The motorbike appears four feet from the front row. A lady floats just beyond the lip of the stage. That proximity rewires what audiences believe about illusion and it’s exactly where Harry DeCruz loves to live: smiling, present, and letting pure astonishment carry the room.

We dive into Harry’s journey from creative consultant to centre-stage performer, drawing on years with Derren Brown, Dynamo, and major West End productions. That backstage pressure, writing predictions, guarding contingencies, built a calm that now anchors his stage work. He explains why Ring Flight felt like real magic as a child, how Sneak Thief becomes a playground for storytelling (tattoos, perfumes, nicknames), and why stack work turns a deck into a quiet superpower. We unpack his silent celebrity painting reveal, an “invisible” drawing dusted into view and the subtle design choices that make silhouettes land from the stalls to the balcony.

Then the dials turn up. Harry walks us through building a paintball bullet catch: rehearsing in a builder’s yard, safety layers that still leave bruises, and a presentation that balances danger with humour. We go deep on translating Dynamo’s phone-in-bottle from TV to arena stage, custom labels, bottle tolerances, timing, and choreography that lets the miracle read clean and fast. And we explore the “annoyingly perfect” mass phone effect that detonates in any room, giving every spectator a personal climax they can verify on their own device.

Throughout, Harry champions props and methods that feel organic and modern, pushing back on dated optics that hold magic back. We talk books and real study (annotating Derren Brown’s Notes from a Fellow Traveller), the value of a trusted WhatsApp braintrust that pressure-tests ideas, and why the Young Magicians Club’s supportive culture is shaping the next wave of performers.

If you care about building miracles that stand up at close range and still crush in a theatre, this conversation is a masterclass in design, discipline, and delight.

Harry’s Desert Island Tricks: 

1. Ring Flight 
2. Sneak Thief
3. Deck of Cards in Mnemonica 
4. Silent Painting Routine
5. Spooked 
6. Paintball Bullet Catch 
7. Phone in Bottle
8. TOXIC +

Banishment. Being More Mindful of Props / Large Ring on Rope

Book. Notes From a Fellow Traveller 

Item. Phone with his Whatsapp Group Chat

Find out more about the creators of this Podcast at www.alakazam.co.uk

What if the strongest magic isn’t about flashy props, but about influence, structure, and respect for your audience? We sit down with magician Ben Sidwell to map an eight-trick card set that’s lean on gimmicks and heavy on intention, designed to scale from a noisy bar to an intimate parlour room without losing clarity or impact.

Ben opens with influence-forward thinking, why “Anything” by Ben Williams plays better as a persuasion piece than a mind read and shows how Jay Sankey’s Paperclipped anchors predictions in an ordinary business card. We dig into wallet philosophy and why reframing “card to wallet” as “it was always there” preserves fairness while turning a daily-carry Orphic wallet into a quiet powerhouse. The conversation then pivots to skill-as-theater with Card to Pocket, where teaching palming mid-routine raises suspense instead of exposing secrets, because the frame is honest: this is a demonstration of timing and control.

The Chicago lineage becomes the spine of his closer. Chicago Opener flows into Anniversary Waltz to transform an odd-back snag into a fused, impossible souvenir, fuel for repeat bookings and lasting memories. We expand the scale with spectator-led coincidences like Paul Wilson’s C3 and nods to Woody Aragon and Ben Earl, leaning into that “how could that happen?” feeling that reads mysterious without claiming skill. A final curveball, Chris Ramsey’s Voodoo, brings a touch of the bizarre: a signed blank card as a sympathetic link, a burned proxy, and a scarred signed selection waiting in the deck the audience guarded.

Along the way, Ben banishes a habit too common in our scene: forcing magic on people who don’t want it. Consent beats ego. His book pick, John Guastaferro’s One Degree, champions small upgrades, like remembering names, that lift reactions. And his non-magic essential, an X-Acto knife, proves why practical tools keep live shows resilient.

If you love card magic that feels honest, plays big, and leaves spectators with souvenirs and stories, this one’s for you.

