I was delighted to receive an invitation to interview
Piff the Magic Dragon!
You can watch Piff, Jade, and Mr. Piffles on
PiffTV, where Piff has magicians and comedians on as guests, does some magic, and has little video features. Episodes are uploaded M-F at 10am and 5pm PST.
Who inspires you magically?
Penn & Teller. The greatest of all the great.
What magical effect would you have shown me had I been there to interview you in person?
None. Save it for the stage is my golden rule.
What is your first memory of magic?
I think I was around 8 or 10 and I helped someone do the linking rings. I was pretty convinced I had magical powers. So when I bought a set years later I was disappointed to find they were broken. One had a hole in, one was already linked. Very upsetting.
Who inspires you that is not a magician?
Jerry Seinfeld.
Had you not shown up at a fancy dress party in your sister’s dragon costume, what type of magic show do you think you’d be performing now?
Something really not worth watching.
Have you experienced anything specific about performing for Canadian audiences in particular?
You have the optimism of the Americans and the sarcasm of the British. A great combination.
Piff’s connection to Canadian magic?
Rick Bronson, who runs the Comic Strip in Edmonton, was the first to book us out there. We sold out 12 shows in a week. A record! I love Rick Bronson!
Life on the road isn’t all glory and glamour. There are tight schedules, never-ending bus rides, questionable accommodations, missed connections, and broken or disappearing props.
Tell us about your most memorable touring misadventure.
The dog once defecated all over Jade live on stage, to our mutual horror. By mutual I am referring to Jade and I. The dog felt only relief. I was so appalled I gave a play by play commentary over the whole event as Jade left the stage dripping. Offstage she shed and burnt a few hundred dollars of feathers and returned looking thoroughly nauseated and depressed. After the show the meet and greet line was longer than ever before with people petting, holding and even kissing the dog. Turns out the audience thought it was just a hilarious bit. None of them took it seriously at all. That was until round two started...
If you could be endowed with the talent to take on any Broadway role past or present, who would you pick and why?
The narrator from Shockheaded Peter. My favourite show.
So as to not scare off any aspiring performers, please share with us your favourite thing about touring.
Doing the show. That's the only part of this whole enterprise that makes it worthwhile, and I love it to pieces. If you don't like the show part, then quit immediately and start making some real money.
Do you have any tour or pre-show rituals you’d be willing to share with our readers?
I try and do nothing ritualised so that I don't have to do it every night. Once I had a lucky t-shirt. I lost it and the next gig went very badly. I swore off talismans after that.
Do you have any tips for keeping up one's mental health during quarantine?
Quarantine is tough on everyone. Be kind to each other. And make sure you eat well.
Is there anything else you’d like to share about you or Mr. Piffles with our readers?
A dog is a great business partner. Just find someone else to clean up after him.
Thank you Mr. Magic Dragon for making the time to answer our questions!
You can watch Piff, Jade, and Mr. Piffles on
PiffTV,
where Piff has magicians and comedians on as guests, does some magic,
and has little video features. Episodes are uploaded M-F at 10am and
5pm PST.
