Desert Island Tricks

We've got an extraordinary episode featuring the wonderful Derren Brown, who takes us through his incredible career, from the early days of close up card magic to his rise as a world-renowned mentalist and hypnotist. Listen as Derren shares his ultimate list of effects from his career including effects from his stage, television, book's and DVD's. He also recounts touching moments,...

Welcome to our brand new in-between mini episode, "Stranded with a Stranger," where YOU can send in your ultimate list of eight magic tricks, a single book, and one non-magic item you'd use for magic! Our inaugural guest, Phil Tilston, a veteran magician and resident performer at Houdini's Magic Bar, kicks things off by sharing his top picks. From the classic cups and balls to...

Ever wondered what it's like to witness magic that leaves even the best performers in awe? Join us for a mesmerising episode where we recount an extraordinary night orchestrated by Andy Frost from Derren Brown's team at the Oracle Bar. Our special guest, Adam Dadswell, takes us on his magical journey from a young performer to a mentalism maestro. Adam shares his transition from card magi...

Can the future really be foretold with just a phone and some cards? Join us for another excellent episode as we welcome the extraordinary David Jonathan, a magician renowned for his cutting-edge phone magic and mind-bending card tricks. Discover why he loves the lotto prediction plot, where numbers selected in the past miraculously match a ticket in a photo from a week ago. What's the ultimat...

Today we are joined by Chris Harding, Close-up Magician of the Year and Magic Circle Royalty! Chris takes us on a nostalgic journey, reminiscing about the early days of popular hypnosis DVDs and his unique style choices at conventions. He shares hilarious stories and memorable collaborations with legendary magicians like Mike Vincent and Anthony Jacquin, all while teasing his carefully curated lis...

What if you could turn a banana into unforgettable magical experience? Join us for an exciting episode of Desert Island Tricks as we sit down with the ingenious magician Martin Peirce. Known for his captivating and practical magic tricks, Martin shares the fascinating story behind his book test, "Lucky Numbers," and gives us a sneak peek into an upcoming release. From frequent TV appeara...

Marc Spellman, the captivating magician best known for his performances on Britain's Got Talent and America's Got Talent, joins us for a truly wonderful episode. From his masked persona "X" to humorous fictitious crime watch appearances, Marc’s wit and charm make this a must-listen episode.  Explore the timeless utility of the TT as Marc reminisces about his days at Davenport&a...

Can a single magical influence change the course of another magician's career? Join us as we explore this captivating question with the ingenious Matthew Wright! This episode takes us on an emotional journey, recounting Matthew's memorable experiences with the legendary Eugene Berger in Amsterdam, where a shadow trick left an indelible mark on his career forever. Discover how these magic...

What if you had to rewrite and perform the second act of a show with almost no preparation? In this episode, we sit down with the extraordinarily talented Simon Lipkin, who opens up about his remarkable journey from starring in Avenue Q at just 20 years old to his current role in Oliver with Cameron McIntosh. Simon’s career has been anything but conventional, and he shares the highs and challenges...

What if magic could be more than just tricks and illusions, but rather a journey into the mystical and the personal? Terry shares his fascinating experiences with seances and narrative-driven magic, illustrating how deeply personal stories can create unforgettable moments for the audience. Discover how the power of psychometry and the return of personal items can forge emotional connections that f...

On this episode of Desert Island Tricks, we talk with amazing mentalist Luca Volpe. Listen as Luca shares why the Stealth Assassin wallet tops his list of must-have tricks and how it enhances his performances by prioritising the journey over the reveal. But that’s just the beginning. Luca takes us on a journey through his favorite magical tools, including a classic gimmick revamped for mentalism a...

Prepare to be inspired as we spend an hour with the master of illusion, Bill Abbott! Bill's approach to captivating an audience within the first 30 seconds sets the stage for a performance that blurs the line between reality and the impossible. From the mysterious vanishing of a champagne bottle to the beloved trick "Smart Ass," Bill shares the secrets and the psychology behind his...

