Desert Island Tricks

We’re drawing a line in the sand: self-working tricks are not a guilty pleasure. If the audience can’t backtrack the method and the moment feels impossible, it’s real magic where it counts.

We bring Harry Nardi back after the Alakazam convention to rebuild his desert island lineup using the only criteria that matters on paid gigs: trust. That means effects that reset fast, pack small, play big, and stay strong when conditions are messy. You’ll hear why Instant Paper To Money beats Extreme Burn for freedom and fairness, why MD Mini keeps destroying even after time off, and how Coins Across and Stand Up Monty earn their spot as reliable, high-clarity crowd winners.

Then we get into the meaty stuff: PK Touches routining and the “less is more” debate, plus a swap that turns the set personal with Lover’s Waltz as a fused, signed souvenir. We also break down why Castle Wallet feels like the closest thing to real mind reading, including the framing of “fake mind reading” versus a prediction that people never see coming. Add in an island guest pick (Chris Harding), a replay-worthy performance memory, a painful first-gig lesson, and a shoutout to a perfect convention show from Tom Wright, and you’ve got an episode packed with working pro insight.

If you enjoy practical close-up magic, mentalism, and smarter thinking about what audiences actually experience, subscribe, share this with a magician friend, and leave a review. What’s one “easy” trick you think deserves more respect?

Harry Nardi’s SOS Substitutions : 

1. Extreme Burn for Instant Paper to Money 
2. Imagine for Lovers Waltz
3. Big Reaction for Castle Wallet (with a sneaky Foreshadow) 

Banishment. Discounting self working tricks 

Guest. Chris Harding 

Memory. BGT Semi Finals 

Horror. Asking a person with a disability to help when they couldn’t 

Show. Tom Wright’s Show at the Alakazam Convention 

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

A great magic set isn’t the one with the fanciest props. It’s the one you can do when the pockets are empty, the room is loud and someone says, “Go on then, show us something” with zero warning. That’s why Marc Lavelle’s return hits so hard: after stepping back from the magic and convention scene for years, he comes back with a clearer view of what actually works for real audiences. 

We put Marc on the “Desert Island Tricks” hot seat and build a survival-ready lineup: stack work with the Shadow Stack for named-card miracles, a fast one coin routine that snaps attention to the performer, plus ring on string and elastic band magic that can be done with borrowed or everyday objects. Along the way, he shares a wild Maldives story where one simple band-through-thumb moment gets demanded on repeat for ten straight minutes, proving that impact often beats complexity. 

From there we move into bulletproof interactive pieces like Mark Elsdon’s Tequila Hustler, a multi-spectator drawing duplication, and practical working tips like using Five Guys cardstock as free billets. We also talk Ring Thing, PK touch, and why Paul Harris style “organic magic” still matters when everything is filmed in slow motion. Then comes the spicy banishment: should the Omni Deck be retired for a while because spectators have seen it too often? Marc makes the case for variety, smarter endings, and building effects that don’t arrive pre-spoiled by social media. 

If you enjoy close-up magic, walk around work, mentalism principles, and real-world gigging advice from a working pro, hit subscribe, share this with a magician friend, and leave a review so more listeners can find the show.

Marc’s Desert Island Tricks: 

Welcome Package. Any Card Named (Shadow Stack)

1. One Coin Routine 
2. Ring on String 
3. Band Through Thumb 
4. Tequila Hustler 
5. Multiple Spectator Drawing Duplication 
6. Ring Thing 
7. PK Touches 
8. Torn and Restored Leaf 

Banishment. Omni Deck 

Book. Art of Astonishment 

Item. MagSafe Selfie screen 

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

A great magic set isn’t about having the fanciest props. It’s about having material that survives real-world conditions: bad lighting, tough angles, quiet tables, camera pressure, and the sudden moment when someone says, “Do something,” and you’re already empty-handed. Damien O’Brien knows that reality first-hand, from reaching the finals on Britain’s Got Talent during the pandemic to performing close-up in immersive theatre at the Magician’s Table.

