SOS: Harry Nardi

We’re drawing a line in the sand: self-working tricks are not a guilty pleasure. If the audience can’t backtrack the method and the moment feels impossible, it’s real magic where it counts.

We bring Harry Nardi back after the Alakazam convention to rebuild his desert island lineup using the only criteria that matters on paid gigs: trust. That means effects that reset fast, pack small, play big, and stay strong when conditions are messy. You’ll hear why Instant Paper To Money beats Extreme Burn for freedom and fairness, why MD Mini keeps destroying even after time off, and how Coins Across and Stand Up Monty earn their spot as reliable, high-clarity crowd winners.

Then we get into the meaty stuff: PK Touches routining and the “less is more” debate, plus a swap that turns the set personal with Lover’s Waltz as a fused, signed souvenir. We also break down why Castle Wallet feels like the closest thing to real mind reading, including the framing of “fake mind reading” versus a prediction that people never see coming. Add in an island guest pick (Chris Harding), a replay-worthy performance memory, a painful first-gig lesson, and a shoutout to a perfect convention show from Tom Wright, and you’ve got an episode packed with working pro insight.

If you enjoy practical close-up magic, mentalism, and smarter thinking about what audiences actually experience, subscribe, share this with a magician friend, and leave a review. What’s one “easy” trick you think deserves more respect?

Harry Nardi’s SOS Substitutions : 

1. Extreme Burn for Instant Paper to Money 
2. Imagine for Lovers Waltz
3. Big Reaction for Castle Wallet (with a sneaky Foreshadow) 

Banishment. Discounting self working tricks 

Guest. Chris Harding 

Memory. BGT Semi Finals 

Horror. Asking a person with a disability to help when they couldn’t 

Show. Tom Wright’s Show at the Alakazam Convention 

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

Transcript

Why Self-Working Tricks Matter

SPEAKER_02 0:00

I would like to banish looking down at self-working tricks. I've seen many a times, you know, people look at a self-working trick and go, oh, well, there's no skill involved. There's no this, there's no that. To a layman, they don't know what's going on. Slight sleight of hand or not sleight of hand. They don't know. If the trick's fantastic, the trick's great. Why does it matter what the what the skill level behind is that no one sees? I don't, I cannot get my head around that. It's been one thing that I've never understood. Yes, I understand learning your craft, getting better at your craft, learning slights. I'm not talking about presentation now. I'm not talking about that because I think presentation is so important. That's the most important thing. I just think, why is it that something that's never seen is so thought about? I don't understand.

SPEAKER_03 1:14

It's

Harry Returns After The Convention

SPEAKER_03 1:15

actually a few days after the Alakazam convention. And I thought, who better to have here on this episode than Harry Nardi? Now, Harry was one of our first episodes a long time ago now. Uh, I think he was actually our second or third episode. Um, and obviously he's surrounded by magic all the time. So I've got a feeling this list is going to be very different. So let's introduce Harry Nardi. Hello, Harry. Hello, pleasure to be here. Again, you've been on your island for a very long time.

SPEAKER_02 1:52

I have. I genuinely thought I was stranded with nobody. So now I have the chance for some human interaction, and I'm excited for the SOS.

SPEAKER_03 2:01

Oh, so let's talk about your list. So we've had a lot of changes since the beginning of the podcast. On your island, there's now a rather large printer. Yes, correct. Yeah. There is uh uh a load of people with eyeliner in the corner from the 1914. Yeah. So you have so many more, and of course, you have your expanded product line since two years ago. So, in terms of your list, how much do you reckon it would have changed?

SPEAKER_02 2:32

Well, I would say if we'd have done it, let's say six months ago, it would have been more changed than it is now. Um, the reason I say that is I feel like um for a few gigs that I've done recently, I've actually gone back to some of the ones and listening to the previous podcast or looking through the list of previous tricks, I've actually put some of those effects back in my working sets. Now there are additions, of course, which I'm excited to talk about. But yeah, I actually think it's almost been too long now that I've sort of gone full circle. I've almost gone back to some of the classics, but I have got a few newbies in there as well.

SPEAKER_03 3:08

Ooh. And of course, you didn't get your opportunity to have a banishment. So we get to find out what Harry Nardi is going to banish from our industry. Exciting. Hopefully, not magic conventions.

SPEAKER_02 3:22

Come on, come on. Well, look, the honestly, so excited about the Alexand one. And if anything, if I was stranded on a desert island and it was the magic convention, I'd love life. Tell you that now. It was such good vibes, wouldn't it?

SPEAKER_03 3:35

It was very good. And hopefully you have your little photo op there as well.

SPEAKER_02 3:38

A bit of red carpet, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 3:39

Bit of red carpet for all your the people coming off.

SPEAKER_02 3:41

Endless popcorn and again it's on tap. What mod do you want? But I'm excited for the the uh the uh additions, the banishment. Uh I have been scratching my head about the banishment, um, but I may have settled on something, so let's see.

Switching To Instant Paper To Money

SPEAKER_03 3:54

Okay. All right, let's go through your initial list then. So, your initial list, we started with Extreme Burn. Now I know for a fact that we've had a new version of this on the market since that you're very fond of. So, are we keeping Extreme Burn or are we switching for something else?

SPEAKER_02 4:13

I am gonna switch it to its counterpart, let's say, instant paper to money. The reason I'm switching is yes, you can do extreme burn with the new Polymer notes, but after usage, you need to then redo it, remake it back up. And I don't want to have I know that is laziness from myself. I don't want to have to look at it every three, four gigs and think, right, let me then remake it, you know, put them back together again, the notes, etc. Also, paper to money allows you to just hand out notes. I know you can do it up with extreme burn, but one of the problems I found with extreme burn, if they don't come back in the same order, they're folded slightly off-center to allow you to get lift up where you need to lift up. Whereas if insta paper to money, it doesn't matter what order they come back in, what order you give them out, really doesn't matter. That is so much freer and fairer, I think. So yeah, I must say the only negative to pay it's money is it has to stay flat, but it's not even a negative because I keep it in my inside pocket anyway, so stays straight. You know what I mean? So that one will be swapped out, yes.

SPEAKER_03 5:16

Well, they say like a lot of our props, everything needs to be looked after. Correct. Because you know, a lot of our stuff isn't what it should be, so to speak. Yeah, so it's no different than having to look after any of your other tricks and make sure that they're in pristine condition. 100%.

SPEAKER_02 5:34

Yeah, and and I think an effect like this, you know, I'm more than happy. I think the only difference is extreme burn can be performed more out and about, I'd say, because not always you're gonna have a larger pocket on you, you know, if I've just got jeans on, for example, or chinos, whatever. But in terms of an effect, I will pick Insta Paper to Money over Extreme Burn now. I think it's more visual, more free, more fairer. Can you keep it in a bifold wallet?

SPEAKER_03 5:59

I don't know. So, like if you put it in the money compartment, because then it's not being folded. It's not being folded as such, but it may bend it, but I don't know if that would hinder the workings of it.

