(2006, 2008 and on the right 2019 – I’ve been writing shows for 13 years!) Neon Future is my 2019 show, and I’ve just finished scripting this. It’s been as much as a struggle as always but now it’s done I find myself reflecting on my past body of work. Tricks I’ve Learned Since Being […]
Interview with Kevin Quantum Magician Scientist Hybrid with Inspired Edinburgh.
“Magic Consultant” is one of the few jobs that peaks more interest than saying you’re a magician. The job description is to make a moment(s) in a performance situation look magical. I’m friends and colleagues with a few that have consulted on Dynamo’s show, and also others who have created magic in some of the […]
I don’t think anyone has ever recycled wonder before, but I think this just about ticks the box. A brand new art-illusion fusing magic, science and floristry, inspired by possibilities that only become apparent when you change your perspective.
Presenting the Colour Changing Flower Bed – an idea that was developed with my great friend, mathematician Mark Collins back in 2013 was realised in public spaces around Edinburgh and viewed by over 10,000 people!
Colour Changing Flower Bed – aha – I get it. Flowers on a bedstead. But wait… there’s more. It’s smarter than that. There are three sweet spots for viewing the bed, when you move from one to the other, only one colour of flower is visible – hence the ‘colour change’. See the video below for one with the number ’30’ embedded (haha) inside the flower arrangement.
The work features over 1000 flowers – painstakingly placed, taking 3 days to prepare. The honeycomb frame, which makes the ‘colour change’ illusion possible, is made from over 600 playing cards that I’ve used in past performances over the last ten years. Some are signed, some are dog eared, all are being recyled to create a moment of wonder once again.
One of my big character flaws is starting projects and then leaving them unfinished. Nothing frustrates me more. So I’m immensely proud to show you this, an idea that took two years to develop.
Thanks to the wonderful lady at one event last week who took these photos of a ‘tie steal’ in process. I love doing this; a tie literally disappears right off the neck of a guest – without him noticing. This is one of the most bold and entertaining ‘tricks’ a magician can do in a close up situation, and it’s usually the case that other guests are in on the secret from the off, rare for a ‘magic trick’.
And the moment someone realises that their tie has literally disappeared of their neck? Well, that’s just priceless. 🙂
If you’ve never done the Fringe in Edinburgh before then you’re missing the most wonderful, crazy, busy, colourful month of arts, culture, comedy, theatre, dance, magic and much, much more all in about 1 square mile. My home town kinda doubles in size and becomes the centre for the arts in the World for a month. It’s simply amazing.
This year I was honoured to be invited premiere my brand new show – Quantum Magic at one of the most prestigious venues at the Fringe Festival – Gilded Balloon. The production was inspired by the amazing things that happen at the tiniest of levels known to man, known as Quantum Physics. At this level things appear/disappear, teleport, transform. It’s science that sounds just like magic. And it inspired me to create a fully examinable floating box of cards, to project the thoughts of my entire audience onto the lights around the room (with the help of special 3D glasses)
I’m delighted to say that over 2600 people came to see my show in the month, that’s almost a sell out every day! 2600 wonderful, wonderful people, with great taste in magic shows. That’s enough to just about fill Edinburgh’s biggest theatre – The Playhouse (another dream of mine!). Over the month I estimate that I performed to over 10,000 people at different variety nights, open spots and private events. Perhaps the largest number of people I have ever performed to in a month!
Highlights from the fringe
– Performing at one of the biggest, most prestige events on the fringe, The Big Comedy Gala
– Working on stage with Stephen K Amos, Ed Byrne and Tom Binns for the ‘Funny Turn’ charity event
– being on stage with the actual Dotaman! Who we invited to join us on stage for the last ever The Colour Ham Show. Dotaman is a BBC Alba TV presenter who has probably created more Gaelic TV than any other person.
– Opening the final The Colour Ham show with Gav and Col in the Debating Hall at Gilded Balloon.
– Watching Tom Binns, Piff the Magic Dragon and Colin Cloud‘s shows at the Fringe. Amazing acts.
– Putting a bottle through the chest of Ewan Cameron on STV‘s Fountainbridge show.
– Building a bespoke ‘Colour changing Flower Bed’ to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of Gilded Balloon.
The big comedy gala is one of the biggest shows at the fringe. Up to 2000 gather to watch a selection of the best comedy talent on offer. So it was pretty special to be invited along to perform the last show ever with magic sketch group – The Colour Ham. An emotional last show for Col, Gav and I.
Just a week earlier, as I mentioned above we had all been on stage at gilded balloon for our swan song. 400 people – all absolutely avid colour ham fans – packed the room for one of the best colour ham shows of all time. We broke out a few sketches we hadn’t performed since 2012 and just packed in as much magical silliness as we could. The room went crazy when our Star guest, BBC children’s star Dotaman appeared on stage. If you’ve seen TCH before you’ll know we parody the DOTAMAN tv show. The only way we could think of to up it for our audience was to get the actual dotaman along. And Donny Dotaman absolutely stormed it. Guitar and all.
Such an intense and exhausting month, but I’ve came away full of energy and inspired.
The 2016 show is now in development and is going to absolutely rock. Watch. This. Space.
Stephen K Amos, Ed Byrne, Tom Binns, Markus Birdman and me. All on stage, all for Stroke Association Scotland’s “Not Just a Funny Turn” event. The debating hall at Gilded Balloon became the place to be mid way through the Edinburgh Fringe Festival for a pretty wonderful line up of comedy talent and a Magician. Amazing to work with Stephen, Ed, Markus and Tom – really chuffed to be on the line up and the show was lots of fun.
Having spent the first ten years of his adult life completely immersed in Physics and the next ten in magic, Member of the Magic Circle Kevin is most likely the only person on the planet who’s reached the magic 10,000 hours needed to make you an ‘expert’ – in both areas. He’s also one of a very few people that counts quantum physics as a hobby. Vanish, transport, transform, escape, levitate, predict – the six key areas of magic. All now claimed also by science. The line between the natural and unnatural has never been more blurred, and as these polar opposites finally converge, Kevin explains why mystery is doubtless the most important concept in Science.
Delighted to say that we smashed the world record for the BIGGEST ever magic lesson last night at Fettes College in Edinburgh; the building that inspired JK Rowling’s image of Hogwarts. A very fitting venue.
Massive thanks to all the performers, volunteers, staff and friends who helped make this happen – ultimately numbering almost 100!! And of course massive respect and love for the 1500 strong audience that turned up to make the audience that broke the world record. Massive achievement. Well done.
I was very honoured to take the class in front of 1500 very vocal and enthusiastic people that turned up on a very cold Edinburgh evening. It was a pleasure to be named on the certificate and I’m delighted that I’ve left my mark in Magic History!
“You’ll only ever be emailed directly by Kevin and only when we have exciting news.”