Ben’s Desert Island Tricks: 

1. Anything 
2. Paper-clipped 
3. Opening Act 
4. Card to Pocket 
5. Chicago Opener 
6. Anniversary Waltz 
7. Con Cam Coincindencia
8. Voodoo 

Banishment. Forcing magic on people 

Book. One Degree

Item. Exacto Knife 

Find out more about the creators of this Podcast at www.alakazam.co.uk

A crushed can that heals, a coin that melts through metal, dinner pulled from a menu, and water that keeps turning into wine, this is the kind of night Beau Cremer builds from everyday objects. We invited Beau to share his desert‑island tricks and the result is a playful, punchy roadmap for close‑up magic that lasts beyond one performance. No glitter boxes. No over-talking. Just believable items doing unbelievable things.

We kick off with the can trilogy: Anders Moden’s Healed and Sealed, Wayne Houchin’s Sinful, and Jay Sankey’s Stretcher. One can, many miracles, sound, sight, and touch all working to sell reality. From there, Beau serves Food to Go, producing burgers and drinks from a tri‑fold menu, then pours a round of astonishment with Magic Dream’s Infinity W, a repeatable water‑to‑wine transformation that feels iconic yet casual enough for a kitchen counter or a tiki‑style beach bar.

For downtime, Sure Shot becomes the most addictive “one more time” dice piece you’ll ever carry, and a single deck powers an endlessly fresh stream of mind-reading and reveals through the “key card” principle. The finale is The Grail by Mike Rose, fast, direct, and devastating, a rare card at any number that keeps the focus on the moment, not the method. Along the way, Beau plants two flagpoles: stop over justifying props (trust the object, not the disclaimer) and keep your creative fuel topped up with the Vanish Magazine collection for bite‑sized essays, interviews, and routines.

We even crown a non‑magic MVP: coconuts. Think shell game covers, ring‑in‑coconut reveals, nest‑of‑coconuts, and instant refreshments, all story‑rich and situationally perfect. And when Beau names the one creative partner he’d bring to the island, you’ll see how collaboration turns simple materials into repeatable wonder.

If you love organic magic, creative thinking, and routines that hit hard without clunky props, this one’s for you. Press play, then tell us: which everyday object would anchor your dream set? Subscribe, share with a magician friend, and leave a review to help more listeners find the show.

Beau’s Desert Island Tricks: 

1. Healed and Sealed
2. Sinful
3. Stretcher Jay Sankey 
4. Food to go 
5. Infinity W
6. Sure Shot 
7. Deck of Cards 
8. The Grail 

Banishment. Over justifying props 

Book. Vanish Magazine 

Item. Coconuts 

Find out more about the creators of this Podcast at www.alakazam.co.uk

What survives when you strip magic down to its strongest effects? We sit with creator-performer Steve Gore, known for Magic Castle highlights, family stage charisma, and a string of clever releases, to unpack eight routines that earn their spot in a working case and the stories that prove why. From a twin-deck Invisible Deck with a visual box appearance to a sweet, romantic handling of Gypsy Thread for weddings, Steve shows how small framing choices transform classics into fresh, heartfelt moments. He opens with Ambitious Card, complete with a 3D pop-up gag to release tension and explains why it’s his go-to icebreaker for strolling sets.

On the stage side, Steve shares the music-driven power of closing with Losander’s Floating Table and the way he normalises the prop by gifting from the table’s box and letting spectators feel it rise. We dig into Together Forever, his misaligned Anniversary Waltz that fuses two signed cards at an angle, and the pinch-me night it drew David Blaine and Patrick Stewart at The Magic Castle. Versatility drives the rest: Axel Hecklau’s Easy Cube that plays the same close-up and on stage, and his “Anything to Anywhere” utility that lands signed objects in lanyards, balloons, shoes, or mailers with clean, motivated staging.

We also tour the inventive back catalog, CasinoCon, GPS Deck, Amnesia Deck, Book To The Future and talk about practical philosophy: banishing dated, cheesy material, using organic props like USB cables for rope plots, and choosing a mindset book (Derren Brown’s Happy) to keep calm when the real world intrudes on show plans. If you perform close-up, parlour, or cabaret, you’ll leave with routining ideas, presentational pivots, and a sharper compass for what truly hits.

