Desert Island Tricks

• Steve Gore

  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: Invisible Deck Gypsy Thread Deck of Cards Floating Table Together Forever Easy Cube Anything to anywhere Linking RingsBanishment. Cheesy Tricks Book. Happy Item. USB CablesFind out more about the creators of this Podcast at www.alakazam.co.uk

  --------  

  44:44

  --------

  44:44
• Dan Baines

  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: Spirit CabinetSpirit Slates The Corpse Candle ‘Haunted’ Effects Out of this World Switch Boxes ScurotLazy Booktest Banishment. Singing unannounced Book. Dunninger's Complete Encyclopaedia of Magic andThree Men in Search of Monsters Item. Bellarmine Witch BottleFind out more about the creators of this Podcast at www.alakazam.co.uk

  --------  

  1:31:01

  --------

  1:31:01
• Keith Barry

  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: Invisible Deck Three Envelope Test Icons Deck of Cards HarmonicaJAKS WalletIn over your headSmash and StabBanishment. Bad Ego’s / Omni DeckBook. The Klutz Book of MagicItem. Photograph with family Find out more about the creators of this Podcast at www.alakazam.co.uk

  --------  

  1:03:23

  --------

  1:03:23
• Ben Williams

  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 Shoe3. Anything 4. Coins Across 5. Digital Force Bag 6. Card in Condom 7. Rings 8. Photo Phrame Banishment. EgoBook. The Trick BrainItem. ElasticFind out more about the creators of this Podcast at www.alakazam.co.uk

  --------  

  1:42:53

  --------

  1:42:53
• R Paul Wilson

  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: Dai Vernon’s Triumph Coins AcrossCylinder and Coins Folded CardBreadcrumbs Musical Instrument Memorised Deck Cups and Balls Banishment. Resentment Book. The New Greater MagicItem. A very good knifeFind out more about the creators of this Podcast at www.alakazam.co.uk

  --------  

  1:59:00

  --------

  1:59:00

Weitere Kunst Podcasts

Trending Kunst Podcasts

Über Desert Island Tricks