Showing posts with label -AB. Show all posts
Showing posts with label -AB. Show all posts

05 March 2024

Rounding the Western rings in March 2024

Confirm details about dates and locations by visiting each club's website.

City Club Event(s)
Calgary, AB Ring 66 (Calgary Magic Circle, Les Brocklesby Ring) - N/A.
Edmonton, AB Edmonton Magic Club - N/A.
Winnipeg, MB The Magic Club of Winnipeg - SYM.
Fraser Valley, BC IBM Ring 387 (Fraser Valley Magic Circle, Celeste Evans Ring) - Fun Night! - Improv Games and Laff-Off.
Vancouver, BC Ring 92 (Vancouver Magic Circle) - The Magic Festival
- Children's magician of the Year competition
- Annual banquet with Jay Alexander
Vancouver, BC SAM 95  (Carl Hemeon Assembly) - N/A.
Victoria, BC Ring 183 (Victoria Magic Circle)   - N/A.


Please leave a comment or e-mail me about corrections or omissions.

 

 

 

 

 

09 February 2024

A peek behind the curtain with Richard Young [2023]*

This is the sixth and last in a series of interviews leading up to the Champions of Magic Worldwide Wonder Tour dates in Western Canada:

Check the Champions of Magic website for updates.

 

* Regular readers of the blog may know that there's typically an elapsed time of weeks to months between us completing an interview and having it published.  Case in point.  Due in part to our densely packed December content calendar, we've held Richard's interview (which belongs to our 2023 series of Champions cast interviews that started last October) until now, ahead the Western Canada leg of their tour. 


Read our thoughts about their 2023 show in Toronto:

TLDR: So. Much. Fun!

Random thoughts about "Champions of Magic" 

 

In addition to Champions of Magic you may also know Richard Young through: 



We're delighted to interview Richard ahead of his Western Canadian Champions of Magic Worldwide Wonder Tour dates!


A peek behind the curtain with Richard Young



Do you remember the specific moment when you knew you could or wanted to perform magic full time?

September 17th 1995 when I saw David Copperfield’s show in Birmingham in the U.K. My Dad often tells the story that on the drive home that night I asked him if it would be at all possible for me to do something like that as a job when I grew up.
 
 
 
 
 
Have you studied anything magic-adjacent (eg. theatre, voice, musical instrument, acting, dance, art, movement, or photography)? 

I haven’t and I really wish I had. If I was to give any younger magician some advice it would be to go and learn all this stuff. It seems like a lot of fun and would have helped me so much over the years.
 
 


Richard Young listening to Sam Strange

Richard Young listening to Sam Strange
 
 
 
 
 
After seeing a recent Champions performance in Toronto, one of our readers thought they spotted a small but meaningful detail in the show, that you may have included as an homage to David Copperfield.  Is this an intentional 'Easter egg'?

I was thrilled someone spotted it. Absolutely. It’s supposed to showcase that I’m living my childhood dream in his shows following my tribute to him 15 minutes earlier.
 

 
 
 
The Champions show order changes from time to time, based on the constraints of the venue and the health of the performers.  We imagine that sometimes muscle memory reverts to the show order you do most often.   How do you and the rest of the cast and crew remind yourselves of set deviations?

In 2021 we were developing a lot of new material and the show was changing almost every night. It was stressful and frankly impossible to stay on top of. We have stage prompts printed on the stage floor and other similar techniques. I remember there was one night where I got the show order wrong, it happened to be on a night when there was no sound relay backstage and as I walked towards the stage I saw a scene playing out on the stage I was supposed to be in, without me in it!  
 

 


What's your go-to time filler if the crew needs you to stall for more time than "hands"++ provides?


We really do just have ‘hands’ to save some time. Anything needing more than that will be a show stop. We have only had a few of those over the years. Although it’s nice if you can fill a mistake or buy some time without the audiences noticing, a show stop is nothing to be embarrassed about, I’ve seen West End shows in London with show stops and as an audience member you appreciate they are stopping because they want you to see the best possible show rather than some sort of bodge job attempt to wrangle through. If you do hundreds of shows, there’s no way to avoid it. Eventually you’ll need to stop and restart.    