Steve’s Desert Island Tricks: 

1. Invisible Deck 
2. Gypsy Thread 
3. Deck of Cards 
4. Floating Table 
5. Together Forever 
6. Easy Cube 
7. Anything to anywhere 
8. Linking Rings

Banishment. Cheesy Tricks 

Book. Happy 

Item. USB Cables

Find out more about the creators of this Podcast at www.alakazam.co.uk

A spirit pressed the bedsheets. A duvet peeled back on its own. And a mummified fairy hoax fooled the world. We sit down with artist and prop-maker Dan Baines to explore how subtle methods and rich storytelling turn haunted curios into unforgettable theatre. From forensics in London to Lebanon Circle’s museum-quality creations for BBC, Warner Brothers, and major exhibitions, Dan shares the craft choices that make bizarre magic feel real: distressed textures, believable provenance, and clever tech that hums quietly beneath vintage veneer.

We dig into the roots of Victorian séance magic, spirit cabinets, slates that “write” with sound and vibration, and haunted keys that only move when the story has earned it. Dan shows how theatre informs his work, like the “corpse candle” inspired by fiber optic fireflies on stage, and why the best switches happen early, sometimes under a glass lid that lets spectators “watch” their choices the whole time. His celebrated From Hell take on Out Of This World replaces red and black with blooded blanks and mortuary photos, reframing a classic plot into something that lingers long after the reveal.

There’s a wild journey through viral deception and ethics too: the Derbyshire Mummified Fairy that launched a million clicks, museum “relics” that began life in a studio, and the quiet power of letting myths breathe. We also time-travel to the Doomsday Gathering’s growth into a world-class bizarre magic convention, swapping notes on design constraints, stage noise, and why simple methods are a gift, they free your brain to tell better stories.

If you love haunted aesthetics, old-school methods, and narrative-first magic that truly crawls under the skin, this is your Halloween comfort listen. Subscribe, share this with a friend who loves the macabre, and leave a review telling us which effect gave you chills.

Dan’s Desert Island Tricks: 

1. Spirit Cabinet
2. Spirit Slates 
3. The Corpse Candle 
4. ‘Haunted’ Effects 
5. Out of this World 
6. Switch Boxes 
7. Scurot
8. Lazy Booktest 

Banishment. Singing unannounced 

Book. Dunninger's Complete Encyclopaedia of Magic and

Three Men in Search of Monsters 

Item. Bellarmine Witch Bottle

Find out more about the creators of this Podcast at www.alakazam.co.uk

A quiet moment in an airport turns unforgettable: Keith Barry shares how a simple card change became a first clear memory for a child recovering from eye cancer and why that reminder of wonder still guides the way he builds every routine. From there, we dig into the material he trusts most, the frameworks that make it bulletproof, and the choices that turn effects into experiences people carry for years.

We start with the Invisible Deck and why Jay Sankey’s X handling solves the “you just flipped it” theory. Keith walks through clean stage adaptations, then shifts to his corporate powerhouse: a three envelope test inspired by Bob Cassidy’s 4DT, rebuilt with double blind structure, historical framing, and a ping-pong rhythm that delivers 25 beats from business cards and envelopes. He explains how premise, protocol, and pacing remove false solutions and keep spectators engaged without confusion.

Keith also lets us in on a surprise: despite being a self-proclaimed technophobe, he’s getting ridiculous reactions with iCons by building an influence narrative that yields two hits from one search. It’s part of a broader philosophy of growth, cold plunges, virtual studio builds, and doing the uncomfortable thing to stay sharp. That shows up in personal pieces too: carrying a deck for joy and creativity, and a harmonica routine that reveals Hey Jude as a quiet tribute to his father.

We cover wallet workflows, his red envelope routine that consistently produces authentic emotion, and why comedy-first staging with Steve Bedwell’s In Over Your Head can supercharge a theatre. Then there’s Smash and Stab: Keith breaks down safety as a mindset, the role of sound design, and the mental reframe that prevents catastrophe. He even makes a case for retiring the Omni Deck, then points to overlooked alternatives that reward originality.

If you want stronger mentalism, better framing, and routines that mean something, this one’s for you. Listen, share with a friend who loves magic, and leave a review with the routine you’d add to your forever set.