SPEAKER_02 6:09

I don't think it would, and I'll tell you what, I think it would if you're gonna do the throwdown change. If you've seen it, majority of people just throw it on top. But Kev G had a fantastic handle, he showed me at the Alexo Magic Convention, and essentially you kind of you lay the bit closer to you down on the note first, and then you sort of lay it flat, almost like a money roller. You know what I mean? You sort of push it down and roll it on it, and that way it shouldn't make a difference if it's slightly bent or not, because you're not chucking it down. The issue is if you're chucking it down and it's bent a bit, it might not align properly. Whereas if you're slowly placing it down, I know Craig Petty's got a good hand in as well. Um, so yeah, I mean, a biofile, I can't see it being affected too bad in a uh in a biofile wallet, but I haven't tried it myself. I'll be honest, I haven't tried it myself, but I definitely think for the small drawback of being slightly larger, there's more, there's more benefits, a lot more benefits. And is this still your opening routine? It is, yes. Yep, still is. Yeah, I just think you can't. I think it's visual, it's quick, it's snappy, it gets people engaged. I just think there's no negative. The reset's perfect, it's easy to see what's going on. You know, if people are sort of looking out the corner of their eye because I don't know what to expect, that immediately grabs their attention. So yeah, it's always been my opener, is a paper, is a money trick, paper to money trick, always.

SPEAKER_03 7:23

Okay, so we're keeping kind of the premise, yep, but changing it to a different version. So sidestepping kind of with that one.

Why MD Mini Never Leaves

SPEAKER_03 7:31

So number two in your original list was the MD Mini. Yep.

SPEAKER_02 7:35

Again, um, this yeah, is staying in for sure, for sure. I had a gig um the other day at a wedding, and I sort of every now and then I'll take tricks out because I feel like you get too reliant on them. Now, it's probably doesn't make sense, right? It's like a singer not singing their most popular song, right? Or the song I like the most. It doesn't make sense to take it out, but I just wanted to take it out, see how I got on with other material. But having put it back in again, the reactions are just superb. Everyone wants to try it out. You're not finding the same card all the time, you're trying to work out people's brains each time, so it does feel different each time you perform it. Takes up hardly any pocket space, it's so simple to perform. I just genuinely think I'm never gonna take MD Mini out of my set again. You know, I took it out for a while. As soon as I put it back in, I was like, Do you know what? This is just it's a it's the perfect trick. The perfect trick. It's engaging, it's fun. Everyone wants to get involved in it. There is no reset, you know, you can just constantly perform it. Um, yeah, I just think it's I think it's brilliant. You can get everyone involved in it.

SPEAKER_03 8:35

Yeah. It's it's that challenge piece. We've spoken about it like Invisible Deck. It's that one thing where if you've got a heckler, yeah, really is a matter because they can do it over and over and over. They can even try and catch you out. Yeah. And it it doesn't matter.

SPEAKER_02 8:49

Yeah. And I just love that you guys know, right? People come up with like false methods in their head and stuff like that. And this is another one where you almost give them a false method, right? Obviously, I'm not gonna say the real method, but you say about the body language of this or that. And the second phase, I always say, right, you're gonna say no on all of them, including your colour, all right. Got everyone else, listen. I know you may know what colour they've chosen, but listen out if there's a pause, if they twitch a little bit, you know, if they blink excessively when they say a colour or pause longer, and it gives everyone a chance to get involved and see what it's like almost in your shoes. So it's such a nice, it's such an easy way, even though you're doing the trick one-on-one, for everyone to get involved in it and actually take part. And I just think, I don't know, I did take it out for a while, um, and I feel like I was not relying on it, but having putting it back in there, I just think, you know what? Why am I taking out such a strong effect? You know, who's benefiting from this? I'm not benefiting from it because I love performing it, and my audience isn't benefiting from it because it's a great trick. So it did need to go back in there. I put it back in. Reactions are great, yeah. MD Mini is in there till the end of time, I must say.

SPEAKER_03 9:55

Okay, so number three, you had one of your own tricks.

Gaff Deck Debate And Repeatability

SPEAKER_03 9:59

Now, uh, since this one, well, actually, before it's released, you've got your first actual solo release. So I'm interested whether you're gonna switch this one out for your new release or if you're gonna keep it in because they're completely different. So in third spot, you had Imagine.

SPEAKER_02 10:19

Yes. Now, this is a tough one. This is a tough one because Imagine for me always gets fantastic reactions. There's loads of magic going on, and I don't want to be boring, but I do think this is gonna stay in there. Now, the new trick, yeah, that is coming out um at some point, is actually coming out through the 1914, which is great, but it will be available for Alakazam as well. But the new one is more of an opener. I I would say it's a great segue into something that I'm putting into this list later on. I would say it's perfect for that. Fits in there, great anyway, but it's a great segment, uh segue. I would say this one, in terms of a whole routine, is great for all environments, it's great for stand-up, it's great for tables, it's great for walk around, it's great for um all ages, anyway. It's visual, there's a lot of mind reading, there's a lot of magic going on. Imagine is of course a gaff deck, but it's a gaff deck that is worth having because you get a lot out of it. You can get well, 20, 20 plus people involved if you want to win that trick. Yeah, imagine in there is staying in there for me. In terms of a what you can get in this box that's staying in there, you get a lot of bang for your buck, I'd say, with this one. You know, sometimes people are like, oh, I don't want to carry a gaff deck because it only does one thing, you know. Oh, it's only this, it's only that. Imagine, yes, you're performing the same routine, but you're doing my reading to everyone, so it's different cards each time. You've got a lovely ending, no one sees coming, you get a bit of magic in there. So I would say Imagine is a gaff deck that I would still carry around with me. Omen, don't get me wrong, Omen's one of my favourite tricks of all time, Omen by Chris Congreve. Yeah, I would put Imagine in my working set over that purely because Imagine lends itself to be performed repeatedly to the same audience.

SPEAKER_03 12:07

Yep. Okay, I think that's fair enough. Um, but it does mean that maybe you'll sneak in your new one a bit later. I reckon. I reckon.

SPEAKER_02 12:17

There is a place where I am gonna do that.

SPEAKER_03 12:18

Right, well, don't no spoilers.

SPEAKER_02 12:20

No, I'm not doing that. I'm not doing that, alright?

SPEAKER_03 12:22

No spoilers. I'm not doing that, right? Right,

Choosing A Practical Coin Routine

SPEAKER_03 12:25

number four uh in your original set was your only coin trick, and that was coins across.

