Conjuring Spirits will leave ‘people scratching their heads’
Local magician Ryan Pilling thinks the impossible should be experienced up close and personal. That’s why he created The Magic Cabaret, a series of monthly magic shows he hosts at The Studio Space.
“The Studio Space seats 30 people which means everyone gets to experience mind-boggling, impossible magic and amazing illusions within arms’ reach,” says Pilling, who promises “a few of our tricks will have people scratching their heads long after they leave the theatre.”
September’s cabaret was called Simply Amazing and it featured what Pilling calls straight-up magic tricks and sleight of hand.
“Those were the kind of tricks you never thought possible with a deck of cards.”
This being October, and approaching All Hallows Eve, the new show is appropriately called Conjuring Spirits. Pilling will be joined by Yeatland Wong of A Brush With Death illusions.
“These cabarets are not for kids. The tricks and illusions are a bit more sophisticated, but that doesn’t mean Yeats and I aren’t going to have fun. It will all be tongue-in-cheek.”
With that in mind, Pilling says he will be performing a stunt which Houdini included in most of his shows. “It’s very simple. All it requires are some cold steel needles and a warm tongue.”
Wong will also recreate the seances that were popular during Houdini’s time and try to contact someone from “the other side.”
Pilling says he understands the enduring fascination with seances.
“It’s like we’re all reading the same book but some of us just want to skip to the end.”
He doesn’t mind if people label his performances as stunts, illusions or even just tricks.
“As long as people enjoy them, I don’t care what they call them. I don’t claim to have any special powers beyond many years of practice.”
Pilling has been performing for 20 years and said he got hooked on it in the most obvious way.
“As a kid, I used to watch magic shows on TV and loved them. Then I got a magic kit for Christmas one year and that really cemented my love (for it).”
He admits it’s not the easiest way to make a living, but adds he “prefers doing magic to having a real job.”
With Conjuring Spirits, he aims to “treat people to a whole different kind of magic. It will be like having a couple of magicians in your living room getting you into the Halloween spirit.”