war, or whatever. And they say when they come to the show, they've been able to forget about everything, just disconnect and watch the show and laugh and have a good time and just enjoy it. And I think that's what's special about magic. I think the world needs magic, and I think it disconnects everyone from what's happening in life, and it just makes them happy. And that's what I think is really important. What I love about magic is seeing people smile and have a good time whilst I do it.

SPEAKER_05 41:42

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SPEAKER_02 43:04

100%. I think that's absolutely true. And you sounded more like your dad than than you would uh care to think when you listen back to his episode. But I'm also not gonna tell you if Fire Spike was in there, but we are gonna drift on to number seven. So, what's in your seventh spot?

SPEAKER_03 43:19

Right, seventh is the very traditional trick, but I think it's a fun trick because there's so many different ways of playing around with it, and that is a chop cup or cups, like chop cup, cups and balls type ish, a chop cup because I think it's such a fun routine. Like I do it, um, I do a chop of a close-up around the house illusion tables, and I think it's just such a fun routine because it's very interactive with the audience, and there's so many things you can do with a cup and a ball. I mean, you can do from uh I I've got a friend of mine, Magic June, uh he was at Blackpool. I don't know if you've seen him that he's got the cup and the ball, but the coffee way, you do that. I just think with a cup and a ball, there's so many things. Well, with a cup in general, there's so many amazing things you can do with it and play around and interact with the audience. And I think it's just that like Jan Frisch, Fism winner, his act is a cup and a ball. And it's not a chop cup, but it's like um ball cup, ball, you know, you know what I mean? And I think like just with a cup and a ball, there's so many things you can do. That um and even like a cup with a lemon and cup like anything in general, I think there's so many like possibilities you can reach just with them basic objects.

SPEAKER_02 44:21

So which which avenue did you go down? So before I was on a call to you, I've just recorded an episode with someone else who had the chop cup in their list. I'm not gonna name who they are because I don't want to ruin it for people listening. And I I said the same to him. So which avenue did you go down? How did you choose your chop cup routine?

SPEAKER_03 44:44

What I did first is I seen the Grum Leathercrafts chop cup with the suite. Um, and I thought it was really good. I did it when I was smaller because I thought it'd fit my style instead of having a metal cup and a ball. Like, and I thought with the suite it'd look really good. And do you know what? I like it a lot because it's a it can be quick or slow, it can be a very long routine, it can be a very quick routine. And I perform it so much with the house region that I've been able to find like funny jokes, funny ways of doing it. Just and it's something that the um you can do it as many times as you want, uh pretty much. You can put that ball in the cup and you can take it out, put it in your pocket, or put it wherever, or not even do that. You can but I just think with them two objects, you can do so many things as not just like oh ball, cup, pocket, ball, cup, pocket. There's so many other things you can do, like the vanishing, like vanishing things, appearing things in the cup. And I think like it's just a fun routine that you can play around and not do exactly what because some tricks you buy and it's just that. But where it is, you can play around and do a lot of things with it. It's like an object that's made for many things.

SPEAKER_02 45:48

Yeah, I think that's a great choice. So when you say you do it uh the where you are now, do you do like close-up before the show?