SPEAKER_02 12:31

Now, again, this is a tough one. I've only this list is going on working material. I know that's not the boundaries or the ramifications of what this is, right? You haven't said it's a work, you've said desert island, what tricks you like. But again, coins across gets fantastic reactions whenever I perform it. Another great coin effect is the reverse matrix on the Mirage coin set, which I never thought I'd be able to perform a trick that powerful with coins in my life because I'm not a good coin magician, really. But that routine looks like, in my eyes, a fism. This is just how I think. I can imagine someone doing fism doing a routine that good, you know what I mean? Because you just do not see anything happening. But I feel like it's a tough one. I do feel like I'm gonna stick with the coins across, honestly. Now, anyone who owns confusing coins, you get taught that on there. So if you have the two pound version, which is the only version we have anyway at the moment, but that does teach you the coins across on there, and I just think it's brilliant. It uses two pound coins, which everyone knows and loves. I have no issues with using foreign coinage, no worries, like half dollar doesn't bother me. But I just think coins across is simple again to know what's happening, it's a great build-up. You get a bit of comedy in there with the final phase, it happens in their hands. I don't know. I just think it's a nice simple trick, and it's one that again, I know I said it previously when it was first performed to me. That was like, I wish I could do that one day, and now that is a trick that I perform. Again, I took it out for a while, having putting it back in, I realised how strong it is, and it's not leaving again. I must say.

SPEAKER_03 14:12

Well, the thing is, because it's your only coin trick as well, I guess you have to go for the very best that you can get with as minimal as you can. Yeah. Uh I'm trying to think of what I'm trying to say there. So, what I'm trying to say is, for example, the Mirage coin set, its strength is that you can do so much with so little. It does so many different things because of the gaffes that are utilized. And that's kind of the same with your coins across. You're getting some really powerful moments of magic. It's all up in the air, it's framing your face, all of that good stuff. We're very, very minimal. You're not having to do knuckle busting moves. Correct. Uh, it looks super visual. There are really nice moments where things kick back. Yep. Um, so I think it's a it's a really good choice if you're gonna do a coin trick.

SPEAKER_02 15:03

Yeah, I mean, it is it's so tough with this, really, because everyone's got more than eight tricks that they know and love, right? But I am only going by almost trust, right? I all of these effects what I'm talking about, I have 100% trust in. I performed them, I know they get good reactions, and it sounds weird, but like, I know they've got my back. You know what I mean? I know they're gonna get a good reaction, I know that they're strong, I know they're not gonna go wrong, and I just think I don't know, they're they're just they're fantastic. It's a nice bit of variety there. The Mirage Coin set is fantastic, and that that matrix is genuinely one of the most visual bits of magic that you can do. I just know in a lot of environments I'm performing in currently, I don't often have the space or environment to perform that type of effect. So, for me, in the current situation, coins across would just pivot to the post with confusing coins because uh you can perform confusing coins first, then go into the coins across.

SPEAKER_03 16:00

Okay, so that's going with you. Number

Keeping Stand Up Monty Powerful

SPEAKER_03 16:03

five, I'd be surprised if you take it out. Yes, Stand Up Monty again, staying in there.

SPEAKER_02 16:10

I don't want this to be a boring podcast, guys, but there will be some changes coming up. There will be. Well, you've got you've only got a few left. I know, which is crazy, but there are gonna be some changes coming up. Um, so stand upy, yes, is staying in there. The same exact reason. I took it out again for a while, put it back in. I love performing it, the reactions are great. It's just a trick that I loved watching before I learned how to do it, and I just think that's a good sign. If you enjoy watching it, chances are your spectators are gonna enjoy watching it, and chances are you're gonna enjoy performing it because you know how it's making them feel because you were in that boat one day. Do you know what I mean? At one point, you were on the other side of it watching and enjoying it. So, yeah, Stan and Monty again, just use a few cards. It's not a boring, long card trick, it's quick, it's visual, it's in the spectator's hands, constant changes happening. People again have that. I don't like having it as a challenge. You know, I don't say we're gonna play a game, normally it's for money, blah, blah, blah, blah, right? Don't get me wrong, my pattern essentially is what I've just said. I don't do, but it's not framed in a way where it's a challenge against them. It's framed in a way where I'm gonna show you something. Obviously, you can play along. We're not gonna play for actual money, but this is how it goes, right? They're so clever when they do these types of games. I love that the game, maybe it's because I'm competitive and I like I don't want to be competitive with my spectator, but I'm just assuming they're competitive as well. And I think having a game type aspect, same with this, same with the MD Mini, you're not battling against each other, but it's just a bit of fun. You know what I mean? Like, how is this happening? I have a chance to try and catch them out, and yet still it's happened the other way. So I don't know, it's a it's a tough one, but it's staying in there for me, definitely staying in there for me. Um, yeah, I absolutely love it. And it there is in jumbo size as well, which is great. It's in the uh like larger cards, and they're just bigger than poker. They're like our pro size almost, just bigger than poker, but I think it comes across a lot stronger when you're performing because how can you do slides with it? You know, they're just too big to palm a card, for example. Um, but yeah, I think they're great. But yeah, standard monthly stand in there for me. 10 out of 10 trick, 10 out of 10 routine. Again, resets instant, a lot of magic in a short space of time.

SPEAKER_03 18:19

Yeah, I've never seen anyone do this as well in U and D. And I always said to you, I wanted to learn this routine because I saw you do it.

SPEAKER_02 18:28

The thing is, I just think it is engaging for every age, every no, if they're fascinated in magic or not, I just think it engages everyone. I've got, I mean, the other day I was performing, there was a lady called Julie. Um, and when I first went up to the group, she um said, Oh, I don't really want to get involved in the magic, I'm more than happy to watch. And then by the time I'd done sort of a couple of tricks, you know, she was fully invested. And then when it comes to doing stand-up Monty, which was the second trick I'd done at the time, um, she was fully involved. And I just think it's a cool trick, you know. No one looks silly when you're doing a magic trick anyway. I just think, yeah, I I it gets my highest recommendation. I cannot thank you. Uh well, I cannot thank Garrett Thomas enough for releasing it, first of all.

SPEAKER_03 19:10

You're gonna thank me then. I know, and I was gonna come up with it.

SPEAKER_02 19:13

Um, but what I will say is if you do have any issues learning it, because I know it is one where some people have problems learning a routine like this because there's a lot going on. Um I do set it up slightly differently, and that in my head, because I did struggle to start with, um, just remembering what cards are where, because that's what makes this routine well. When you know exactly what cards are where, and obviously you'll you guys probably know the map for being magicians, but I'm not gonna give it away, obviously, just in case. Um, if you guys know what cards are, it just gives you so much more fluidity when you're performing it. So you don't want to have to pause and quickly double check, right? What pos what stage am I at? You know, that's when it looks good. When you don't think about it, it's just into the next, onto the next, onto the next.

SPEAKER_03 19:51

You know? Okay, so Stand Up Monty is going with you

PK Touches And Routine Escalation

SPEAKER_03 19:54

now. Yes, the next one's an interesting one. I think this may be one that you change. Go on. It's one of my favorites, it's also one of the top chosen of the last season. PK Touches. Yes. Now, and I will say, if you do change it though, I will have to disown you. Here's the thing I love PK Touch. Okay, I feel like this has not started off on a good way to do it. That's not a good way to start correct.