We’re kicking off season three with Damien’s “desert island” list: the single card routine he’d repeat forever, the phone-based mentalism that creates bulletproof fairness, and the pieces that hit with pure visual shock. He breaks down why Ambitious Card still kills, how Digital Force Bag and Hypernesia turn a normal smartphone into a miracle machine, and why effects like Haunted Deck and Invisible Deck stay in a worker’s case for years. We also dig into Lumen Mini for deeply personal revelations, plus the bolder side of close-up with Pyro Perception and iCandy, where the reaction is instant and unforgettable.

The conversation goes beyond methods into performance mindset: banishing negative energy, building a small trusted creative team, and finding inspiration through story with Carter Beats the Devil. If you’re into modern magic, mentalism, close-up performance, Britain’s Got Talent behind-the-scenes, or immersive magic shows, this one is packed with practical takeaways you can use immediately. Subscribe, share the episode with a magician friend, and leave a review telling us the one trick you’d take to your own magical island.

Damien’s Desert Island List:

Welcome Package. Ambitious Card

1. Digital Force Bag
2. Hypermnesia
3. Haunted Deck 
4. Lumen Mini 
5. Pyro Perception 
6. Eye Candy
7. Invisible Deck 
8. Pk Touches 

Banishment. Negative Energy 

Book. Carter Beats the Devil

Item. Phone 

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

You can learn a lot about a magician by the eight tricks they refuse to live without, and John France’s list is built for the real world: restaurant tables, family events, and close-up sets where you need fast impact, clear plots, and resets that don’t slow you down. John’s also a refreshing reminder that you don’t have to start young to start strong. He didn’t perform until his mid-50s, got a buzz from fooling one coworker, and turned that spark into a working, practical card magic toolkit.

We dig into why each choice earns its spot, from a super-visual sandwich routine that grabs attention instantly, to a stacked-deck Five of Spades sequence that escalates into an ace-finding kicker people won’t forget. There’s also a dose of pure close-up shock with Sharpie Through Card, plus a simple, direct “one card reversed” selection reveal that proves how far strong handling and timing can go with a normal deck. Along the way we talk about building a mental library of dependable card tricks so you’re never stuck when someone inevitably says, “Show me something with cards.”

The set widens into walk-around strategy and audience management: Sudoku 2.0 as a souvenir mentalism-style leave-behind that doubles as a business card, and The Grail as a versatile card-at-any-number tool for those awkward table revisits. Then comes the curveball John insists on: spooky, bizarre magic with Dead Man’s Hand, where story and multiple reveals change the energy in the room. We also hit a topic that matters to every performer and creator: what John would banish from magic forever, and why originality and credit are non-negotiable.

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

355 different tricks. Only six people sharing the single most popular pick. And a top item that only three guests chose. Season two ends with the kind of recap that every magician, mentalist, and close-up worker secretly loves: the real numbers, the real patterns, and the real reasons behind what performers actually keep in their pockets.

We’re closing with the official season two rankings plus the moments that made the year. A Deck Of Cards takes the top spot, with PK Touches and Invisible Deck right behind it, followed by classics like Cups And Balls, Coins Across, and Sponge Balls. We also unpack the tied cluster of powerful “worker” effects that share the lower spots, plus what the spread teaches about originality, overexposure, and choosing material that actually suits you. We round things off with the season’s top banishment (yes, it’s ego), the most loved magic book (The Mind and Magic of David Berglass), and the surprisingly revealing “non-magic item” choices.

The Season 2 Top Tricks: 

1. Deck of Cards - Beau Cremer, Steve Gore, Keith Barry, Joel M, Marvin Berglas, Alan Rorrison 

2. PK Touches - Vince Wilson, Jamie Daws, Christopher Taylor, Looch, Kay Dyson

3. Invisible Deck - Harry Marlin Piper, Steve Gore, Keith Barry, John Archer 

4. Cups and Balls - Erik Tait, R Paul Wilson, Nikola Arkane, Michael Ammar 

5. Coins Across - Erik Tait, R Paul Wilson, James Brown, Ben Williams

6. Sponge Balls - Nikola Arkane, Kay Dyson, Roddy McGhie, Mark Bennett

Joint 7 & 8. Double Levitation - Harry Merlin Pipar, Rodney James Piper, Russ Stevens

