Desert Island Tricks

Join us with today’s guest, creator and curator Mark Elsdon, who champions routines that pair ruthless clarity with stories that belong to the audience. We start where confidence meets courage: Timon Krause’s ‘Which Hand’, a method strong enough to fool Penn & Teller without ‘outs’. From there, we follow Mark’s guiding idea, call them “trips,” not “tricks”, because the goal is to shift someone’s state, not just their attention.Mark opens the vault on eight workers that cover close-up, mentalism, and visual magic. Francis Girola’s Icebreaker turns corporate “get to know you” cards into a clean truth detector with no props to ditch. Gordon Bruce’s legendary Card Under Drink shows how structure and timing can feel like real sorcery. Optix Pro by Tobias Dostal and Henry Harrius delivers a surreal moment where a borrowed phone vanishes and reappears in the spectator’s own hands. Angelo Carbone’s On Edge quietly silences a room as a card tower holds against gravity. Tamariz’s Collective Telepathy corrals free choices into a named icon. Lloyd Barnes’ Six gives you a real-world lottery prediction you can hand out. And Michael Murray’s Between The Lines lets someone read a torn page that mirrors a scene they only imagined seconds earlier.We also dig into language and taste. Mark banishes self-descriptive patter in favour of simple, participant-first phrasing that preserves memory and heightens mystery. His book pick, Gary Kurtz’s Unexplainable Acts, models idea-led routines with elegant construction. His non-magic essential, a laptop, powers The Metabolic Fig, his weekly curation that filters the flood of releases into five sharp recommendations and fresh hooks you can use now.If you care about routines that work in the wild, stories that feel human, and methods that respect the spectator’s memory, this conversation is a roadmap.Check out Mark’s - Metabolic Fig Mail-out: https://ametabolicfig.com/Mark Elsdon’s Desert Island Tricks: Which Hand Ice BreakerCard Under DrinkOptix Pro On EdgeCollective Telepathy SIX Between the LinesBanishment. Self Descriptive PatterBook. Unexplainable ActsItem. LaptopFind out more about the creators of this Podcast at www.alakazam.co.uk

Did you know only one third of people who have listened to Derren Brown’s first episode have actually listened to his second half? We’ve stitched Derren Brown’s most-listened-to conversation into one seamless, ad-free cut and let the craft speak. Across two years of touring, decades of creating, and countless experiments with audience psychology, Derren lays out eight pieces that still earn their place on stage and why they matter: Card At Any Number that puts agency first, a watch stolen and revealed in a sock, a key routine that pays off at your front door, and the Oracle Q&A that proves presence beats method.We dive into the showstopper card-to-box sequence that made entire theatres miss a moment in time, then relive it on screen. Derren shares how he designed content warnings that protected vulnerable audience members without blunting the effect, and why responsible mentalism starts long before showtime. He also revisits an ESP match-up that scales beautifully, a three-card table routine that functions as an act-in-a-pocket, and coin-in-hand as the perfect opener because it feels like a game you’ve played forever. Threaded through it all: improvisation, pacing, tone, and a serious embrace of failure as a tool for making performances human.Along the way, you’ll hear practical insights on stagecraft, participant care, and scripting; why content beats cleverness; how to build moments that breathe beyond the trick; and how writing during a tour sharpens a show. Derren’s book, Notes from a Fellow Traveller, surfaces as a field guide to touring and performance ethics, while he teases a long-awaited mentalism release from Ted Karmilovich that has everyone excited.Stream this special re-release, share it with a friend, and tell us: which of Derren’s eight would make your forever list? If the conversation sparked ideas, subscribe, leave a review, and join us next week for more Desert Island Tricks.Find out more about the creators of this Podcast at www.alakazam.co.uk

Three objects vanish in full view, a phone, a ring, a driver’s license and hours later a sealed box an audience member has guarded all night reveals them all. That’s the finale Luke Oseland built to feel like a live heist, and it says everything about his new approach: relentless clarity, stacked moments, and visuals that travel across any crowd.  We sit down with Luke to trace his pivot from publishing visual social media magic to performing 150-stage-show years across cruise ships and festivals. He breaks down the Fringe lessons that changed his pacing, why family-friendly shows can be both bookable and bold, and how he turns mentalism into a machine of multiple peaks. From a Wakeling-style sawing in half that puzzles long after curtain to a bottle production that buys instant goodwill, his choices reveal a framework: easy to describe, hard to reverse-engineer, and generous to participants.  Luke also opens up about the routines that anchor his set. A spectator-led Out of This World that makes kids the heroes. Double Cross as the one-minute credibility hit he never leaves home without. A signature blank deck sequence built for legibility in low light. A “wrong drink in a can” piece that uses temperature and texture to shock the senses. He reframes Pegasus Page so spectators read each other’s minds, and he explains when he shelves powerhouse effects like Toxic to avoid overlap in festival lineups.  Expect sharp takes and practical tools. He argues escapology often lacks believable jeopardy and offers a fun, life-ruining-stakes straightjacket alternative. He shares how FLIC buttons replaced expensive remotes for show control and why gaffer tape is the secret co-author of most stage solutions. We close with tour plans, accessible book design for neurodiverse readers, and the simple rule that guides his builds: if the audience can tell the story in one sentence, you’ve done the hard work.Luke’s Desert Island Tricks: Sawing In Half Bottle Production Out of this World Double Cross Blank Deck Routine Too Hot To Handle Pegasus Page Heist Banishment. Escapology Book. Self Working Card TricksItem. FLIC Button / Gaffer Tape Find out more about the creators of this Podcast at www.alakazam.co.uk

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: Ring Flight Sneak ThiefDeck of Cards in Mnemonica Silent Painting RoutineSpooked Paintball Bullet Catch Phone in BottleTOXIC +Banishment. Being More Mindful of Props / Large Ring on RopeBook. Notes From a Fellow Traveller Item. Phone with his Whatsapp Group ChatFind 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: Anything Paper-clipped Opening Act Card to Pocket Chicago Opener Anniversary Waltz Con Cam CoincindenciaVoodoo Banishment. Forcing magic on people Book. One DegreeItem. 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: Healed and SealedSinfulStretcher Jay Sankey Food to go Infinity WSure Shot Deck of Cards 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: 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

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

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

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