++ To learn more about "hands" have a listen to Episode 127 of Through the Magic of Television with host Alex McAleer, on Magicians' Podcast Network (Apple Podcasts link).
 
 
 




Richard Young, Champion of Magic

Richard Young, Champion of Magic

 




Do you have any guilty pleasures while on tour?

When we are touring I really miss British chocolate but honestly it’s probably good I can’t access it, keeping weight off while touring I find basically impossible. I don’t watch things, I tend to just find my head is completely immersed in what we are doing.
One imagines that it’s sometimes hard to leave the comforts of your home for a lengthy tour.  Do you bring a special something from home with you? 

I do indeed have a little mascot who travels with me. He’s a stuffed toy raccoon called Rufus, my girlfriend bought him for me when we visited a national park in Tucson, Arizona together. Unfortunately Rufus accidentally forgot to get inside my suitcase when I left a hotel in Los Angeles and despite many phone calls to the hotel after I left, he was not found. I however managed to find him for sale on a website and quickly had him sent to me by FedEx hoping my girlfriend would not notice he wasn’t exactly the same Rufus. She didn’t but eventually my conscious made me tell her the truth that Rufus is in fact now Rufus 2.0. 

 

 

Rufus

Rufus 2.0

 

 

Every performer has experienced some level of post-show blues.  Post-tour blues, we expect, are on a whole different level.  Do you have any tips for touring entertainers with respect to re-entering one’s non-touring life, after an extended time away from home?

It’s so so hard. Coming off the road and re-adjusting to a much slower pace of life for me personally takes quite a long time. When we finished after a 9 month solid tour in May 2023 I truly was burnt out and needed a break, but honestly that’s the first time I have ever felt like that. Usually I am sad when we finish and do worry a little about how I’m going to re-adjust. I have however learnt how to take care of myself. I immediately get my head into other work. I don’t take time off, I tend to actually have a lot of new energy I can place into podcasts or some other kind of creativity. The fact is for many of us this is the biggest part of our lives and so although sleep, no airports and less stress is welcome, life does feel a little empty when away from the road. I truly believe 1 year of touring is the equivalent life experiences to about 20 years of life for a normal person in terms to fun, emotional ups and downs and pure experiences.  


 
 
 
Is there anything else you’d like to share with the readers of Canada’s Magic?

We're really looking forward to sharing our show with your readers in Western Canada 



Thank you Richard, for making the time to answer our questions!

 

Learn more about Richard at RichardYoungMagic.com and check out his podcast at the Magicians' Podcast Network (Apple Podcasts link), and learn more about Bob Swadling's "Swadling Magic Changing Card" at Changing Cards.

 

 

 

  Champions of Magic  

Catch Richard in Champions of Magic touring in Western Canada this spring:

    Check the Champions of Magic website for updates.

 

Read our 2023 interviews with:

 
Learn more about Champions of Magic at ChampionsOfMagic.co.uk and follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter



Champions of Magic Worldwide Wonders Tour


 

 

 


31 January 2024

Rounding the Western rings in February 2024

Confirm details about dates and locations by visiting each club's website.

City Club Event(s)
Calgary, AB Ring 66 (Calgary Magic Circle, Les Brocklesby Ring) - N/A.
Edmonton, AB Edmonton Magic Club - N/A.
Winnipeg, MB The Magic Club of Winnipeg - SYM.
Fraser Valley, BC IBM Ring 387 (Fraser Valley Magic Circle, Celeste Evans Ring) - N/A.
Vancouver, BC Ring 92 (Vancouver Magic Circle) - N/A.
Vancouver, BC SAM 95  (Carl Hemeon Assembly) - N/A.
Victoria, BC Ring 183 (Victoria Magic Circle)   - N/A.


Please leave a comment or e-mail me about corrections or omissions.

 

 

 

 

 

23 January 2024

Calgary: Ryan Pilling in The WhoKnows Variety Show [Jan 30]

From the January 15th Facebook post by The WhoKnows Variety Show:

The last Tuesday of the month will be a night to remember!
Magic, poetry, one man band, Nigerian Jazz, ukuleles…what more could you ask for?
Fun times for sure Calgary! Jan 30th. call the Ironwood Stage & Grill for reservations.