Fork Bending - Rodney James Piper, Neil Henry, Phill Smith

Destination Box - Craig Petty, Jon Allen, Noel Qualter

Multiple Selection - Tom Bolton, Ben Hanlin, Daniel Chard

Double Cross - Tom Bolton, Luke Oseland, James Brown

Toxic + - Tom Bolton, Jamie Daws, Harry De Cruz

Card Under Box - Daniel Chard, James Brown, Neil Henry

Q&A - Looch, Marc Paul, Daniel Chard

TOP BANISHMENT - Ego - Tom Bolton, Ben Williams, Dave Loosley, James Brown, Leo Smetsers 

TOP BOOK - The Mind and Magic of David Berglas - Rodney James Piper, Marvin Berglas, Tony Antoniou, Neil Henry

TOP ITEM - MUSIC - Nikolas Mavresis, Oliver Tabor, Matthew Pomeroy / WIFE - Chris North, Michael Ammar, Jonathan Goodwin 

Season 2 Stats: 355 Tricks named - 48 Banishments - 46 Books - 46 Items 

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

If you work gigs for a living, you know the quiet fear: doing the same “sure-fire” routines until you start performing on autopilot. Jamie sits down again with UK magician Dean Leavy to find out what actually makes a trick worth keeping for life and what gets cut when you’re performing corporate events, weddings, trade shows, and parties week after week.

Dean walks us through the real reasons a professional close-up magician updates a working set, starting with repeat clients who want to see something new. We dig into the practical choices behind swapping Extreme Burn for a hard-hitting chop cup routine, why Ring Flight Revolution still gets reactions people talk about years later, and how a wallet can be more than a prop when you treat it like a utility device for impossible locations. We also get nerdy about routining ProMystic MD Mini as believable “psychology,” not just a reveal.

Then we get into the surprisingly smart business side of magic: Liquid Forks replacing phone-based tricks when reliability matters, leaving spectators with a souvenir that keeps your name alive. Dean shares a brutal performance mistake from Phantom Cutout and what he’d do differently now, plus his banishment choice for the magic community, his dream guest, and the one show he’d rewatch forever.

Dean’s Desert Island Substitutions: 

1. Extreme Burn for Chop Cup

2. Digital Force Bag for Liquid Forks 

3. Billiard Ball Manipulation Act for Floating Table

Banishment. Magicians Ego 

Guest. David Blaine 

Memory. Performing at the Young Magician of the Year

Horror. Revealing the wrong celebrity 

Show. Showman

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

A 15-year-old magician walks down a street in Los Angeles and strangers pull cars over just to have a photo with him and demand a trick. That’s the level of spotlight Harry Merlin Piper is living in after placing as runner-up on Netflix Star Search!

We sit down with Harry to get the real behind-the-scenes story: the Instagram message that kicked it off, the intensity of a competition TV schedule, and the nightmare scenario every illusionist fears, props delayed in transit while directors are waiting. He shares what it takes to rehearse major stage illusions on a ticking clock, how being a kid means mandatory schooling and strict set hours, and why constant live performing at the House of Illusion in Salou, Spain gives him an edge most young performers never get.

Then we dive into the magical island game: Harry drafts the eight tricks he’d keep forever, from his monkey vent routine and high-energy manipulation act to double levitation, suspended animation, Invisible Deck, fire spiker and chop cup. Along the way we get a sharp take on exposure culture, why revealing methods online damages creators and audiences, and why magic matters most when it helps people forget real life for a while.

Harry’s Desert Island Tricks: 

1. Monkey Vent Routine

2. Manipulation Act

3. Double levitation

4. Invisible Deck

5. Suspended Animation

6. Fire Spiker Y

7. Chop Cup 

8. His Dad

Banishment. Magicians who Reveal Magic 

Book. People around him

Item. Black Velvet Material 

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

Magic gets weaker the moment it feels like a “performance mode” you turn on and off. Rodney James Piper joins us with a profound, refreshing belief: if you’re a magician, you live it everywhere you go. That single idea ripples through everything we talk about, from pocket props and borrowed objects to stage illusions that can stop a room cold.

