Just before we came under the cloud of the novel Coronavirus pandemic, one of the last touring magic shows I saw was The Illusionists featuring David Williamson (The Trickster), Chris Cox (The Mentalist), Hyun Joon Kim (The Manipulator), Valentin Azema (The Elusive), and Jonathan Goodwin (The Daredevil). I did not try to sit down with the entire cast, though I suggest that you go back to hear one I did in 2015 with the cast back then (including David Williamson who was just coming in to fill in for Jeff Hobson for a few dates).. This week we limited our time and our talk with just one of the cast. We have not featured an in-depth conversation with an escape artist on this podcast. But thanks to my U.K. friend, Martin Cox, I was connected with Jonathan Goodwin who opened up this whole new world to me.

Escapes have been an integral part of magic for centuries with Harry Houdini being the foremost proponent and well-known escape artist, of course. Though many have tried to replicate Harry’s daring escapes, I found it fascinating that Jonathan goes his own direction and understands what the audience “believes” and “accepts” as far as danger and “jeopardy”. He has updated escapes and brought the are to another level that resonates with audiences around the world.

Jonathan Goodwin from The Illusionists escapes...

Jonathan talks about what level of danger and harm to his body he is willing to accept, then he works backwards from that to construct the escape. He also talks about the importance of having the audience care for you and their level of empathy. His tips are a real lesson on how to develop your character when you have little little time before you get into your act.

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