SPEAKER_02 20:23

Now, I do love PK Touch and it is gonna stay in there, but I do need to expand my routine. There's so much more to dive into, however, still to this day, whenever I see certain people that I perform to, they will say fantastic like love this trick, but how the hell did you do that touch one? And that I'm talking about five years old, ten years old, people still say that, and uh, or maybe not 10 years, I'm gonna be doing it 10 years, but do you know what I mean? Five years ago, people are saying, How did you do that touch one? And that is just a long-lasting memory in their head. You need the one I do uses no props, obviously. You taught me that one. However, I do need to incorporate a thing to have a second phase on it, and I know I need to do that, and I know it will increase the power of the effect.

SPEAKER_03 21:13

Let's do this then, right? What has stopped you from adding in that second phase? What is it that's stopping you from doing that?

SPEAKER_02 21:21

Um, what stopped me from doing it is I almost build it up such a point where, um, right, we're gonna try this thing, doesn't always work, but I think it's gonna work with you two. I build it up such a point. I personally just think one phase of that is strong enough. That's my personal opinion. Whenever I've performed it, I think the reaction is strong enough. I feel like you obviously will say different because you performed PK Touch numerous times. I almost feel like if I do it again, I know it won't, but in my head, I think, is it gonna lose a little bit of power by doing it a second time? And I know it comes across differently, and I know it's then on someone else, etc. But you know, sometimes you just think that's a one and done. I almost think I do it once, I do that phase. It's unexplainable and I leave it at that. It's almost like a mic drop moment. That's just my opinion. I feel like I don't want to do too much. It becomes overkill and then it becomes a trick. I know it obviously is a trick, but do you know what I'm trying to say?

SPEAKER_03 22:13

Yeah, uh well, it's one of the debates with a lot of people who do PK touches talk about. So with PK touch with PK blinders, um, less is more. I think that's the general consensus. However, with PK touches, your moments build an impossibility. So the first section that you already do is not necessarily an instant looking tact. Yeah. And then if you start doing it on the fingers and uh pinching a certain finger, and the person with their eyes closed then points out what that finger is, there's a moment of impossibility in the method because some people might think that maybe that person had their eyes open or whatever. That helps cancel out the first part of the method. And then, of course, using Leon Manor's invisible touches, which is the brush on the nose, again that feels even more impossible because it's no longer a tap, it's another object. Yeah. So it's the escalation in the routine, I think, which makes it actually worthwhile adding that. And of course, like you said, it's the mixing of methods because we're using DR with this, it helps cancel out methods and cover over those things happening.

SPEAKER_02 23:30

Yeah, and I think that is a reason why I should probably expand on it, um, purely for that, you know, because obviously I've got no doubt at the time of the reactions are great. I've got no doubt they're going to be discussing it afterwards, and they could come to how it works. You know, that that is a possibility, probably has happened, you know. Um, not through performances, but at the end of the day, the only logical explanation is the explanation, you know, when it comes to that. So I do think you are right. I probably do need to expand on it. Um I'm I'm just happy to stand in there so that we can work on it. It is in there. I genuinely, it's the only effect I've ever performed still now, apart from Lover's Wolves, that did get a good reaction, actually. But still now, oh my gosh, I need to put that in there. I've got two effects I need to cram in, and I've only got two left, so I'm taking both out. Oh, what's going on?

SPEAKER_03 24:15

Wow. Hold it. This just got serious. Right. Well, let's move on

Lover’s Waltz Enters The List

SPEAKER_03 24:19

then. So your seventh spot was Mind, Yours, and the Mystery. Yes. Banknight was your favourite plot as well.

SPEAKER_02 24:26

And I still love it to this day. This is so bad that I feel like I'm struggling now. I'm struggling now. Because one of the effects I would like to put in there is Lover's Wars. Take on Anniversary Wars, a fantastic giveaway, both on the same side of the card. So it's an impossible object, happens in the moment. Bride and groom, groom and groom, bride and bride, whoever takes it away. Unbelievable. It's unbelievable. So I'm struggling because I love a bank night. I think it's fantastic. I think on stage it's great. Everything like that, stand-up's fantastic. I will always want to do a bank night in a stand-up routine. However, I'm I Jamie, I don't know what to say here. I don't know what to say. It's Lover's Waltz or it's a bank night. I don't know what to say. Both of them I absolutely love because something is going in there, and that is definitely going in, that is neither of the things I've just mentioned. So Lover's Waltz gets insane reactions, and I love performing it, and it gets reactions to card tricks I've never had before. That's that's the truth. A bank night is versatile, and I don't feel like I've got a lot of stand-up on here, so I do feel like it is nice to mix it up. Hmm. It's tough. I can't take out Imagine and put in Lover's Waltz, can I? Because I've already put Imagine in again.

SPEAKER_03 25:51

You can do that if you want to. We've not we've not had anyone do that, but you're you're more than welcome to do it. I'm gonna do that. So we're taking out Imagine and putting in Lover's Waltz there.

SPEAKER_02 26:00

Yeah, which is heartbreaking, but I am gonna do that. And wow. I love Imagine, don't get me wrong, and all the things I said still stand by. However, Lover's Waltz creates a proper in the moment memory for whoever you perform it to. And the reactions I've had for that are genuinely incredible. Genuinely incredible. It's yeah, when that card gets turned over, there's so many moments of magic, first of all. And when that card gets turned over and it's fused together, no one's ever seen a card like that, first of all, so that's impressive. It's got their signatures on it, it's a great giveaway because it's on the same side. So you they can put it on their wall in their window. Do you know what I mean? Anyhow, they can present it how they want because it's all on the same side. I know with anniversary walks, it's back to back, still fantastic, but how are they going to show that off? I know some people have a crocodile clip, stuff like that. This is just fantastic. So I definitely put Lovers Waltz in there.

SPEAKER_03 26:53

So does that mean you're keeping mind yours and the mystery? I'd say so. I'd say so. Oh wow, this is a roller coaster. I don't know what's going on here.

SPEAKER_02 27:01

But yeah, mine yours and mystery has to stay in it because I love a bank night. I just think the plot's fantastic. And I just feel like again, when I was younger, them type of tricks I absolutely love them, were fascinated by. And to this day, if I'm gonna do a stand-up stand-up spot, chances are I'll put a bank night in there. So it's rude of me not to put it in.

SPEAKER_03 27:19

Alright, well, that does only mean you've got one that you can potentially switch out. Yeah, and I will be doing that, and that is big reaction. Andy Diamond's hit.

SPEAKER_02 27:31

When you suppose you did ask, have I done it at gigs? 100 million percent I've done it at gigs, you know. I have performed it numerous near enough every gig I've gone to, chances are I've probably performed big reaction. It gets a great reaction, of course, right? Um, it's a great trick in itself. So you're not just it's you're not just asking for a reaction. The trick is good, it's just part of that trick is you happen to get a big reaction, hence the name. So that is fantastic, and I would recommend it to anyone for tables. If I've done a table routine, this going in there because everyone can get involved, it creates a great atmosphere. The bookers can hear reactions, and that's exactly what you want. Every time they look over, there's gonna be cheers, and you're gonna be standing there, 10 out of 10, right? However, I am gonna be getting big reaction out of the desert island. I've put it on a on a boat and I pushed it away offshore. That's what I've done. Wow, brutal. I'll have given it a kiss before I put it away because I still like it. However, we don't need to know that. No, but that's that's how it's happening.