SPEAKER_03 45:55

Yeah, so at the house solution, they when they walk in, they they have their starters, and we do we do a bit of close-up. Everyone does, even my dad does it some nights, because it gets them to connect to know you before you're on stage. And what I've noticed with shows that you do, when I've done shows at the house vision, shows not at the house vision, that um I'm so used to the house illusion where I do close-up at the start and people get to know you. So when you walk on stage, they already love you. Where at other shows, when you walk on stage, they don't know who you are. So it's a lot harder to connect for the first couple minutes with them. Where if you start doing close-up, they know you, they love you, and they will always, and and they'll just they'll always at the start they'll help you for the people that don't know you. But if you don't, then it's a bit like you've got to explain everyone, hello, I'm Harry, I'm this, I'm this, I do this. Where when you do it close up, it's just a lot nicer, and then when you're on stage, they all cheer for you already. I think that what's important as well, that what dad showed me that's really important is at the end of the show, we say we go out to the bottom of the stairs at the House of Illusion and we say bye to everyone, we take pictures, we sign stuff, because then you're not only making a moment, but you're creating something where you make you give like you it makes them special because for them, a lot of people that come on holiday, and dad taught me this really well because he says it to me, like they they think you're a superstar, they think you're incredible because they you've made them the best night of their holiday, you've made the best night of their life, whatever. And for them, for you to go in and say hello to them and meet them at the end of the show and sign stuff for them and um go up to them and even stay for a drink with them at the end of the show, it makes them feel like you care about them that's special, and that as well makes your customers return and come back and just want to be there.

SPEAKER_02 47:32

Well, I'm guessing you really are the star of that show now. Uh, since being on Star Search, how have you seen like a bigger uptake of people wanting to come to the show just to see you because of Star Search?

SPEAKER_03 47:45

Look, I don't want I don't want to sound like big big-headed or nothing. Uh we got it was really funny because we were there, we were there at Star Search and Lacey sent me a minus she's my auntie, she works in the company as well. And she went like like we were talking about, it was really funny. She went, Oh, the ticket prices no, the the tickets have increased, like, because we normally sell out every show, but normally we sell like we already sell tickets now, we've already sold out for a lot of shows, but we normally sell out like closer to the date. And she's like, Oh, look, we're already selling out for these like final shows, and just after I appeared on Star Search, it was actually really funny. Um, do you know what though? Um, I don't think I think what's really good about the house vision, it's like a family, and we all connect to each other and we all care about the audience. It's not like a show where like you come in, you watch, and you leave. I think like people want to meet you at the end, you want to meet them, and you just want to like see if they've had a good time and enjoyed it.

SPEAKER_02 48:30

Which was uh code for yeah, yeah, they are here for me. That's that's what's what you say.

SPEAKER_03 48:36

No, no, that wasn't a code for saying, Yeah, they're here for me. No, no, no. No. A lot of people we've got a lot of returning customers as well that come.

SPEAKER_02 48:44

Yeah, that's great. I mean, from everything that your dad was saying about it there, you are really like a big family unit, and it's so lovely how you can all rely on each other and lean on each other. And like you said, in your your position, being someone uh your age, being around some of these incredible people must be absolutely invaluable. But one thing that your dad did say was at one point you were Rodney Jane Piper's son, and now he is your dad. It's all all all about you, and and uh not so much about him.

SPEAKER_03 49:18

He probably says on the podcast, he says it everywhere, and I love this what he says. He goes on Netflix, Harry's known for doing his magic, and I am known for crying and doing really happy faces. That's what that's what he says. Yeah, that's what I mean. I'm sure he said it. And it's really I mean it's really funny. No, but it do you know what's really funny? Um when we're on set, and when so when the show's about to start, they put everyone in a holding room. Uh, like all the and when the shows are starting, they're like they bring the guy out to get everyone warmed up, all the audience warmed up, and dab sits in the audience because he's not backstage with me, so he comes backstage when the act's finished, and just before it starts, he's backstage, and then when the act starts, he walks out and um he gets asked by everyone, oh my god, are you Harry's dad? Because no one knows his name. And I was just loving it. It was so funny. Because he like and and I always remember I was so I was my goal was, and this because you always used to laugh at me about it. I my goal was to beat him in Instagram followers, like to beat him in Instagram followers, because he would just he would just say I'm more famous than one direction. Look, I've got like and all these kind of things, and now like I've beat him, like now I've beat him in followers. I'm actually like three followers away from 10,000, and he's like at 7,000. So I've now like I've beat him, I I just love it. It's it's so funny. Like, yeah, here it is. Harry's Harry's dad.