 

 

 

 

19 January 2024

ON, BC, AB, SK, NS & NB: Wes Barker on tour [Jan - Mar]

Tickets at LinkTree.

  • JAN 19 - COLLINGWOOD, ON
  • JAN 26 - VANCOUVER, BC
  • JAN 28 - CALGARY, AB (afternoon show)
  • FEB 10 - SASKATOON, SK
  • FEB 11 - REGINA, SK
  • FEB 16 - McALESTER, OK
  • FEB 17 - McALESTER, OK
  • MAR 14 - HALIFAX, NS
  • MAR 15 - FREDERICTON, NB
  • APR 28 - MAIMI on CELEBRITY SUMMIT CRUISE SHIP 



 

 

 

 

17 January 2024

Calgary: Ryan Pilling's Wit & Wizardry - Comedy Magic Cabaret [Jan 31]

From the January 16th Facebook post by Ryan Pilling:

I'm casting a spell to cure cabin fever in Calgary. Join me at Wit & Wizardry - Comedy Magic Cabaret appearing Jan 31st. Advance tickets on sale now for an affordable night out.

 

 

 

08 January 2024

Rounding the Western rings in January 2024

Confirm details about dates and locations by visiting each club's website.

City Club Event(s)
Calgary, AB Ring 66 (Calgary Magic Circle, Les Brocklesby Ring) - N/A.
Edmonton, AB Edmonton Magic Club - N/A.
Winnipeg, MB The Magic Club of Winnipeg - SYM.
Fraser Valley, BC IBM Ring 387 (Fraser Valley Magic Circle, Celeste Evans Ring) - N/A.
Vancouver, BC Ring 92 (Vancouver Magic Circle) - Jeffrey Wang online lecture.
Vancouver, BC SAM 95  (Carl Hemeon Assembly) - Jeffrey Wang online lecture.
Victoria, BC Ring 183 (Victoria Magic Circle)   - Annual dinner awards show.


Please leave a comment or e-mail me about corrections or omissions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

21 December 2023

Calgary: Introducing the "Wit & Wizardry - Comedy Magic Cabaret" [Jan 31, Feb 21, Mar 27]

From the December 17th Facebook post by Ryan Pilling:

This project has been whispers on the wind, but it's time to break wind and release the whispers! Wit & Wizardry - Comedy Magic Cabaret is *appearing* in Calgary at the end of January.

I'm at my best in a small theatre venue, so you'll get to see me at my most magical, along with some equally astonishing friends. ("What, Ryan has real friends? I'm astonished!")

I will be promoting this relentlessly, forevermore, so you might as well give up now and hop aboard the Wizard Train™. Choo choo, muggle huggers.

 

 

 

More details are available at the Wit & Wizardry - Comedy Magic Cabaret Facebook event.

 

 

 

 

 

02 December 2023

A peek behind the curtain with Fernando Velasco [2023]

This is the fifth in a series of interviews leading up to the Champions of Magic Worldwide Wonder Tour Canadian dates in:

Additional rumoured locations include cities in BC and NS!  Check the Champions of Magic website for updates.

Read our thoughts about their 2022 show:

TLDR: So. Much. Fun!

Random thoughts about "Champions of Magic" 

 

You may also know Fernando Velasco as the winner of the 2018 Junior Achievement Award at The Magic Castle.



We're delighted to interview Fernando ahead of his Canadian Champions of Magic Worldwide Wonder Tour dates!


A peek behind the curtain with Fernando Velasco


 
We were fortunate to see Champions of Magic in three times in the past five years.  Your part in the show changed significantly from year to year.  In fact the 2022 experience was very different from the first time we saw you in Toronto in 2018. 

When you have an audience tested, well-received show, what drives you to modify and advance your act?


I’m not sure what the motivation  factor is; I love entertaining, I love making changes to try and find the best possible version of the acts to share with audiences, It’s also a way to keep it fresh, even if its just little changes to the script that’s enough to keep us engaged and in search for the perfect/most genuine presentation.
 



Have you studied any magic-adjacent disciplines? 

Recently I’ve been studying writing and storytelling, I think it’s definitely helped me give my magic some meaning. Hopefully sharing stories that might mean something to people and might make them FEEL something… A feeling is what I’m currently after.
 