Castle Wallet Real Mind Reading

SPEAKER_03 28:28

In its place. Go on. You know what this is already. You know. I actually don't. It's gonna be one of two things.

SPEAKER_02 28:35

What's gone?

SPEAKER_03 28:36

I think it would either be foreshadow, because that's your first solo release, and it's organic, it only fits in your wallet, but then the other one is the wallet, which would be castle wallet, which I know that is something that you've put into your work and set, and you've not done that for a while. Yes.

SPEAKER_02 28:57

The answer is really bad drum raw. Castle wallet. Castle wallet, okay.

SPEAKER_03 29:03

Yes, now for shadow, love for shadow, of course. And should we put shall I be nice since I am the host of the island and put foreshadow in your castle wallet for you?

SPEAKER_02 29:17

Yeah, that'd be yeah, perfect then. Yeah, because I can carry it with me, can't I? Loophole. There you go. But that's what we're doing. Thank you very much. So, yeah, for shadows in there, like I said, it's a lovely intro into a um, for example, a cast wallet routine. Um, I love it because it just uses one card, it's constantly on you. I think it's a confidence booster trick because it I think to build confidence you just have to perform. And I think with Foreshadow, you're always ready to perform. This just goes in your wallet, one card, and you've got multiple reveals, multiple phases, um, loads of impossibility, and nothing to hide. You know, if you're performing to people that are hands-on, fine, you know, there's nothing to see. So, yeah, for shadow definitely would be in there. However, the castle wallet is in there for sure. Now, the castle wallet I perform loads at Blackpool, obviously. That does help because you sort of know the ins and outs of a trick when you do it a million times at Blackpool, so that's great. However, having performed it in the shop to magicians, the reactions are unlike anything we've ever had before. The only thing I can compare it to is MD Mini, where there is just nowhere to go with it. And with this, it's I love it because there's absolutely no forces. The routine I do is just the one that's taught on there anyway, but absolutely no forces. You get two bits of information in real time, and both are revealed. One via mind reading, one via prediction. That to me is perfect. It's the reactions from that, like I said, 10 out of 10. I love the size of the wallet. First of all, I think it's fantastic. It's sleek, it's easy to do. Um, yeah. It's the closest thing to mind reading that I've personally ever performed. I've never really used an impression paddle, we'll be honest with you. So I can imagine that is also good. But for me, this is as strong as it gets.

SPEAKER_03 31:01

As strong as it gets. Well, that's what I remember. We spoke about it a couple of weeks ago, and I said, um, you've never really done any proper mind reading, as in revealing a piece of personal information back to someone. Yeah. And I said, I think that'd be one of the strongest things that you ever do at a gig. And then when you came back from the gig first using the castle wallet there, you mentioned even though you only got the chance to do it a couple of times because of the environment that you're in, um you got amazing reactions from that.

SPEAKER_02 31:34

Yeah, yeah. And I had done a name reveal previously, but that's when I was first starting out, and so the timing probably wasn't great, you know, and stuff like that. Um, but the the great thing with a car swallet is it has a hit nobody sees coming. And I just that for me is the strongest part. Don't get me wrong, the name reveal, fantastic, right? But you can peek something a million and one ways. Having a bit of information on a card written inside your wallet that someone's just told you, and you can show that the prediction's been in your wallet the whole time, they forget about ever saying anything, yet you prove at the end I knew you would say cat, for example. And that they forget about it. You know, when I present it, I say I'm gonna show you real mind reading, fake mind reading. Uh, fake mind reading looks like this, Jamie. Think of anything in the world. Not a person, though, because we will do that later on. Um, is this thing an object? It is awesome. Can you hold it in your hands? You can't. I don't think so. This should be up for you. Then what are you thinking of? Uh a house. A house? Seriously. I knew you'd say that. Now, obviously, you guys haven't got proof. That is what I call fake mind reading. I've just made out the fact, I know you would say that. But I'm gonna show you real mind reading now. So then I go into something else, and then at the end, yeah, I say in my uh wallet, there's two cards, two that we're interested in. We've got confirmation of whoever they said for their name, their first love, their pet's name, whatever. And also, Jamie, I said fake mind reading with you. No, I didn't read your mind, I put a thought in your head. Did you feel me put a thought in your head? Didn't interesting. Now, if I take out the card on there, it does say, Today, I think you will think of house, for example. And they literally forget ever saying it, and it's just brilliant. Genuinely cannot recommend it enough. It's minimal, it's my everyday wallet now, even though it doesn't hold cash. I can fold up a bit of cash, put it in the uh band if I want to. But yeah, that for me is one of the strongest routines I've ever performed in my life. Ever.

SPEAKER_03 33:21

Okay, so castle wallet with the sneaky foreshadowing. So let's quickly have a look what you did. So you've switched out extreme burn and you've gone for instant paper to money, you've kept MD Mini, you've switched out Imagine and put in Lovers Waltz, you've still got Coins Across, Stand Up Monty, PK Touches, you've still got Mind Yours and the Mystery, which is your only parlor piece that you put in here, and you got rid of Big Reaction, sorry, Andy Nyman, and you've got Castle Wallet with a sneaky foreshadow inside.

SPEAKER_02 33:50

Yep, buzzing with that. Absolutely buzzing with that.

SPEAKER_01 33:57

Hey

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SPEAKER_01 33:58

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Banish The Self-Working Snobbery

SPEAKER_03 34:54

But Harry, you didn't get the banishment because we didn't have this at the beginning of the podcast. So I want you to imagine that you're gonna dig a big sandy hole, you're gonna throw something inside, and we're gonna bury it. Something that we're never gonna see again. What do you want to banish?

SPEAKER_02 35:10

I would like to banish now. This is a tough one because I originally was gonna say egos, but how do I put into words? Um I'm trying to say it in a way that makes sense. Looking down at self-working tricks. You just said it, yeah, yeah. There we go.

SPEAKER_03 35:35

So thinking that because a trick is self-working, it isn't valid in the industry, yeah, and doesn't make you a good performer, is what I'd say.

SPEAKER_02 35:44

I've seen many a times, you know, people um look at a self-working trick and go, oh, well, there's no skill involved, there's no this, there's no that. Do you know what? To a layman, they don't know what's going on. Slight, sleight of hand or not sleight of hand, they don't know. If the trick's fantastic, the trick's great. Why does it matter what the what the skill level behind is that no one sees? I don't, I cannot get my head around that. It's been one thing that I've never understood why self-working tricks are frowned upon. I just I cannot get my head around it. Yes, I understand learning your craft, getting better at your craft, learning slights. I'm not talking about presentation now. I'm not talking about that because I think presentation is so important. That's the most important thing, really. I just think, why is it that something that's never seen is so thought about? I don't understand.