SPEAKER_02 50:32

Well, one thing he may have beaten you at is this list, but we do have one more before we find out if he has. So, what's in your final spot?

SPEAKER_03 50:42

My final spot is I said, and we're pretty similar to this with each other. I said him, I would bring him to the island that as like as a trick, as a person. I would bring my dad, and that's not because I don't like, but with like I think he's really important in magic, and I think he's such a smart person that can help me with so many things. And I think working alone in the magic is a really hard thing to do if you want to create stuff, and I think working in a group is a lot better, and me and dad have got a really good relationship.

SPEAKER_02 51:08

Yeah, it really comes across actually more than I think you'd know, just in listening to this. If people don't know who either of you are, then just listening to both of these podcasts next to each other, there's so much that you've said that he said, and so much that he said that you've said. Um so I think that's really apparent, and you know, you've both broken one of the rules as well, which is you've both taken a person, which no one's ever done before. So you're both similar in that respect as well. But I think I'll let you take your dad with you. I think that is more than fair enough. So I think that's a pretty good list, but we need to find out did your dad say any of them? So from those last three, one of them was correct. One of them your dad predicted. So I'm afraid he has beat you by one point. He said fire spiker. He said that that would be on your list. Oh well, I I uh uh we can cut it out and re-edit it later.

SPEAKER_03 52:15

Right, exactly. That's what we want. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Just say, uh, sadly, Harry did not say Harry won. Rodney got um zero right. So I'll tell you the other ones that he said. I should have said, like, I should have said Magic Square, Mind Reading, Book Test. I should have said all of them, not nothing some stuff that I've never done in my life. I should have said.

SPEAKER_02 52:35

Well, there are a couple of things that he said you would say that you haven't said. So this is what he expected you to say. He expected you to say double levitation, which you did. I said that. Fire spiker, which you did, suspended animation, which you did, your monkey routine, which you did, manipulation cards. Which I don't know, I'm not you can beat me by one, not by two. He said that you might say a motorbike vanish. Right, yeah, I get that. And the curveball one was literally a ball, a tennis ball.

SPEAKER_03 53:11

Right, the tennis ball, right. Okay, yeah. I grew up, yes, love the trick, but it's yeah, yeah, I I would bring that to the island because it's an amazing trick. But I was thinking more of what I can use for more than one thing. That's what was in my mindset, because it's only eight. So the tennis ball's an incredible trick, it's by Henry Harrison. This other guy, I can't remember his name now, a really good friend of mine. And uh it's where a card appears inside the tennis ball, and you name a card appears inside the tennis ball. And I got this joke where I go on like one knee, there's romantic music, starts playing, and I do look I'm gonna marry them, and there's a card inside, so it's really funny. Um, but yeah, incredible trick. But I was thinking more of what tricks can I use that's more than one use.

SPEAKER_02 53:51

Okay, well, there you go. I think uh your dad does win, but only narrowly, I'm afraid. He he wins the mystery prize.

SPEAKER_03 54:00

I did say person, but not the person exactly.

Dad Joins The List And Wins

Banish The Reveals Culture

SPEAKER_02 54:05

I'm just dropping that in. Well, we've given you eight tricks, but you get one each of these, okay? So I want you to imagine, Harry, that you're gonna dig a big sandy hole on your island. You're gonna throw something inside, never to be seen again. What are we gonna bury and banish on your island?

SPEAKER_03 54:23

All the magicians that reveal magic. That's that's my one. And when I mean bury, I don't mean like like when I mean bury, I mean make vanish. Not actually bury. Um, yeah, I think uh, yeah, all the magicians that that reveal magic, the mass magicians just been released, do you can go in there with them? Uh do you know what? I just think why, why, like, why do it? Like, why why I reveal something? Because people work, and there's a lot of magicians as well that work so hard on creating these things, and then you've got this guy that just reveals it, or this guy just like copies it and posts it on AliExpress or whatever. And I just think, do you know what for the amount of work that goes in to all these things, why do it? Like, I know you want to earn a bit of quiz, but you there's so many other ways you can earn some money. And then it's not like they want to go viral because they're wearing a mask, so they don't care about going viral. It's more that if you want to earn a bit of money, I don't know, go into doing crypto or something. Like, there's no need to reveal magic, there's no need to reveal an art of what people do.

