Winnipeg: Speakeasy Magic [Apr 25 - 26]

Tickets at The Basement.

 

From the February 22nd Facebook post by Patrick Gregoire:

Two chances to catch Speakeasy Magic in April at The Basement Winnipeg! Sold out twice, don't miss out!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rounding the Western rings in March 2025

Updated March 16 to add:

• Rumoured lecture by Mike Norden in Calgary on March 31.

 

 

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)	- Tricks with the theme "luck". - Lecture by Steve Warburton. - Lecture by Mike Norden
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)	- The Magic Festival including the Mystery Magic Dinner and the Children's Magician of the Year competition.
Victoria, BC	Ring 183 (Victoria Magic Circle)	- N/A

Please leave a comment to let us know about corrections or omissions.

 

 

 

 

 

Winnipeg: Circus Club 10th annual showcase [Mar 2]

Tickets at Eventbrite.

 

From the January 26th Instagram post by Brett Oddly:

I'm so happy to return to the very place that started my career. A fundraiser for the Winnipeg circus club. Come check out brand new performers, rising stars and top talent all in 1 show!
And check out @wpgcircusclub to learn some skills.
You won't find a better ticket price to value anywhere!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Brett Oddly (@brett_oddly)

 

 

 

 

 

Rounding the Western rings in February 2025

Updated February 19th to add:

• Calgary's meeting will be a lecture from Ryan Lackey.
   

 

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)	- Ryan Lackey lecture.
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)	- Annual dinner.
Victoria, BC	Ring 183 (Victoria Magic Circle)	- N/A

Please leave a comment to let us know about corrections or omissions.

 

 

 

 

 

Winnipeg: Speakeasy Magic 2 [Jan 25]

Tickets at The Basement.

 

From the December 6th Instagram post by Patrick Gregoire:

After a sellout show last fall, Brett Oddly and I are back on January 25th with a new show full of magic, mind-reading, and danger at 'The Basement' in Winnipeg!

Get your tickets now (link in bio!)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Patrick Gregoire (@winnipegmagician)

 

 

 

Rounding the Western rings in January 2025

Updated January 9th to add:

• Calgary's meeting will be a mini-lecture from Dan Stephenson, "My go-to self-working card tricks."
   

 

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)	- Mini lecture from Dan Stephenson "My go-to self-working card tricks."
Edmonton, AB	Edmonton Magic Club	- JAM session.
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)	- Annual dinner with Sawyer Bullock.

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

 

 

 

 

 

Winnipeg: Magic at the Fringe with Brian Archer and Greg Wood

From the June 25th Facebook post by Mindshocker Entertainment:

Excited for my new Fringe show starting July 17th. Advance tickets are on sale now at www.winnipegfringe.com or by visiting my website directly at www.mindshocker.ca
Prepare to be #mindshocked.

 

 

 

From the June 25th Facebook post by Greg Wood:

https://comedyillusions.com/fringe/

 

 

ON, MB, NWT, & FN: Magician and the Muse Summer Tour

From the June 26th Facebook post by Sean Watson:

We are excited for our summer tour! Hopefully some of you can make it to one of our shows!

 

 

 

 

Rounding the Western rings in May 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)	- Sean Taylor lecture.
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.

 

 

 

 

 

MB, SK, BC, ON: Wes Barker [May - Sep]

From the April 25th Instagram post by Wes Barker:

This is what we have so far! More dates being added soon. Can’t wait to see you out there 🍻

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Wes Barker (@stuntmagician)

 

 

 

 

 

Winnipeg: Sean Watson and Chanelle Munroe at the Red River Ex [Jun 14 - 23]

Confirm details at the Red River Ex website. 

From the January 9th Facebook post by Sean Watson:

#winnipeg We are excited to share that we will be performing our full grand Illusion show at the  Red River Ex this summer! Hope to see you there! 😀

 

 

 

 

 

Rounding the Western rings in April 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.

 

 

 

 

 

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.

 

 

 

 

 

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:

• Lethbridge, Enmax Centre  [Mar 16]
• Regina, Conexus Arts Centre  [Mar 17] 
• Winnipeg, Centennial Concert Hall  [Mar 18]
  
• Saskatoon, TCU Place  [Mar 19]
• Lloydminster, Vic Juba Theatre [Mar 20]
  
• Edmonton, Festival Place  [Mar 22 - Apr 6]   
• Prince George, CN Centre  [Apr 7] 
• Vancouver, Great Canadian Casino [Apr 8]  

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: 

• his weekly podcast What's Going On? which is part of the Magicians' Podcast Network (Apple Podcasts link),
• his manufacture and selling Bob Swadling's "Swadling Magic Changing Card?" at Changing Cards, and
  
•  Young and Strange's show, Delusionists.
  

