Guest Blog: Magic Consultant John Bulleid On THE MAGICIAN'S ELEPHANT

Theatre is the purest form of magic. Heightened with anticipation, we step into a darkened space with a sense of wonder and fascination unmatched anywhere else. Excitement builds as the house lights go down, a hush descends around the auditorium (or the wolf whistles start on those school matinees) as we ready ourselves to be totally transported. Mysteriously, the outside world slowly vanishes, and we find ourselves pulled into a different world.

And in this dark space a suspension of our disbelief is essential - we know we aren't really watching students at Hogwarts, or people having an argument across their busy living room - and yet we accept it and want to be part of it. Great waves of laughter or huge gasps roll around the auditorium as we experience collective and connected emotions becoming something we all relish. It is my job to help make seemingly impossible story moments happen right before your very eyes and facilitate that transition into those different worlds.

Creating magic or illusions to embed into a piece is such a joy. I strive to create effects that serve the narrative first and foremost, as well as being suitably beguiling for the audience. At the start of any project, I always start with the story - and especially with an assignment like The Magician's Elephant. Naturally I was stunned by the world described in the text and then thrilled at the prospect of bringing it to life. Such a beautiful piece full of wonder calls for spectacular moments to happen. Every effect is tied to the narrative and driven by the intentions of the characters on stage.

Luckily every script is different - and it's always fun creating effects with influence from different creative teams or producers. Every show has taught me something new and I've been very fortunate to work alongside incredible practitioners who help elevate the illusions from being a simple 'trick.' Patience and collaboration are the key, and having the input from all departments will help take an illusion to a totally different level.

Happily, magic at its heart is all about storytelling - and the best magic tricks throughout the ages have always told memorable stories or had a strong narrative beat to them. As we remember a magic trick, everything from Dynamo walking on water to David Copperfield making the Statue of Liberty vanish, we remember that moment and spend hours talking about it and imaging how they pulled it off. No matter the effect, the key is to embed the magic principle into the narrative - to detach the concept of a 'trick' from it which allows the moment of wonder to really land with the audience.

This last month, going back to live performances has been truly thrilling - and to hear the gasps from the audience really is so joyful.

----

I'm often asked what the favourite aspect of my job is, and aside from working with the most talented and incredible people, I love deceiving my audiences. A key motif for me is to hide illusions in plain sight - and this happens with collaboration across the creative team.

I've even managed it in this article. Look back and highlight the first letter of every sentence, finishing the paragraph before this one. Unless you know it is there, you wouldn't have thought to look for it. And so it is the same with the type of illusions I try to create: I don't want you to see them as tricks or even illusions - they are just the best possible way to tell a story and engage with the audience.

In The Magician's Elephant we have looked to the 1920s/30s for inspiration for the magic. We wanted to show our magician as someone who would play front of curtain, in the great tradition of vaudeville, and so have chosen effects that fit with that style. These type of effects (card manipulation, coin vanishes, fire) are all designed to look very visual for our audience. We need to show our Magician is very talented - so these smaller effects 'prove' he is then capable of doing the most extraordinary bigger effects as the story progresses.

I started learning magic when I was seven and went 'pro' at 18 (nearly 20 years ago). I still perform at private parties, weddings and corporate functions and love learning new effects. Magic is an incredible art form and the principles you learn as a close-up magician can be scaled; in essence, this is largely how I think about my role and magic as a whole. One of my favourite magicians is Tommy Cooper. He would take something small, like a sponge ball routine, and fill a theatre with laughter using it.

I first got asked to design illusions for Alice in Wonderland at The Brewhouse in Taunton. I had auditioned to play the White Rabbit (they were looking for an actor/magician) but it was decided I was too tall for the role. However, the magic I performed at the audition was stronger than anything else they had seen and I came on board as the magic consultant.

At the same time a great director friend of mine, Eleanor Rhode, had some R&D time at The National Theatre Studio. We decided to use that to explore how you could use magic as a narrative device. From that point on it has become a real passion for me - and it is thrilling to see so many productions embracing illusion to help tell their story in such a special way.

When you take your seats to watch The Magician's Elephant we want you to feel transported to a very different world. There is a sense of 'real magic' in this incredible place, and the 'magic tricks' the magician performs. They have been so much fun to devise, teach, explore and embed into the world.

It has been such a delight to work with the team at the RSC - everyone is so keen to make each moment the very best it can be. We are using modern theatrical tools and techniques to elevate magic concepts and ideas that go back to the time of the Pharaohs. It is a hugely ambitious piece of theatre, and to be part of the team pushing ourselves to make it happen for you all is something I am so proud of.

The Magician's Elephant is at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre 14 October-1 January, 2022

To post a comment, you must register and login.