Publié le 17 juin 2020
If only you knew the funny or downright ridiculous situations a professional magician sometimes goes through—and the effort it takes to make sure the audience suspects nothing!
In these worrying times of health crisis, let me bring you a little joy by revealing the hilarious behind-the-scenes of my world. I’ve compiled for you the 10 most comical or embarrassing solo moments of my career.
And while I still laugh at them today, I’ve also learned a valuable lesson: being a magician requires humility, vigilance, and constant training.
Ready to have a good laugh? Here are the first 5 amusing anecdotes I’ve picked out:
1. Cold shower :
I’m performing a trick: the magic water trick, right in front of the daughter of the Russian ambassador. I’m supposed to turn the full glass upside down over her head without spilling a drop. But stress gets the better of me. One too-fast move, the trick fails, and water drips down the young lady’s head—right before the astonished eyes of her distinguished father. Luckily, she took it all with a smile...
2. The magician disappears from the stage :
Usually, it’s a spectator chosen from the audience who disappears on stage. This time, it was me who fell through the trapdoor because of a wobbly stage.
I had warned the organizer about the very unstable balance of the platform. But there was no time to fine-tune the setup—the show had to go on.
And what was bound to happen, happened: right in the middle of the performance, the stage split in two. My entire backdrop was sucked in—and I went with it.
3. Got up on the wrong side of the bed :
In my magician’s dressing room, I have two pairs of elegant two-tone cabaret-style shoes. The catch? They’re almost identical.
Just before a show, I realize I’ve got two left feet. With no other choice, I have to perform the entire act with twisted feet, a suspicious stance, and a tense expression.
I spend 60 minutes hopping and fidgeting, hoping the audience doesn’t notice a thing!
4. A trick gone wrong :
It was a summer evening at a campsite. In front of a crowd of families and children, I levitated someone from the audience. The scene was supposed to last only a few seconds. But the secret mechanism got stuck. The music kept playing—endlessly. Then, inevitably, it stopped.
To my surprise, they didn’t realize it was a trick, and I managed to keep my composure.
I had to wrap up the act as best I could and call in my technician to free the spectator.
5. My precious
At a wedding, I borrowed the ring of one of the guests of honor for a close-up trick. I was supposed to make it disappear and then reappear.
At the crucial moment, I realized I had actually lost the ring. Panic swept over me—I told everyone to stay still and frantically searched all around me.
The guests burst out laughing, convinced of my great acting skills. I was sweating bullets, feeling like I was falling apart inside, until a child quietly saved me from chaos by bringing back the ring. It had accidentally fallen at the foot of a chair.
Total relief. I finished the trick as if nothing had happened!