I also spend a lot of time analyzing other artists from a variety of different disciplines just trying to learn anything I can from them; Michael Jackson, Tom Cruise, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Robbie Williams, Andrew Lloyd Webber, and Pixar.
 


Cutting it close!

Cutting it close!
 
 
 
 
Do you remember the specific moment when you knew you could or wanted to perform magic full time?

YES, the moment I joined The Magic Castle Junior Society and debuted at 14 years old during Future Stars of Magic Week in 2012 -- that was the moment I knew I had found my entertaining vehicle. There was no looking back.
 

 
 
What is your most memorable performance misadventure? 

Hahahah might be too soon...  (Darkest day of my career.)

Once upon a time in Houston, Texas, (Richard) Young, (Sam) Strange, and myself had a catastrophic prop malfunction in a part of the show we do together.

I wish I could tell you that we played it off and walked off stage like heroes, but we did not.

First, we were exposed to 1/3 of the audience (being generous with ourselves), then Young fled the scene leaving me and Strange alone on stage to finish the act... to which the act finale also failed.

In other words, NOTHING worked… it was like a scene out of Magic Gone Wrong.  
 


 
What sets Champions of Magic apart from other touring ensemble magic shows?

First the insane production level, it blows any other touring magic show in North America out of the water.

Second, our interactions with each other, the way the show intertwines with all of us and our collaborative routines.

We are a cast rather than four ensemble acts, that’s really unique.    



After a quick dip in the water tank.

After a quick dip in the water tank.

 



Do you have any guilty pleasures while on tour?

My biggest guilty pleasure is food, I love food, and I'm lucky to  share this pleasure  with my great friend Richie (Young). Sharing meals together tends to be a highlight of the day haha. As well as riding Birdies (electric scooters) around cities.
One imagines that it’s sometimes hard to leave the comforts of your home for a lengthy tour.  Do you bring a special something from home with you? 

I really love touring, it's our life.

But touring can be hard, it can get lonely. You are in a bubble for months in which nothing enters or leaves, it's like we are isolated from the real world…

I wear bracelets that friends and family give me, I wear them all the time, it's my way of keeping a part of loved ones near all the time.

 

 

Is there anything else you’d like to share with the readers of Canada’s Magic?

Best version of Champions of Magic is on its way. We hope you come to the shows and enjoy them as much as we do.  





Thank you Fernando, for making the time to answer our questions!

 

Learn more about Fernando at FernandoV.net and follow him on Facebook, and Instagram. 

 

  Champions of Magic  

Catch Fernando in Champions of Magic touring across Canada in 2023 - 2024:

Additional rumoured locations include cities in BC and NS!  Check the Champions of Magic website for updates.

 

Read our 2023 interviews with:




Read our 2022 interviews with the cast:

 
Learn more about Champions of Magic at ChampionsOfMagic.co.uk and follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter



Champions of Magic Worldwide Wonders Tour


 

 

 


25 November 2023

A peek behind the curtain with Sam Strange [2023]

This is the fourth in a series of interviews leading up to the Champions of Magic Worldwide Wonder Tour Canadian dates in:

Additional rumoured locations include cities in BC and NS!  Check the Champions of Magic website for updates.


Read our thoughts about their 2022 show:

TLDR: So. Much. Fun!

Random thoughts about "Champions of Magic" 

 

You may also know Sam Strange from:



We're delighted to interview Sam ahead of his Canadian Champions of Magic Worldwide Wonder Tour dates!


A peek behind the curtain with Sam Strange


 
Have you studied any magic-adjacent disciplines? 

It really highlights the scam that being a magician can be sometimes. So many magicians, including myself, hide behind the tricks/illusions when there is little talent outside of that. When I was in my 20s I did learn to partner dance (modern jive) and you could argue that gave me some coordination. However, I think honesty that would be very generous to say that it helped inform my balletic movements during the final Las Vegas parody sequence.


 



In retrospect are there skills or knowledge that you wish you had prior to pursuing magic full time? 

Certainly there are a host of skills that would have been so helpful. Being good at video editing and photoshop would be so useful. It would mean you could produce online content quickly and easily without the cost of using a professional. 
 