SPEAKER_02 55:19

Okay, I think you're one million percent right. I think you're you're on the money there. Now, are we talking specifically people that reveal magic online?

SPEAKER_03 55:29

Yeah, people that reveal magic to the world, like, of course, when I mean reveal magic, if you want to show a little kid of card trick, go on, do it. Like, I and I don't mean it in that kind of way. I mean more the people that reveal the magic that we perform, the the main magic, the magic, like like of course, you can show um a spengali deck to anyone, right? You can sell it, we sell it at our show. Uh, but I don't think that I think that's different. But um, I think when you do when you talk about like as an example, illusions, main manipulation acts, main acts, main tricks, I don't think let people enjoy it. Let people enjoy it. And don't and as well for the creator, don't reveal it if you haven't bought it. Like, don't like I think like if you wanna if you want to know how it's done, buy it, learn it, perform it. If not, just don't.

SPEAKER_02 56:14

Well, the the other thing with someone in your position where you're doing these big allusions, there's there's uh you know, people are gonna turn up to your show, know how that's done, be unimpressed, potentially tell other people, and it's not like a close-up trick where you can just switch that out and get another one. They're big expensive props that you've had to spend a lot of time and money and effort to to get in.

SPEAKER_03 56:37

Yeah, I think what I think just a lot of people, because what what happened, and I noticed it as well on Netflix, like a lot of people just want to enjoy it. You get that one little like not idiot, but that one little person that says, Oh, it works like this, and people reply to it going, why did you reveal it? Like, why? Like, oh let let us enjoy it, let us enjoy the magic, you know what I mean? Um the the best ones when they try and reveal something they're just completely wrong. That's the funny one. Like, because not for like no one gets it, but you just look at it and go, how would how would that be possible? With a double L it's two magnets in the ceiling. No, what? Like, you know, you know what I mean? Stuff stuff like that. But yeah, I just think let let people enjoy it, let people have a good time. If they want to learn it, yeah, search it up, learn it, but don't put it on the internet where there's people scrolling by that don't expect it come in will see it. Like if you want to learn it, buy yourself a magic book, buy yourself this, just learn some tricks and be happy, but don't post it online that if people don't want to see it, see it. It's like when, as an example, you find out like Santa Claus or something like that. Now on social media, you can find it out instantly. If there's a five-year-old scrolling through his phone, it comes up, that's it. You've lost it, you lost the magic. But it's it, but if you want like if you want to learn it, of course, that's something that you'll learn. But like I mean it more like keep it, keep it like a secret. Like just keep it for yourself if you want to learn it.

SPEAKER_02 57:55

Yeah, I think you're 100% right. Uh and I think it's really strange that people think that that's two magnets in the ceiling when we all know it's one above, one below, and they're repelling each other, and that's how the the they're floating in between. But yeah, I think that's that's right.

SPEAKER_03 58:11

When they turned it off, and I actually my back got stuck right onto the ground. It went dunk! And it was it was really it was really bad, actually.

Books Versus Learning From People

SPEAKER_02 58:18

Uh but everyone who reveals magic is in that hole. We've buried that. No one's gonna be revealing magic unnecessarily again, but it does lead us to your book. So uh I know that you're younger and maybe you're not as into reading books, but most of us start off with one. So let's find out what a 15-year-old would be reading.

