He walks through Covent Garden on a lunch break, watches street performers pull a crowd out of thin air, and realises his computer programming career suddenly feels too small. That moment sends Humphrey Cornthwaite on a path from London street magic to touring, TV production, cruise ship stages, and finally building a fresh wave of live entertainment here in Canberra.

We get specific about the craft and the business: why a straitjacket escape isn’t just a classic trick but a visibility strategy, how humour travels across cultures, and how you read a room fast when the audience didn’t come “to see a magician” but you still need to win them. Humphrey also shares what it’s like rebuilding after COVID, creating regular residencies (including Gang Gang in Downer and shows at Smith’s Alternative), and using real-world networking through the Canberra Business Chamber to turn conversations into bookings.

Away from the spotlight, he runs Positive Approach Consulting with his wife, an occupational therapist supporting NDIS clients, and we talk about bringing the right mindset to performances for people with intellectual disability. We close on big goals, including growing Canberra’s appetite for corporate entertainment and touring his Houdini-inspired theatre work “They Come to Watch Me Die” to festivals and regional venues.

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