SPEAKER_03 36:30

Well, the the whole point of doing magic is that it's supposed to be amazing. It doesn't matter how you get there, it doesn't matter how you achieve the amazement, yeah, it matters that you are achieving amazement. They're all different tools, and we have to use maybe you wouldn't do an entire set of self-workers because well, you you actually could do that, but you might want to change it up a little bit and you throw something in there to make it a bit more diverse, but it's about having different tools. Self-working card tricks are a tool, slights are a tool, you know, peaking something is a tool, dual reality is a tool. All of these things are tools, and we just have to pick all of those different things to make the magic work.

SPEAKER_02 37:19

Yeah. I just think even there though, you know, talking about an act. I mean, I'm looking at my list now. Paper to money is self-working, MD Mini self-working, mind yours mystery self-working, yeah, foreshadow self-working, you know, and they're five or so different effects, all self-working. Does that take away from a performance? I don't think it does. No one knows what's going on. I understand if your whole act is just self-working number card tricks. I understand that, right? I do get that. So, as part of an act, yes, it's nice to mix it up. But I don't think a trick or a performer should be looked down on if they only do self-workers. I don't believe so. Some of the best tricks in the world are self-workers. I mean, cardiographic and self-working, that's one of the best visual tricks you'll ever see.

SPEAKER_03 38:07

And like you said earlier on, the most important part about magic is the performance. And I I also know that uh I've got friends who frown upon mentalism because they say mentalism in its core is reading something and writing something. My argument with that is I think it's harder than a lot of magic because you're relying solely on the entertainment. Yeah, it's okay to hide behind uh an amazing moment in a card trick, but if there's no presentation with a mentalism trick, then it's gonna fall on its head.

SPEAKER_02 38:46

And at the end of the day, the crux of mentalism is exactly what we've just said, majority of the time, reading or writing, your job as a mentalist is to prove that you didn't just read it and you didn't just write it, you know, that's the entertainment. Yeah, and so I think there's a really there's a nice nuance in it about putting smoke and mirrors in the way when it comes to mentalism to make it believable. That is such a grey area. People still don't know. I feel like they want to believe that you can read their mind. You know, I feel like they want to believe that a card trick, they know you're gonna do a card trick. They're fantastic. Don't I love card tricks, right? But when it comes to mentalism, yeah, you are having to prove that what you are doing is mind reading and you're not just doing a trick. Because if not, the trick is you're reading something, you know?

SPEAKER_03 39:26

But that's what a self-working card trick is to card tricks that mentalism is to the industry. Uh uh self-working card trick relies mostly on the entertainment, it gives you uh an opportunity to take something that's self-working, you don't have to worry about the method, and then that will allow you to focus on the entertainment side and make it something so much more than the sum of its parts.

SPEAKER_02 39:48

Yeah, I just yeah, I don't know. I totally agree. It's nice to learn new things and practice your skill, absolutely, but I just cannot get my head around. I've seen it online, re I don't know, recently or what, but there just seems to be something. If the trick is easy, why I I don't know. There just seems to be a weird agenda against self-working tricks, and I just cannot get my head around it personally. So I'd banish that.

SPEAKER_03 40:11

Okay, so you're not allowed to look down on self-working car tricks people uh on Harry's Island. That is gone. Self-working car tricks are allowed. Well, not self-working tricks, just self-working tricks in general. Correct.

Island Guest Pick Chris Harding

SPEAKER_03 40:24

But I know that you've been on your island for a really long time. Really long time. I have. So we're gonna give you a guest. Now, this guest could be past, so maybe they're not here with us anymore, and you just wish you had the opportunity to have them on your island, or they are still here and you would like them on the island. So if you could have one guest on your island, who would you take? This is me.

SPEAKER_02 40:48

Oh, that's so kind, Harry. That's really oh god. Um, right, this is actually really tough. I'd say, obviously, dad aside, because that's just a boring answer, even though I probably would pick dad, right? Because he's got he has got people don't realise how much knowledge he's actually got. I think it's underestimated how much input he has and stuff. So that is probably what I'd say. But I would probably say either Etienne or Chris Hardin, genuinely. Oh, you can't have both. I'm gonna say Chris Hardin then, and I'll tell you why. Chris Hardin, right, close-up magician of the year, right, won loads of awards at Magic Circle. In the magic world, Etienne's released products, so people would know more. He's done at the table lectures, he's done this, he's done that, right? Chris Hardin really just is such a busy magician. He's got such a good way with people, and in terms of a close-up performer, I think if you were to say aspire to someone, it would probably be Chris, genuinely. And he's hilarious. That's the thing. He's so funny, he's an unbelievable magician. He puts so much thought and care into everything he does, you know. Not meticulous in a in an annoying way, he's very meticulous in a way where I'm not that doesn't make sense, so why am I doing that? You know, and I don't know, every time I speak to him, I get inspired to get back into, you know, I don't know, looking, lifting up the bed, going under let's see what tricks are on. Do you know what I mean? Like, he just is very inspiring and he's just got such a good way with people. And Taylor summed it up the other day because Chris Harden was at the Alexander Magic Convention, um, and Taylor, my partner, was saying, Oh yeah, Chris is so funny, blah blah blah. And then we were just chatting, and um she was like, Yeah, thing is, I weren't even like in a chatty mood, but he just sort of brings it out of you, and that's exactly what he does. His energy just draws you into being happy, whether you're in a bad mood or not, you cannot, it's infectious, you cannot be not happy when you're around him. And I just think, like I said, his attention to detail on tricks, his knowledge of magic, unbelievable slight pan, unbelievable, all this stuff. But when it comes down to it, as a performer, he's just fantastic.

SPEAKER_03 42:53

I I I refer to him as an always-on persona, yes, as in he is who he is, yeah, on and off of the stage. He is just this bubbly, uh, energetic whirlwind of a person who's got all of this knowledge and absolutely loves magic. Yeah, like every time I talk to him, it's he he reminds me of your dad in that he's always got a story from years and years ago. So some of them involve your dad, actually. Um, and you know, you can tell that he's just always been in this industry, he's born an entertainer. Yeah, there are some people on this earth that were born to do it.

SPEAKER_02 43:30

You cannot imagine doing anything else.

SPEAKER_03 43:32

Oh no, no, nothing else. He yeah, he's phenomenal. So, okay, so Chris Harding's going with. The stories they'd have as well would be great. Yeah. We're gonna have to give you a little tiki bar on that island. I've got a feeling. Um, so let's go to your memory then. So if

Replay Memory BGT Semi Finals

SPEAKER_03 43:48

you could have a memory that you could replay forever and ever, we're gonna give you a little cinema screen.

SPEAKER_02 43:52

All right.

SPEAKER_03 43:53

And you get to replay this memory forever and ever. What is the memory that you would like to relive?