SPEAKER_03 58:38

You're not gonna like this, but I'm gonna do it, alright? So I've been so with books, I don't read books. Alright. I learn a lot from for me, from my opinion, my books are people that come and work at the House of Lusion, like Winston and the big famous Artum, like a lot of like more than a load of big magicians, Matt, my dad. For me, they're in my books. People that come, they show me stuff, I learn their their books for me. Because I know I know like um I know like books are something important on the books there's some of the best tricks and some of the best magic. The old books have got some of the best card tricks ever. And like what I might do is because dad's got thousands of books in his house, and I might grab one, like look through and go, oh, this is cool, like, oh, this is cool. But um, I'm not the thing is as well, and it's not I don't do it on purpose, but my time, and it's all the kids nowadays, our um what's it called? Our time. Like uh, we're not used to sitting down and reading something. We're used to 15-second videos. We're used to looking at something and going, oh, that's cool, next one, oh that's cool, next one. And I think a lot of people and and even me struggle to sit down and read a book for a week. Like, and it might that's why when I ever read a book, I and I know it's wrong, but I look at the title of the trick. I like scroll through, I don't read everything, and normally there's some books that I have read. I've read the um Dad got me Jonathan Goodwin's book, Mom didn't want dad to get it because it's got some crazy things in there, because it it's a really good book, but it's got some things that are not magic that are pure dangerous, like this iron that can like fall on your back or whatever. And um, of course, I'm never gonna try none of it. Well, you never know. I might, I might, but um, it's just more to see more of the like that kind of side of magic because it's not really magic, it's actual it's got magic into it, but it's actual like dangerous stunts, and magic is dangerous, depends what you do. I think I'm not like I I don't want to say a book now and and people not like because the book I say, because I don't really read books and I don't want to like lie and make one up. So I think for me, my books are meeting people, talking to people, and learning things about people.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:42

So I actually really enjoy when people find loopholes to um to concept podcasts. I'm a big fan of it. We've never had anyone do that.

SPEAKER_03 1:00:52

Right. So one one thing I want to cut you drop in. With when I mean a person's a book, I don't mean it that you can just grab stuff out of them and steal stuff and grab anything you want out of them. Of course, uh, because you can't like if someone doesn't act, you can't copy their act. You can't like um what you can do is learn and take and find new things. Of course, whenever we've got people working at the hallway, I always like I've got so good relationship with like Winston, Winston Font by Yo's a really good middle player. We even talk like every day on Instagram, working, we we send each other our ideas and we just play around. And I think what's important is not steal, not copy. I think it's learn and admire what they do and talk to them about it and go, Oh, what um, I've seen you do this on your Instagram, could I use it in my act? I've seen you do this, like don't ask any random person, like ask like close friends or something. And you go, Oh, I've seen this. Like with this, if I use it, can I add this like extra vanish into it? So this goes like this, and you go, Oh, yeah, and then what if you do this with it? And I think it's just like when you work in a group of people, you you've got so much knowledge with you instead of working on your own, because on your own, you might go, right, I need to make someone might ask you, can you make this cup disappear? And you go, okay, yeah. Uh, so what can I do? I can make it uh vanish, I can make it go behind my hand, I can go all these kind of methods. And you might think of difficult methods, but then your friend might come and go, Wait, but it's a lot easier, just have this and do this. And you go, Oh yeah, why didn't I think of that? Because you don't always think of all the methods you've got. So working in a group of people, I think, is very important and working with other people and asking for ideas. Like when I worked on Star Search, when we did the first round, I sent a message to Winston, and they're all fizzing like winners and stuff, and asked them, Um, what do you think of this minute part? And they went, Yeah, it's good. If you change this little bit so it gets on TV, it might flash because of this and this. And I think just working with people is really important.

Black Velvet And A Dad Cameo

SPEAKER_02 1:02:30

Yeah, I agree. I think your dad kind of said the same thing when he mentioned about taking Matt. Uh just the idea that collaboration's really important and uh you're surrounded by so many incredible people. So taking those little bits of information and uh and advice, and that's kind of how magic has gone through the centuries. It's the idea that we pass down secrets. So let's go to your item. What would you put in your item position?