He explains why the Stealth Assassin Wallet is a constant-ready miracle machine, how fork bending becomes a lifetime souvenir, and why the best magicians make people forget methods and just feel wonder. We also dig into practical show-craft for today’s social media era, including how to design a clean “photo moment” so the audience shares the image you want, not a messy screenshot mid-move.

Then we go bigger: Fire Spiker, double levitation, and a dream idea involving a yacht appearance that might finally make it into the House of Illusion show in Salou, Spain. Rodney also flips the script on what the “real trick” is, arguing that the venue, the welcome, the pacing, and the full audience journey can be the most powerful illusion of all. We close with his banishment for the magic industry, his pick for the one essential magic book, and the one item he won’t do any of it without.

Rodney’s Desert Island Tricks: 

1. Stealth Assassin Wallet

2. Forks 

3. Borrowed Watch 

4. Boat Appearance 

5. Matt Edwards 

6. Fire Spiker 

7. Double Levitation 

8. House of Illusion 

Banishment. The word jealousy 

Book. The mind and magic David Berglas 

Item. Family 

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

This week Adam Dadswell returns to rebuild his list years after his first visit to the island. Some picks stay because they still hit hard in real shows, others get replaced by newer pieces that fit the way Adam performs now, with clearer premises, cleaner handling, and bigger moments for spectators.

We dig into what actually makes a trick worth keeping for life: the satisfaction of a sneaky method, the freedom to go hands-off, and a premise that sparks real conversation instead of a “look how clever I am” vibe. Adam talks through switching Sneak Thief for Sentinel, his drawing duplication approach that uses a childhood imagination hook and a table display that creates instant intrigue. He also trades Big Kick for InstaCaan, a card at any number routine that escalates into a blank-deck shocker, and updates the Diabolical Principle with Loki for that unforgettable key reveal.

Then we go past the trick list into the culture of magic. Adam banishes magician-wins routines that make audience members feel small, shares a wedding performance horror story and how he recovered, picks Theodore Annemann as his dream island guest, and chooses Darren Brown’s Enigma as the show he’d replay forever. We’re thrilled to meet with Adam once again! 

Adam's Desert Island Substitutions: 

1. Sneak Thief for Sentinel 

2. Big Kick for InstaCAAN

3. Diabolical for Loki

Banishment. Magician Winning Routines 

Guest. Theodore Annemann 

Memory. Go back to the first time he saw magic live 

Horror. Built up a reveal and didn’t quite go to plan 

Show. Enigma 

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

This week we sit down with Jim Aitken, an Aberdeen magician, longtime club member, and retired paramedic, to explore eight effects that balance practicality, heart, and lasting impact. From a self-working “last two cards match” that crushes in the real world to a smiley-sticker miracle that guests remember years later, Jim’s choices remind us that method is only half the story; the rest is the way you make people feel.

We trace his journey from yogurt-pot cups and balls to modern coffee-cup chops, then talk about when it’s worth investing in a premium timepiece like the Bluether Infinity Watch. Jim’s philosophy is simple: buy reactions, not just props. Rope magic makes a case for clear visual storytelling, while the invisible deck debate sparks fresh ideas for framing choices and scripting reveals. Along the way, we celebrate society life, hidden gems in books and DVDs, and the small tweaks, like personalised stickers or trial runs, that push classics into unforgettable territory.

Mentalism fans will love Jim’s pick of Eclipse ESP cards and a sleeper routine that proves clean structure beats complicated method. He caps the list with Copperfield’s Flying, a nod to pure astonishment and the joy that first pulled many of us toward the art. Jim also draws a hard line on professionalism: never make child helpers the punchline. His recommended read, Simon Lovell’s Billion Dollar Bunko, opens a trove of swindles and bar bets to sharpen your handling and patter, while his must-have non-magic item, a computer for nonstop study, champions lifelong learning.

If this sparks ideas for your own desert island set, share your eight tricks, one banishment, one book and one non magic item. Send it to [email protected] and we can get your very own episode! 

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