 


Sam performing 'red light, green light'

Red light, green light!
 
 
 
 
Do you remember the specific moment when you knew you could or wanted to perform magic full time?

I do remember actually with some clarity.

When I started to ‘gig’ (a few kids parties and events for friends), I was about 18 years old. Simultaneously I joined the ’Thames Valley Magicians Guild’ and would go to the weekly meetings there. After a few weeks I was kindly asked to cover a residency at a restaurant in Oxford, England. I did that on Friday and Saturday evenings. At that point there was a simple and clear connection between my magic passion and an income, of sorts. I knew at that point I wanted to be a professional magician.
 

 
 
What is your most memorable performance misadventure? 

There are so many to mention, which is both a sign of experience and flight time, but also unprofessionalism. (Richard) Young and I did the Edinburgh (Fringe) festival for 4 consecutive years and at that point new material is being worked in and lessons are being learned!

Lesson 1. Never leave the Master Prediction Tube inside the actual box. Especially when hanging that box (and ultimately the show’s finale) in full view of the audience.
Lesson 2. Always remember the key to a locked box with a spectator's watch inside.
Lesson 3. Never commit wholeheartedly to the gender of an audience member.
Lesson 4. Never perform magic on a stage at Nathan Phillips Square in Toronto, on New Year’s Eve in 2019, in the wind and rain. Ever.
Lesson 5. Never perform an under-rehearsed Table of Death.

All of the above had no outs. 

One of the most haunting experiences might not sound at all a problem, but knocked my confidence for years afterwards. I remember going out on stage for the show opening and having a complete mind blank. I genuinely didn’t know what I should say or how to start saying my script. Fortunately being in a double act means that essentially you have a script advisor standing next to you. But the fact that can happen means it might happen again and standing on a stage with nothing to say or nowhere to go, is a lonely and embarrassing experience.  
 


 
What sets Champions of Magic apart from other touring ensemble magic shows?

Although Champions of Magic does contain 5 magicians each performing in their own style, from their own discipline of magic, the show does feel very cohesive. It shouldn’t feel like a Magic Convention line up but without the MC. We perform together onstage throughout the show and because of that it hopefully feels like you’re watching a team of magicians, rather than segmented acts. That unifying aspect makes the show memorable, rather than the individuals within it. Coupled with the humour and no ability to take ourselves seriously, means it should be distinctive enough from the show's competitors.  



Paper money falling around Sam

That's a lot of money

 



Do you have any guilty pleasures while on tour?
 
At every venue we go to there is a well stocked fridge and Coke (both Zero and full fat) is always on offer and display. When it’s always there, I will most likely choose it over the bottled water. It’s not a vice I suppose, but I know it’s probably not good for you in large quantities and I do love it.
One imagines that it’s sometimes hard to leave the comforts of your home for a lengthy tour.  Do you bring a special something from home with you? 

Leaving home for longer tours is an emotional challenge for sure. However, that challenge comes with the territory and it’s not like I’m down a mine shaft for weeks on end or on the front line in Afghanistan. I’m not sure if there is a front line in Afghanistan anymore, but you get the sentiment.

I do carry a couple of photos of my family, which feels very old fashioned and probably crazy considering I have my iPhone’s camera roll with me at all times. I’m sure that if I printed out all of the iPhone images of my kids and put them into a flicker book, you’d essentially get a live stream since birth.

 

 

Is there anything else you’d like to share with the readers of Canada’s Magic?

We STILL have a large quantity of shot glasses available on the merchandise stand. You would think dropping the price to $15 would have helped shift them, but it did very little for sales overall. It’s the worst business idea we have ever had. Please can your readers buy them when attending a show? After a lot of trial and error (and critically the right room humidity) the Young & Strange logo CAN be scratched off with a box cutter.

The shot glasses are versatile and I’ve provided some ideas for their use below:

- Candle holders.
- A Crockery Smash stall at a local fundraising event.
- A Glass Walking routine you are working on.
- A lecture for a business studies group on 'Loss Leaders'.
  


Get your very own Young and Strange shot glasses at their merch table

Young and Strange "One More!" shot glasses
📸 : Kidlet, Kitchener, 2022



Thank you Sam, for making the time to answer our questions!

