Jamie Harrison is a renowned illusion designer, visual effects creator, and theater artist, who, alongside collaborator Chris Fisher, is responsible for the jaw-dropping illusions in Stranger Things: The First Shadow, the stage play prequel to the Stranger Things series. Both Jamie and Chris earned a Special Tony Award for Illusions & Technical Effects earlier this year.

In this conversation, Jamie walks through his background as a magician and theater artist and the deep historical roots of magic in live performance. He also shares the rigorous process of designing for large-scale theater, how ancient illusionist traditions can be used to create state-of-the-art spectacle and explains why the most rewarding magic is built on precision, surprise, and storytelling.

This is the third in a series of conversations I’ve had with the multiple creative forces behind Stranger Things: The First Shadow, which I cannot recommend highly enough. Seriously if you’re in the New York or London area, this show is an absolute must. It completely blew me away and defied what I thought was possible to do on a stage.

This was a really fascinating and fun conversation and if you enjoy it I recommend also checking out my conversation with Jamie’s partner on the show, Chris Fisher and the writer of Stranger Things: The First Shadow, Kate Trefry. Please enjoy this wide-ranging conversation with Jamie Harrison.

Show Notes

Movies & TV:

• Stranger Things (Netflix)
• Stranger Things: The First Shadow (West End & Broadway)
• Behind the Curtain: Stranger Things the First Shadow (Documentary)
• Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
• Jaws (1975)

Books & Writing:

• Magic in Mind (the book Jamie mentioned)
• Danse Macabre by Stephen King
• The Secret Out, or One Thousand Tricks Explained

Follow Jamie Harrison at:

• IMBd: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm17220143/
• Website: https://www.voxmotus.co.uk/