Keith’s Desert Island Tricks: 

1. Invisible Deck 
2. Three Envelope Test 
3. Icons 
4. Deck of Cards 
5. Harmonica
6. JAKS Wallet
7. In over your head
8. Smash and Stab

Banishment. Bad Ego’s / Omni Deck

Book. The Klutz Book of Magic

Item. Photograph with family 

Find out more about the creators of this Podcast at www.alakazam.co.uk

A lot of magicians are taught to copy the script, dress the part, and never take off their shoe. Ben Williams did the opposite and that’s where the magic got good. We sit down with Ben to map the journey from shop counter to full-time pro, and how ditching ego, reading people, and letting effects breathe turned solid tricks into lasting moments.

We walk through the eight workers he’d take to a desert island and the choices behind them: why Ring Flight Revolution becomes a miracle when you slow it down, how Card to Shoe transformed from “never do that” to a signature closer, and the way “Anything” makes prediction feel honest without fussy process. Ben breaks down a Coins Across that escalates cleanly and ends with a personalised photo souvenir, his pragmatic love for Digital Force Bag and how to apply it to the right audience, and a disarming Card in Condom routine built on kindness and careful framing. We revisit his evolution from OCL to Rings for linking cards, same impossible souvenir, smarter method and the un-gimmicked Photo Frame change that fuels upsells, referrals, and framed memories that live on long after the gig.

Threaded through every piece is a clear philosophy: fewer phases, stronger beats, context over dogma, and spectators treated as people first. Ben names ego as the thing he’d banish, then points to tools that actually help, Fitzkee’s The Trick Brain as a creativity blueprint and humble elastic as a versatile engine for movement, vanishes, and clever mechanics. If you want a set that travels from weddings to corporate floors with equal power, and a voice that’s yours, not a borrowed script, this conversation maps the path.

If this episode sparked ideas, share it with a friend, hit follow and leave a quick review!

Ben Williams’ Desert Island Tricks: 

1. Ring Flight Revolution 
2. Card to Shoe
3. Anything 
4. Coins Across 
5. Digital Force Bag 
6. Card in Condom 
7. Rings 
8. Photo Phrame 
Banishment. Ego
Book. The Trick Brain
Item. Elastic

Find out more about the creators of this Podcast at www.alakazam.co.uk

The work is the point. That’s the pulse of this candid, wide-ranging session with R. Paul Wilson, creator, consultant, and the mind behind The Real Hustle, where we dig into what actually makes magic land: clear effects, honest timing, and an audience that edits your choices in real time. We open with a hard truth: there are no shortcuts. From Vernon’s Triumph to cups and balls, Paul shows how iteration, not novelty for novelty’s sake, transforms a trick from “doable” to “devastating.”

We trace his path through cornerstone pieces, Coins Across, Cylinder and Coins grounded in Ramsey’s discipline, and the folded card as a perfect state-change convincer. Each routine becomes a lab for tightening language, shifting moments, and cutting clutter so spectators feel the miracle before they hear it. Paul’s story about reconstructing and refining a rare take on René Lavand’s Breadcrumbs reveals what deep study looks like: research, respect, and a poetic frame that makes people care.

Then we zoom out. A guitar shows up, not as a prop, but as cross-training. Learning music sharpened his teaching, exposed the myth of “easy,” and mapped directly onto sleight-of-hand: structure practice, embrace the slog, and aim for competent, confident, and comfortable. We also step into memorised deck thinking, why Simon Aronson’s “Everybody’s Lazy” still feels impossible, and how Tamariz’s mindset unlocks new doors in any stack. Paul rounds it out with cups and balls as an act-in-a-pack and a lifelong workshop, from Elmsley and Williamson to Tommy Wonder.

Along the way, he buries one thing: resentment. We talk about healthier ways to handle influence, invention, and disagreement in a small, connected art form, private conversations over public pile-ons, and effect-first decisions over hype. If you care about building stronger routines, cleaner methods, and a better culture, you’ll feel at home here. Subscribe, share this with a friend who loves real craft, and leave a review telling us which routine or insight you’re taking back to your practice.