The likelihood is, you've already had Jack appearing on any number of your social feeds! With millions of views across all platforms, his reach is substantial and his video's are always incredibly clever and fun to watch!  This year, he appeared on Britains Got Talent with a quirky act based on his viral video's.  Jack is now transitioning to more live events and stage performances...

James is a BAFTA Awarding winning performer, star is hit TV show 'Help! My Supply Teacher is Magic!' and consulting on shows on Netflix, the BBC, ITV and Discovery International as well as others!  He is a huge reader of magic books but also indulges in commercially released items which makes his Desert Island List incredibly diverse! With a few hidden gems thrown in for good measure, th...

Chris Congreave is best known for his incredibly commercial magic. Effects like 'Roll', 'Omen', 'Safe' and 'Lie' amongst many others are used by hundreds of magicians daily!  As you would imagine, Chris's list is full on incredibly commercial routines and since he create's for himself, many of his choices are his own.  If you are a magician looking...

Jake Allen is one of the most talented young magicians in the UK and an absolute card ninja! A regular at The Magic Circle, Jake is someone people wan't to sit down with and watch the amazing magic he performs.  In Jake's episode, he show's his passion for card magic with a mixture of classic effects and routines as well as some quirkier choices that you perhaps haven't come ac...

Peter Nardi really shouldn't need an introduction! Founder of Alakazam Magic, creator of countless mentalism effects, producer of some of the biggest tricks in the world and a business innovator, Peter's wealth of knowledge is a deep well to pull from!  In Peter's episode, he has a tremendous mix of older and newer effects ranging from specially produced decks, packet tricks, mental...

Dean Leavy is a good friend to the Alakazam Team and we're thrilled that he's letting us whisk him away to his desert island!  Dean is a multi award winning, former Young Magician of the Year who performs at weddings, corporate events and other functions for some of the biggest brand's in the world. With guest appearances on Bluepeter, BBC and NBC. He is one of the busiest working m...

Roman Armstrong has recently ended his run in Derren Browns West End magic show, ‘Unbelievable!’ He is an award winning magician and comedian who in 2022 took his hit show to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival to rave reviews! His style of magic is quirky and off beat and he even has magic products released to the community! You’re going to love his truly diverse list of effects and it might just intro...

Liam Montier is a highly respected magic creator with an eye for constructing routines with a multitude of clever methods to get maximum entertainment, for little work. His knowledge of methods and tricks is unfathomable and his Desert Island List will have you reminiscing over some of the effect's you started with early in your career and perhaps forget just how good they are but will also h...

Mark James is a full time working magician and has been for nearly 2 decades! Performing in over 40 countries and even worked as a warm up act on hit TV shows like The Xtra Factor, The Voice, A Question of Sport, Celebrity Tipping Point and lots more!  He mixed commercial routines with his own vaudevillian flair to create diverse, unique pieces of magic that and fun to watch and even more fun to p...

Paul Martin is one of the busiest performers in the UK, working alongside other full time magicians, Paul now teaches the many hours of experience he has accumulated in the industry.  Paul's Desert Island list is full of strong, commercial routines which have been carefully considered. He also includes an interesting 'curve ball' item which many will not see coming but will definite...

Harry Nardi has achieved a huge amount in a small amount of time! Not only is he a vital part of Alakazam but he is a Britain's Got Talent Finalist, perfoms at high end events for some huge companies and his social media posts have amassed ten's of thousands of views.  Harry's Desert Island list is a diverse mix of working routines, mentalism, magic and it shows how someone who is l...

Richard Jones will be best known for being the only magician (to date) to have won Britains Got Talent but he has an incredible amount of experience with close up magic, corporate events and touring a theatre show!  He has had sold out UK theatre tours, headlined the West End and is one of the most highly viewed entertainers on YouTube globally.  As well as a magician, he has served 12 in the Brit...

Andrew Smith isn't just one of the vital cog's that keeps the Alakazam engine's running smoothly but he is also an incredible magician and performer who is well known for his encyclopaedic knowledge of magic.  Andy is a huge book reader so it's no surprise that Andy's choices are heavily influenced by the page as opposed to marketed items. So if you are of an erudite persu...