SPEAKER_03 1:02:57

So, my non-magic item. If I've got beganist, I feel bad now because I haven't chose family, but uh but what I have chosen because I love this item, and only magicians will know black velvet material. Oh, someone's just got back.

SPEAKER_01 1:03:13

Uh oh. I did this yesterday. Why are you copying me again? No, you did it last week, Dad. Not yet. Oh, was it last week? Yeah, sorry.

SPEAKER_02 1:03:20

It was last week. Don't ruin the illusion.

SPEAKER_01 1:03:22

It's unbelievable. Everything I do, Sam now, you want to do it. I was a magician, you want to be a magician. It's not everything works, just you know what, you know what? No, no, wait, wait, wait. Look, just because you're done on TV now, you're getting too big for your boots. No, no, no. Not fun, it's not interesting. I I I've done flying. Have you done no? I've done forks, is what I've done, not flying.

SPEAKER_02 1:03:40

I I thought uh just in case people at home don't realise, that is Harry's dad. That's Harry Merlin Piper's dad. Um I can't remember what his name is, but that's his dad. Um do you know no, no, don't I? Harry's dad, thank you. Do you want to tell while he's there, do you want to tell him the uh the good news? What's the good news? You won.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:03

Of course I did. Let me tell you, the old learner still got it. He still got it. That's what I'm saying. What was this? When we had to guess each other's.

SPEAKER_03 1:04:12

Yeah, so you got four, I got three.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:15

Not not said anything, son, but you've got a little bit more work to do before you've been picking a four master. Back to training. What ones, what ones, what ones did he guess?

SPEAKER_02 1:04:26

So he guessed uh forks, yeah, watch, yeah, and double levitation.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:33

Oh, good. Do you know what I said? What? Electric chairs. Oh, yeah, good idea. Yeah, but if I did that one, I do do that one, and it is well known, you might have won. So I thought I'd put a few ringers and do some more. That's what I said. I said I would have done book tests, magic square.

SPEAKER_02 1:04:48

Just all the stuff you've never performed. And we do have a contention as well, in that one of the things that you said was manipulation cards. However, you didn't say manipulation act.

SPEAKER_03 1:05:03

Come on! No, no, no, no, but in my acts, I've got sticks, I've got lights, I've got balls, not just cards. So that that point didn't count. So actually, we're tied.

SPEAKER_01 1:05:11

No, we're not tied. We know we know it's one. We know we can try and cheat. Yeah, you can try and cheat all you want, but remember, you've still got a lot of training to do, son. One day you'll be able to read minds like that. That's all you're saying.

SPEAKER_02 1:05:25

Harry, don't make him cry again. We've seen it enough.

SPEAKER_01 1:05:28

Oh, right, I'm out of it. I'm letting you finish this off. That's it. Um tell you what, I'm just gonna do that order. Where's the Vanishing Inc. website?

SPEAKER_03 1:05:36

Let's do that with the Is this a roast battle?

SPEAKER_02 1:05:39

It is. This is where it's gone. Normally we're a we're a very friendly, family friendly podcast. So let's go back to your item. Why would you take black velvet material?

SPEAKER_03 1:05:48

Oh, uh, because it's a very useful thing for magic. There's a lot of things possible with it. Uh that I mean, I was between that or thread, and I love it that dad said family. And I've I'll sound really bad now, but no. Um I was between that and Sarah, if I could take both, I would. Because I think there's so many possibilities you can do with them kind of stuff.

SPEAKER_02 1:06:08

I guess it's one of those things as well. It it uh it goes across every version of magic. It can be used in stage magic, on TV, in social media, in person, you know, there are so many different places that it it's very useful.

SPEAKER_03 1:06:24

I I think it's just uh a a useful thing to have uh on you because you can have you can make so many things possible with it. Like if if like as an example, if I wanted to banish the cup, there we go. Like just in general, you could there's so many like different ways of using it and making it possible, and not using it sometimes as what you think it's used for, and using it as other things.