 

Learn more about Sam at SamStrangeMagic.co.uk and follow Young & Strange on Facebook, and Instagram. 

 

  Champions of Magic  

Catch Sam in Champions of Magic touring across Canada in 2023 - 2024:

Additional rumoured locations include cities in BC and NS!  Check the Champions of Magic website for updates.

 

Read our 2023 interviews with:




Read our 2022 interviews with the cast:

 
Learn more about Champions of Magic at ChampionsOfMagic.co.uk and follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter



Champions of Magic Worldwide Wonders Tour


 

 

 


18 November 2023

A peek behind the curtain with Hollie England [2023]


This is the fourth in a series of interviews leading up to the Champions of Magic Worldwide Wonder Tour Canadian dates in:

Additional rumoured locations include cities in BC and NS!  Check the Champions of Magic website for updates.


Read our thoughts about their 2022 show:

TLDR: So. Much. Fun!

Random thoughts about "Champions of Magic" 

 

In addition to her stage shows, you may know Hollie England through her:



We're delighted to interview Hollie ahead of her Canadian Champions of Magic Worldwide Wonder Tour dates!


A peek behind the curtain with Hollie England


 
Through social media, we've watched your act change and grow over time.  When you have an audience tested, well-received show, what drives you to modify and advance your act?

I originally joined the show with the least experience as a magician with these 4 other performers who had developed and perfected their acts over many years. I guess, coming to be a magician later in life, I felt like I was ‘catching up’ at the beginning and so I was very motivated to try things, see what worked and what didn’t and make my acts bigger and better as fast as I could. I just wanted to be GOOD more than anything in the world. Every iteration of my acts have got closer and closer to being more ‘me’ and that’s what makes it fun to perform and also makes the audience connect and relate more.
 
I try to stay inspired by seeing shows and movies, watching other performers (not necessarily other magicians) and listening to Pandora stations that introduce me to new music (still within my preferred styles). I’m always trying different lines here and there when I get an idea for something funny.

Ultimately, I’ve always had this desire to create and sometimes what I create ends up being a completely new routine or it flips an existing one or it just adds elements.

Some changes have come about through dealing with venue challenges. For example, when there were theaters on the tour that didn’t allow fire, I found a way to create a similar effect but using water instead. Both versions are custom made and so they also tick the very important box of being completely unique and ‘me’.

Performing in smaller shows in Vegas and Nashville has helped me grow exponentially as a performer. From altering, tweaking material for an adult-only, small venue, late night, 'Vegas' (sometimes very drunk) audience to getting to play with crowd work (and sometimes control), interacting differently with the rest of the cast onstage in my routines and theirs in terms of finding characters plus just being able to perform so consistently in the same venue (5 mins away from my house) and develop new routines- being able to try new things out in front of a real audience. I've also been able to get hired as a 'featured act' and ‘headliner’ in other shows and it's allowed me to see how different audiences have very different reactions and how I can adapt my acts without a video camera feed.

I've been able to create my own 20 minute set and then 30 minute set, which I'd never had to do before as my acts were always broken up throughout the ensemble magic shows.  I constantly needed to add routines to meet the required length of the show or alter some elements to meet the needs of the style of venue/ type of audience. I created 2 new acts and now they are some of my favorites to perform.
 



You come from a professional dance background. Have you studied anything else magic-adjacent? 

I studied musical theater (dancing, singing and acting) at college and also performed in musicals across the UK, USA and Dubai. I took art A-level in school and have always like to paint just for fun. Although now I get to design my own merch on thehexclubstore.com.

I truly believe everything I learnt from being a dancer, singer, actor, director, producer, artist and even an office assistant has made me a better performer. It is show BUSINESS after all- being a good performer is only a small percentage of the job! 
 
 


Tea Party with Hollie

Tea Party with Hollie
 
 
 
 
Do you remember the specific moment when you knew you could or wanted to perform magic full time?

Magic has been the thing that has kept recurring in my life. It’s like the universe has been gently nudging me towards being a magician since I was a kid, when all I wanted was to be a dancer on the West End. Maybe that’s why I was able to achieve that goal early on (in a magic show no less), so I was then forced to find a new and bigger dream/ goal!