SPEAKER_02 43:59

There's probably some. There's probably tons, you know what I mean, where like something's happened, then you think that's actually had a big impact on the future. Do you know what I mean? So it'd be nice to look at back in that sense. I do think, just as a memory in itself, you know what I mean, on paper, would probably be the BGT semi-finals, I'd probably say. I just think we'd put a lot of effort in, and the semi-finals, even though it wasn't the exact act you wanted because it got tweaked last second, blah blah blah blah. I just think being up there in the semi-finals, the reactions were great. I think it was amazing just performance on that stage anyway. And I don't know, when your name got called, you genuinely got goosebumps, you know. And I just think I don't know, it was it's just it was lovely to look at. It was lovely to look at, you know. I just think that that's it. There's so probably so many others, which probably in hindsight are probably better, probably learn more from. But I just think that as an experience is just fantastic.

SPEAKER_03 44:54

See, you say that, but I think you learnt a lot from that process because that was very early on in your magic career. And talk about throwing someone into the fire, you know. You that's probably one year in, yeah. You had to learn stagecraft, you had to learn to control your nerves, you had to learn about cameras and where the cameras were going to be. You had to learn to work with other people in part of a group, yeah, you had to memorize lines. There was so much that you had to learn in literally such a short space of time. And it's fair to say it's a stressful process to go through, especially when you're younger and this is your first thing. I think the way that you all managed it was phenomenal, and I do genuinely think that that experience gave you a leg up, so to speak, in performance. I think you probably learnt so much more than you give yourself credit for through that process.

SPEAKER_02 45:50

I think it was I'll tell you what one thing I did learn. First of all, you are right, like it was scary, and I think that was good just to push yourself into like there was literally no way I can't not go on because we're we're on we're on tonight, we have to go there. But one thing that stood out to me as well was I remember when we first came out, um Theo had an opening line on there, and he literally said it perfectly. He said, I can't remember what the line was, but it was like back at school, me and my maids used to watch BGT, and he paused for a second, if that. Genuinely, I was looking at him like, what are you doing? Because it felt like 15 minutes, and he was paused for. When you watch it back, and in real life, it was literally a split second, but it just made me realize like, I don't know, I don't know what relevance this has, but that just in in my head, I just thought, bloody hell, time actually slows down when you're that nervous. Everything feels like a years, you know. I mean, I looked at him and I was like, Are you gonna say your next line? Like it felt like I don't know, the whole world had froze, and I was gonna have a conversation with him. And I just feel like that sort of in a nutshell even made me realize, you know what I mean? Just relax yourself, calm down, take your time, you know, don't rush through it. He's paused for one second, and for me it felt like a lifetime. So just calm it down, you know, enjoy what you're doing, relax, and yeah, you'll be able to do it. But I don't know, it's a bit of a weird relevance, but that just stuck in my head where it felt like a lifetime, but it was literally a split second.

SPEAKER_03 47:12

Well, Emilio's like that now. So when we film a video, Emilio references oh, I I thought I was taking forever there, yeah, but then when I watch it back, it was totally different. But I think that's because you were just thinking about so much, and you would have been nervous, you would have been, I want everything to go perfectly. And if he doesn't say his next line and he doesn't say it properly, then that means I can't say mine, and I'm waiting to say my thing. Yeah, so it would have just been the anxiety and wanting it to go smoothly and that you've rehearsed it, and you know, everything in that moment, certainly when you first start performing, even in close-up, it's so nerve-wracking, it's so scary.

SPEAKER_02 47:53

Yeah, no, it is true, and I don't know. I did, I really, really enjoyed that. You know, I think that was sort of the pinnacle of what well, not the pinnacle, you know. I I've enjoyed so much other stuff, you know. I get still get the same buzz from being on that stage to me, doing a close-up gig, even doing a a trick for for my mates, do you know what I mean? When we go out, so it's not that sense. I think it was just a good, almost just like a proud of yourself moment, do you know what I mean? Going on there, doing that, and just thinking what's the worst is gonna happen is we get buzzed off, I fall over, I forget my lines, you know what I mean? I'm not gonna die. You know what I mean? I know it sounds dramatic, but I just feel like that was a good, just a great experience, you know.

SPEAKER_03 48:27

So yeah, I'll definitely probably just say that. Okay, so that's on replay on your screen. One horror

First Gig Horror Story Lessons

SPEAKER_03 48:33

story then. So if we gave you, we're gonna banish this horror story. So, you know, you're never gonna, we're gonna put it in a little glass bottle and throw it out to sea. It's never gonna be there again. So if you had one horror story that you could get rid of for forever, what would it be?

SPEAKER_02 48:46

Um, so very early on, it's actually my first ever gig. All right, first ever gig. And it uh I've said about the gig so many times, but one of the ones was uh I was very panicking at the start, and there was a table for uh two blokes and obviously their partners, and one of them was just really drunk, followed me, blah blah blah. And end of the story, or long story short, he hit his head, right? He followed me over, tripped over, and hit his head, right, on a plant pot or something in a restaurant. So then I thought, right, let me go to the biggest table in the room. Obviously, I'm nervous as heck, because my first, my literal first paid performance, someone's cracked their head open, so that's not great. But I've gone to the biggest table and I said, right, you're in for a treat. I've just shown him a trick, and that was his reaction. So, right, fingers crossed, it'd be good with you guys. No laugh. And I just thought, do you know what? I thought that was funny myself, but no laugh. So then I'm doing the trick. I think I'm doing smudged at the time, and I've said uh to this lady, I said, Perfect, right, anyway. I need you to pick a card. So just reach out and pick out a card for me. And then she'd come up, and she had no hands, so she physically couldn't pick a card. Now, that probably for me is a horror story I'd get rid of. Yes, I've learned from it. However, at the time, I just wanted to ground swallow me up. What do you do in a situation? Obviously, I know there's multiple disabilities in the world. Not once have I been to an event where I've had to think about if someone's got hands. And I know it sounds silly because you have to look at everything, you know. People have got everyone's got stuff, you know. But that right there was a horror story I wish did not happen. But having happened, I have um not experienced it again, but I know to look out for it now. Uh, but yeah, that was probably very awkward. I was very nervous and of literally a table of 12, and the only person I asked to pick a card out didn't have any hands. So that probably for me is a horror story I'd get rid of. Definitely.

SPEAKER_03 50:34

See, I think this is a really interesting one, and this is a difficult one without talking to someone with a disability because you don't want to feel like you're talking for a group of people. But I I would assume that if you have an disability, there will be certain things that happen more regularly than not. Yeah. And I would assume that if someone didn't have hand, so what you just mentioned has happened to me. I did double cross and someone didn't have a hand.

SPEAKER_02 51:07

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 51:07

Um, so I I've been in the same situation, but I'm sure that that happens quite regularly to that person or something to that effect. So to us, it feels absolutely devastating. And we think, oh my god, I feel so bad. Yeah, I feel horrible that I I've said this thing to them. Maybe they're gonna think I've been insulting to them. But I would presume, and again, if you're listening to this, you can tell, tell us in the comments, but this will be something that happens to them, yeah, and they are probably not as acutely aware of it happening as we are now.

SPEAKER_02 51:41

They probably have a level of understanding that you know what, it probably will. I mean, absolutely. They're not doing it to be nasty, it just is something one of those things. Yeah, but yeah, that for me, yeah, it's probably a horror story I'd get rid of. Um, I just feel like I probably didn't need that to happen on my first gig amongst all the other stuff.

