Arts > Theatre
Champions Of Magic
Norwich Theatre Royal
23/03/18
Magic, illusion and mystery are promised when the global stage hit Champions Of Magic comes to Norwich Theatre Royal on Sunday April 1. One of the stars is Norwich’s own mind-reading master Alex McAleer.
Firstly Alex, tell us a bit about what’s in store with Champions Of Magic.
It is a big spectacular family show all about magic and there is a big variety of magic in the show. There are different genres and styles and it is all in this big spectacular production so there is huge lighting, a projection screen, confetti, pyrotechnics and lots more. There are four acts in the show. I do the mind-reading and the mentalism. We have Kayla Drescher who is an LA based magician who does the close magic. It really works in a big theatre as we have use cameras and a projector. We are seeing it closer than we would if it was being done to you. We also have Fernando who is Mexican and works in LA. He does some daring escapes and also does the dove act which is very classic having them appearing from everywhere but it has a contemporary feel as he is a younger guy. We also have Young and Strange who are our comedy illusionists. They are quite well-known as they have photo-bombed a live Sky news report with one of their illusions.
And what about you?
Without giving too much away, I am a mind reader but it isn’t psychic or anything like that. I don’t read fortunes or talk to the dead. I read people and I play psychological tricks with them so I try to think of a word they are thinking of or a name they are thinking of. I can control people’s actions and behaviours so they can be part of a magic trick without realising it. I can also bet some money and make sure I win it which has worked every time so far. In the second act, I challenge everyone to try and rad my mind and guess the word I am thinking of so it is a chance for everyone to get involved in the show. There is a little bit of a twist in that but I don’t want to give away exactly what it is.
And this show has been going global hasn’t it?
We have been touring the UK for four or five years and at the end of 2017, we toured around the US and we went form the East Coast to the West Coast. Towards the end of the year, we did a run of shows in Cleveland, Ohio. It was very cold but very nice audiences and then there has been a few more in January and Feb, and this autumn we are back in the States.
But Norwich will see you perform on home turf.
I live a 20 minute walk down the road. Annoyingly I will be touring around so I will be in one city the night before and a different one the night after Norwich so when we arrive on our tour bus, I will be able to pop home and sleep in my own bed.
Is magic enjoying a bit of a comeback?
It had a bit of a renaissance when a series of films came out based around magic. There was The Prestige, there was Now You See Me and Now You See Me 2 and several others. I think it had this resurgence and has stayed somewhere near the top. We have had Britain’s Got Talent and America’s Got Talent with lots of magicians doing very well on there and so I think what has happened because of shows like them is that people realise it is a live experience. People used to just see things like David Blaine and Derren Brown on TV but now they realise they can go to a theatre and see a magic show in the same way you would go to see a stand-up comedian or you would go to see a play. I am delighted that has happened.
So is this a chance for us to discover (or rediscover) magic?
I would say I think everyone is interested in magic because you have seen it on TV or you have had a try at it or you have a friend who knows a trick. Come and see a big stage show and enjoy the varieties of magic. It is a great way to experience it. Seeing it on TV or YouTube is fine but come and see it live for the full experience. It is also a family-friendly show. It isn’t just for kids or adults. It spans all the genres. When you look out from the stage, you see three generations of the same family watching. It is really great.
Champions Of Magic, Sunday April 1 at 7.30pm. Tickets £8-£30. Discounts for Friends.
To book, log onto www.theatreroyalnorwich.co.uk or call the box office on 01603 630000.