SPEAKER_02 1:06:44

I think people really struggle with the item, um, and I think that's a really good one in there. Uh so you've twisted the rules a little bit, you've put a person in one of your lists, and you've taken lots of people in your book position. But let's go over your list one more time. So you started with your monkey event routine, your manipulation act, double levitation, invisible deck, suspended levitation, number six was fire spiker, number seven was chop cup, then you took your dad. Uh, your banishment is magicians who reveal magic, your book is people around you, and your item is black velvet material for no particular reason if you're not a magician and you're listening to this.

SPEAKER_03 1:07:23

That's because I really like um I really like clothing. But you can see like I'm wearing black now. Not for not because of uh any reason. I just I just normally wear black.

SPEAKER_02 1:07:32

Exactly that. No other reason. But I think that's a great list, and sadly, you know, you didn't quite beat your dad. But no, but we're gonna talk about that, okay?

SPEAKER_03 1:07:41

We'll just go with the great list.

SPEAKER_02 1:07:42

We'll go with the great list, and you know, arguably you've you've beaten him in many other ways.

SPEAKER_03 1:07:48

Oh, yeah, yeah, that is true.

Where To Follow And See The Show

SPEAKER_02 1:07:50

No, no, you're both brilliant, and it's so nice to see how you both are with each other. Uh, and just your whole unit over there at the House of Illusion. So if people want to find out more about you, if people want to book tickets to the show uh and all of that good stuff, where can they go to, Harry?

SPEAKER_03 1:08:07

So um, you can follow first follow me on my Instagram because I'm far away from 10,000 and I really want the 10,000, I really want double digits. No. Uh no, so you can follow me on Instagram at the Harry Merlin Piper. Uh, not only that, as well, you can come to Spain salute at the House of Illusion. If you look at houseillusion.com uh or rjpentertainments.com, you'll see all the stuff on there. Uh as well, follow my dad, but preferably me, because I need to beat him in followers. And then, yeah, uh, if you ever if you're ever out in Spain, any magician, send us a message. I'd love to jam, have a good time. And yeah, see you soon. That's what I say.

SPEAKER_02 1:08:40

I agree, and of course, there are a couple of the tricks on both your dad and your list that um we can only see if we go and see one of your shows. So and I can't believe that I don't already.

SPEAKER_03 1:08:52

Whoa, okay, wait, wait, wait, wait, let me check how many I've got left. Where's my face?

SPEAKER_02 1:08:55

There you go.

SPEAKER_03 1:08:56

How many are we at?

SPEAKER_02 1:08:57

You're on 9988. Right, okay. So there you go. Everyone needs to go and follow Harry Merlin Piper on Instagram. Thank you so much for your time, um Harry. Thank you for you. It's been so fun. It's been great having you, and good luck with everything going forward. I'm sure you are destined for even more greatness. Thank you so much. It's been so fun, and hopefully I'll get to do another one one day. Yes, well, we do have SOS, so in two years' time we'll invite you back and see if your list has changed.

SPEAKER_03 1:09:30

Okay. Oh, it probably will. It probably will. We'll probably find the what what thing has changed and what what hasn't.

SPEAKER_02 1:09:36

And thank you all for listening. Of course, we'll be back next week. Please do go visit uh Harry Merlin Piper's website and of course follow him on Instagram. Let's get him up to those 10,000. Do go check out Star Search if you haven't already seen it. He was absolutely phenomenal. And some of the tricks on his list, you can actually see him perform on there. Go out to Salute if you get a chance. Uh, it was great having both Rodney and Harry back to back uh doing these episodes. So do go out there, check out some of these routines and these effects, and of course, give them your support. Live magic is something that we need to keep going. Thank you all very much. Have a wonderful week. See you again soon. Bye-bye.

SPEAKER_00 1:10:18

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