SPEAKER_03 51:57

Well, yeah, you you again, trial by fire. I think your first big gig you were put on a stage in front of millions of people for Britain's got talent, and then your first close-up gig all broke loose. Yeah. Um, but like you said, you've learned so many lessons from all of those things, and sometimes that's not a bad thing. So you've got one more thing: a show. This can

Dream Show Tom Wright Live

SPEAKER_03 52:21

be a show that you saw on TV and you wish you could have seen it in person, a show that you knew existed, but you never got the chance to see it, or one that you just loved and you would love to go back and see it. So if we put a little bit of entertainment on your island, yeah, maybe the uh what do they call it, the entertainment team are there. Beautiful. And then they're gonna bought it.

SPEAKER_02 52:41

They're not doing acroaerobics, are they? What are they uh what would this show be? Um, well, I think in and of itself would be fantastic to see live, but that's not the one I'm gonna choose. I'm gonna choose a very, very, very, very, very recent one, and it is Tom Wright. Tom Wright's performance at the Alexander Convention. Now, we've had the pleasure of having Tom Wright here um quite a few times, whether it be for academies or other stuff, downloads, etc. I've never seen him probably perform. Obviously, I know he's funny because I spoke to him and I know he's funny. However, what we saw at the Alexand Magic Convention was a masterclass in entertainment that is in a nutshell that everything was perfect. The tricks were great, but the timing, the like the way he said the things, how he said the things, when he said the things, it was clearly scripted to a T, but did not feel scripted at all. It just felt off the cuff, and I think that's perfect, you know. Every joke in there, he's obviously put in there on purpose, yet it looked like it just was a spare-of-the-moment thing. The like I said, the tricks were great, uh, his interaction was great, his audience management was great. Literally, I just think that is the perfect show.

SPEAKER_03 53:59

The perfect show. It was so funny. In fact, the day after, so we actually filmed the show. Not this is not for public release or anything like that, it was just for us so that we can use clips of it for trailers and stuff like that, and for the uh the video about the convention that will be coming out. But it was myself, David Jonathan, Peter, and Emilio in Pete's living room. Yeah, and the first thing we wanted to do was sit down and watch the whole thing. Yeah, in fact, we were just what uh so we just wanted to check on the footage to see how it turned out, and then Pete just went, let's put it on the TV and watch it. We watched it a second time, and we were all laughing just as much as uh during the actual show.

SPEAKER_02 54:40

Yeah, I just it literally I honestly thought I was gonna wet myself, and I just think that is exactly what magic should be. Obviously, you've got mentalists which are gonna be a bit more chilled, and there's room for everything, right? And bizarre bizarre bizarres, um yeah, bizarre as well, yeah. Of course, yeah. They're not more chill though, I because you you're spooky, so I'm probably more on edge there. But um, I just genuinely think it was the perfect show, and you could tell because I was having people around me laughing, everyone who came out of that screen had the biggest smile on their face, almost like they've been to a concert. And I just think that's what it should be like. That's a proper show where you come out, you feel good, you've seen a great act, and the the bowling ball is one of the best callbacks I've seen.

SPEAKER_03 55:25

Yeah, that was sick. It's such a clever thing to produce it, and then I'm not gonna give anything away. Uh, actually, you can go back and listen to Tom Wright's podcast, his Desert Island Tricks, where he talks about some of these things on there. Um, but that's one of the best callbacks. There's a really funny comedy callback with um a series of numbers and folders. There's a great callback there at the end of the show. It is just a brilliant, brilliant show. Yeah, he was so funny, and he's such a nice guy as well.

SPEAKER_02 55:55

Yeah, he just I don't know, you can tell he loves what he does. Do you know what I mean? It was radiating how much like he the I don't know, in a nutshell, it was just perfect. I cannot think of not that I I'm not even gonna try, but even if I did try forever and think, not sure on that bit. Do you know what I mean? There is nothing. It's it was literally 10 out of 10, perfect. So yeah, that's the best. If someone says to me, What's a magic show? I'd say that. I'd say that. I think that's exactly what it should be like funny, entertaining, good magic, easy to follow, what's going on. Um, yeah, I just think it was perfect.

SPEAKER_03 56:33

Okay,

Final List Recap And Thanks

SPEAKER_03 56:34

so that's the end of your SOS. Let's go back over it. So your new list, this is your revised list, is instant paper to money, MD Mini, Lovers Waltz, Coins Across, Stand Up Monty, PK Touches, thank goodness. Mind Yours and the Mystery, and the Castle Wallet with a sneaky foreshadow inside. Your banishment is discounting self-working tricks. Your guest is Chris Harding with a tiki bar. Memory is BGT semi-finals. Your horror story is asking a person with a disability to help when they couldn't. And your show was Tom Wright's show at the Alakazam convention. It sounds like it's going to be a fun old time on your island.

SPEAKER_02 57:13

Solid. Yeah, happy with that. Very happy. Thank you for having me on this uh Desert Island SOS. I'm pretty sure.

SPEAKER_03 57:22

Okay. Um, now, if people want to find out more about what's going on, is there any messages you want to give to people? Is there anything that you want to say?

SPEAKER_02 57:29

Um, I just want to say, as always, thank you so much for all your support. Um, genuinely, every day we're seeing new people placing orders and learning magic and getting into magic, whether it's from our socials, whether it's coming to the shop, whether it's going to the folks in Harper Arm, whether it's joining unlimited. Um, so yeah, it's absolutely incredible. And we genuinely love what we do and we love producing tricks that we know you're gonna love performing. So, yeah, I don't know. I just want to say a big thanks to every single one of you for your support. The convention was exactly, exactly, exactly what we wanted it to be. Just great positive energy, really welcoming. Nobody would feel left out or did feel left out. And yeah. I just know for a fact you guys, um the Alexander community, have made it a really welcoming place for anyone. So that's exactly what we want to achieve, and we're proud of that. So, yeah, that was all. Nothing else to say, really.

SPEAKER_03 58:23

Check out for Shadow when it comes out, that's the other thing. And check out foreshadow. So, thank you all for listening. We're of course going to be back next week. We've got some incredible guests coming up as well. Uh, so within the next four weeks, we've got maybe six guests being recorded. Uh, one of them is going to be talking about their brand new book, which is a follow-up of their first book, which is all about drawing in rooms. Nice. Oh, nice, nice. Um, and yeah, I'm really looking forward to that. So stay tuned. We've got some really, really good guests coming. Of course, we're going to be back next week with another version of this podcast. So we'll see you next week. Have a great week.

SPEAKER_00 59:08

Hi,

Alakazam App Quick Outro

SPEAKER_00 59:09

Peter Nardi here, and I really hope you enjoyed that podcast. I just wanted to make you know that Alakazam have their own app. You can download it from the App Store or the Google Play Store. By downloading the app, it will make your shopping experience even quicker at Alakazam. You'll also get exclusive in app offers and in app livestreams. So go download it now and we'll see you on the next podcast.