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

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

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

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 conscience made me tell her the truth that Rufus is in fact now Rufus 2.0. 

 

 

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:

• Lethbridge, Enmax Centre  [Mar 16]
• Regina, Conexus Arts Centre  [Mar 17] 
• Winnipeg, Centennial Concert Hall  [Mar 18]
  
• Saskatoon, TCU Place  [Mar 19]
  
• Edmonton, Festival Place  [Mar 22 - Apr 6]   
• Prince George, CN Centre  [Apr 7] 
• Vancouver, Great Canadian Casino [Apr 8]  

    Check the Champions of Magic website for updates.

 

Read our 2023 interviews with:

• Alex McAleer
• Michelle Mazzarella
• Hollie England 
• Sam Strange 
  
• Fernando Velasco   
  

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

 

 

 

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.

 

 

 

 

 

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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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:

• Toronto, Ticketmaster  [Dec 27 - 31]  ** extended to Dec 31 **
• Lethbridge, Enmax Centre  [Mar 16]
• Regina, Conexus Arts Centre  [Mar 17] 
• Winnipeg, Centennial Concert Hall  [Mar 18]
  
• Saskatoon, TCU Place  [Mar 19]
• Lloydminster, Vic Juba Theatre [Mar 20]  ** recently added **
  
• Edmonton, Festival Place  [Mar 22 - Apr 6]   
• Prince George, CN Centre  [Apr 7] 
• Vancouver, Great Canadian Casino [Apr 8]    ** recently added **

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!

 

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!

 

 

 

 

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.

 

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:

• Toronto, Ticketmaster  [Dec 27 - 30] 
• Lethbridge, Enmax Centre  [Mar 16]
• Regina, Conexus Arts Centre  [Mar 17] 
• Winnipeg, Centennial Concert Hall  [Mar 18]
  
• Saskatoon, TCU Place  [Mar 19]
  
• Edmonton, Festival Place  [Mar 22 - Apr 6]   
• Prince George, CN Centre  [Apr 7] 
• Vancouver, Great Canadian Casino [Apr 8]

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

 

Read our 2023 interviews with:

• Alex McAleer
• Michelle Mazzarella
• Hollie England 
• Sam Strange 
  
• Fernando Velasco   
  

Read our 2022 interviews with the cast:

• Hollie England
• Alex McAleer
• Sam Strange
• Fernando Velasco
• Richard Young 

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

 

 

 

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:

• Toronto, Ticketmaster  [Dec 27 - 31]  ** extended to Dec 31 **
• Lethbridge, Enmax Centre  [Mar 16]
• Regina, Conexus Arts Centre  [Mar 17] 
• Winnipeg, Centennial Concert Hall  [Mar 18]
  
• Saskatoon, TCU Place  [Mar 19]
• Lloydminster, Vic Juba Theatre [Mar 20]  ** recently added **
  
• Edmonton, Festival Place  [Mar 22 - Apr 6]   
• Prince George, CN Centre  [Apr 7] 
• Vancouver, Great Canadian Casino [Apr 8]   ** recently added **

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:

• the show Young & Strange Delusionsists or
• our interview with the bickering delusionists Young & Strange
  

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

 

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. 

 

 

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.  

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'.   

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:

• Toronto, Ticketmaster  [Dec 27 - 30] 
• Lethbridge, Enmax Centre  [Mar 16]
• Regina, Conexus Arts Centre  [Mar 17] 
• Winnipeg, Centennial Concert Hall  [Mar 18]
  
• Saskatoon, TCU Place  [Mar 19]
  
• Edmonton, Festival Place  [Mar 22 - Apr 6]   
• Prince George, CN Centre  [Apr 7] 
• Vancouver, Great Canadian Casino [Apr 8]

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

 

Read our 2023 interviews with:

• Alex McAleer
• Michelle Mazzarella
• Hollie England 
  

Read our 2022 interviews with the cast:

• Hollie England
• Alex McAleer
• Sam Strange
• Fernando Velasco
• Richard Young 

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