R Paul Wilson’s Desert Island Tricks: 

1. Dai Vernon’s Triumph 
2. Coins Across
3. Cylinder and Coins 
4. Folded Card
5. Breadcrumbs 
6. Musical Instrument 
7. Memorised Deck 
8. Cups and Balls 

Banishment. Resentment 

Book. The New Greater Magic

Item. A very good knife

Find out more about the creators of this Podcast at www.alakazam.co.uk

A live show opens with robots, kids, and pure energy, then the control room realises ten full minutes aired with no sound. What happens next says everything about a presenter who helps to keep everything flowing and use his incredibly personable persona to make a disaster feel like it barely even happened. That’s our entry point into a fast, generous conversation with Northern Irish magician and Blue Peter presenter Joel M about building routines that survive chaos, delight kids and adults, and still feel fresh after thousands of views.

We trace Joel’s path from early stage shows to viral short‑form clips where his brother’s reactions became a storytelling engine. He breaks down why packaging matters as much as method when you’re competing with global feeds, and how he curates classics and modern visual pieces for attention, pacing, and punch. Then we dive into his “desert island” list, eight workers across cards, mentalism, and simply put, pure joy. Expect a “special” deck paired with Mnemonica for quick, impossible hits; a Clarity Box used as a late‑show kicker rather than a card location; iCurveball for durable, app‑free phone mind reading; an add‑a‑number pad that routes memories and PINs cleanly; billets with Acidus Novus, the move that built a career; Tenyo’s Crystal Cleaver for unapologetic wonder; Liam Montier’s Timeless, framed as pseudo‑hypnosis; and Blockhead, reimagined through a candid story about psychosomatic pain and the brain’s strange wiring.

Along the way, Joel shares pragmatic rules for stronger shows: design for robustness, not fragility; avoid repeating the same revelation three ways; cut hack lines that punch down; and let meaning carry the shock. His book choice, Derren Brown’s Notes from a Fellow Traveller, speaks to building theatre that lasts. His non‑magic tool, a Blue Peter badge, proves that props with story palm better in the audience’s mind.

If you love real talk about creating modern magic that works on stage, on camera, and with families, this one’s a keeper. 

Joel’s Desert Island Tricks: 

1. Deck of Playing Cards 
2. Clarity Box 
3. iCurvball 
4. Kozar Prediction Pad
5. Billets / Acidus Novus
6. Crystal Cleaver 
7. Timeless 
8. Blockhead 

Banishment. “Hold out your hand.. no, the clean one. Oh, that was the clean one”

Book. Notes from a Fellow Traveller 

Item. Blue Peter Badge 

Find out more about the creators of this Podcast at www.alakazam.co.uk

What happens when the universe sends you a sign? For Christopher Taylor, it came in the form of a prisoner's profound question and a late-night phone call from David Copperfield on the very same day his wife encouraged him to pursue magic full-time.

In this captivating episode, Christopher shares his remarkable journey from prison guard to classroom teacher to pioneering creator of electronic mentalism. As one of the first innovators in this field, his products like Equinox, Real Ghost, and Death Toll have revolutionised how performers approach classic effects by creating versions that look "as if they could be done for real."

Christopher's approach to magic transcends mere methodology. A skilled storyteller, he explains how narrative transforms tricks into meaningful experiences, emphasising that a well-told story must stand on its own merits before magic is introduced. His philosophy that "the story is what makes the audience hungry" offers a masterclass in creating context that elevates magical moments.

Perhaps most thought-provoking is Christopher's perspective on magic itself. He challenges the notion that "there's no such thing as magic," arguing instead that magic is as real as comedy or tragedy, it simply requires a particular viewpoint. The synchronicities in his own life, like David Copperfield calling at the perfect moment, reveal the magical structures that exist if we're willing to see them.

Whether you're a creator, performer, or simply fascinated by the psychology behind powerful experiences, Christopher's insights into electronic mentalism, storytelling technique, and the philosophy of impossible moments will transform how you think about the art of astonishment.

Christopher’s Desert Island Tricks: 

1. Equinox 
2. PK Touch / Real Ghost
3. Taylor Index Decoding System
4. The Prisoner 
5. Overkill 
6. Card Under Table
7. Trilogy 
8. Scrying Out Loud

Banishment. The idea that there is no such thing as magic

Book. Storytelling: Process and Practice

Item. Keys 

Find out more about the creators of this Podcast at www.alakazam.co.uk