I always loved being the assistant or at least somehow assisting in the ‘magic effect’ as a dancer since I was on tour with Hans Klok back in 2008. I loved seeing ways to enhance the magic on stage while I was associate directing The Illusionists tours and Illusionarium.

I was originally asked to be a magician when I was producing but, at the time, felt like I had no business standing next to these giants in the industry that I hugely admired and had perfected their craft over decades. However, it definitely ignited a desire in me to at least consider the challenge. When these magicians were the ones telling me I should be a magician, I finally started to take it seriously (although it wasn’t until years later that I actually started to work on it).

I had some permanent injuries from being a dancer but I still very much wanted to perform. Everything about magic just felt right- I already had a pool of the best magicians, producers and directors in the world as close friends and colleagues, I had worked on ‘both sides of the table’ and so I felt the most prepared and abundant with resources. When I finally put out clips of me performing magic, the response was overwhelming. 
 

 
 
What is your most memorable performance misadventure? 

I feel like there have been many... Young and Strange leave a small puddle of water at the front of the stage in the one of their acts before mine and I happened to walk straight into it one show and completely fell over like a cartoon character.. with the closeup camera right on me. I think I naturally just bounce up again, but as I get older, it's harder to do!  
 


 
What sets Champions of Magic apart from other touring ensemble magic shows?

Our producer comes from a stand-up comedy background and also used to run a pyro company so… the show is very funny and as one article said ‘has more pyrotechnics than a KISS concert!’ We also all perform some acts together ‘Now You See Me’-style, we interact with each other, we all have very individual characters and personalities that feed and bounce off each other in the show. We don’t take ourselves too seriously!  



Hollie striking a pose

Hollie striking a pose

 



Do you have any guilty pleasures while on tour?
 
Normally I have an ongoing D and D app game to stay connected with my partner. I watch a lot of the true crime YT channel ‘That Chapter’ if we are on the tour bus. I’m known for my morning ritual of making a bagel with a cup of tea. In Canada, I just have to go to Timmy Horton’s of course!
One imagines that it’s sometimes hard to leave the comforts of your home for a lengthy tour.  Do you bring a special something from home with you? 

My backpack is always full of British tea because that is one daily ritual that is mandatory! I also bring a blanket for travel- you never know when you’ll want is as a pillow on a plane, plus the company gets very divided on the optimal temperature on the bus! 



Every performer experiences some level of post-show blues.  Post-tour blues, we expect, are on a whole different level.  Do you have any tips for touring entertainers with respect to re-entering one’s non-touring life, after an extended time away from home?

Try to maintain a routine and daily habits on tour and off. Eat healthy. Get good sleep. Take your vitamins and ashwagandha and magnesium. Get a massage. Go for walks. Exercise or do something active that makes you happy. Invest in self-care (cut your hair/ get a facial etc) If you can afford it, invest in a therapist. Journal. Meditate. Read. Allocate time to spend with friends/ family. Schedule things to look forward to.  


 

Is there anything else you’d like to share with the readers of Canada’s Magic?

Regardless of how many shows, or billboards or how much money I'm making, I ultimately just want to be creative, and weird and me. I'm trying to do things like no-one else does. As Marilyn Manson once said, 'The key is to change what is popular. That's why rather than submit to the mainstream, you have to become it- then overcome it.'  



Thank you Hollie, for making the time to answer our questions!

 

Learn more about Hollie at HollieEngland.com and follow her on Facebook, and Instagram

 

  Champions of Magic  

Catch Hollie in Champions of Magic touring across Canada in 2023 - 2024:

Additional rumoured locations include cities in BC and NS!  Check the Champions of Magic website for updates.

 

Read our 2023 interviews with:




Read our 2022 interviews with the cast:

 
Learn more about Champions of Magic at ChampionsOfMagic.co.uk and follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter



Champions of Magic Worldwide Wonders Tour


 

 

 


14 November 2023

Edmonton: Sean Watson and Chanelle Munroe [Nov 15 - 17]

From the November 9th Instagram post by Sean Watson:

We are performing walk around magic @rivercreeresort
Nov, 15,16,17
Come see some magic and say hi to @chanelle_munroe and I.