Magic is a universal language

The UK's top comic magician Pete Firman chats to MARION MCMULLEN about creating spellbinding entertainment

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Has comedy and magic taken you all over the world?

I’ve been lucky to travel all over. I have never been to Australia but I have been to lots of places in Europe, several places in the US and South America.

What's great about magic is it’s a universal language. Even if you don’t speak English, you can appreciate what is going on.

A magician who I really admire, David Blaine, did a TV show where he went into the jungle and found this tribe that had had very little contact with anyone outside of their community. He went in and did magic tricks and it was astonishing. The look on their faces was so special and I think it was a really great moment on TV.

What is involved in putting a new show together?

My personal journey in performing really started in comedy clubs where you are mixing with comedians. And I observed they were always writing ideas down - something occurs to them and they make a note so they will not forget it. So I adopted that very early on. I’m constantly writing ideas down.

When it comes to putting a new show together it's about going back through the notebooks and thinking ‘yeah, that was a good idea.’ I still go back to comedy clubs. I’ve got friends and promoters who run comedy nights and I'll drop in and do five, 10, 15 minutes and slowly but surely build up the show that way. I do everything from sleight of hand to big illusions.

Do people always want to know how a trick is done?