A Magician in Notts: Life in the East Midlands Magic Circle

For local events magician David Marshall, stage magic is not just an art form but a way to connect with people, sharing something special that goes beyond a simple trick. 

He first discovered stage magic at five years old when his dad gifted him a magic set called ‘Hocus Pocus’, which he still has to this day. After practising with it for hours, he performed his first trick at a family dinner, making a loop of string pass through his fingers. It felt in short like performing a miracle. From that point onwards he bought many more magic sets and theory books, learning not just how to do magic but also how it impacts people. 

At seventeen he secured his first professional magic job: a weekly performance at a local theatre, and worked weddings, private parties and corporate functions after that. Starting to make a name for himself, he even ended up performing magic on the radio, learning all the while that some valuable lessons can’t be learned from books; you have to live them. 

In recent years David has started coming up with his own tricks. They start with an idea, one often inspired by movies, cartoons, TV shows,  paintings, or conversations with people. After brainstorming different ways to bring it to life, he chooses the method and effect. After that, he builds any props that are needed, before writing the script, which should be as easy for the audience to follow as possible. Then, comes the music, lighting, and other theatrical elements, which often need knowledge of related fields like acting, stage lighting, makeup, and dancing. 

After that it’s practice, refinement, and asking lots of questions like "How can I make this look more magical?" "Is this the best way to achieve this effect?" "What if I use different objects?" and so on…

After months, the final product goes on-show for an audience, during which time David will closely watch the audience reaction, taking mental notes for improving his performance. Like any other art, magic tricks need continuous evolution and refinement. 

His audience’s reactions to his tricks can range from the indifferent to the surprisingly emotional, like when he revealed a face-down card as the exact type that the audience member had said, on-the-spot, and they started crying. Other times, people get a bit unnecessarily angry, like when a gent grabbed the deck, chose a card, shuffled it back in and said “find my card now”. He turned red and threw the deck against the wall when David said “the four of clubs”, which was probably a good sign. 

As mentioned, a magician needs to be a jack-of-all-trades, including the business side (show business baby!) so David always searches for new clients via whatever avenue seems pertinent. This might include setting up phone calls, handing out flyers, or just reading books on how best to promote himself, as an independent performer, in this hectic, frenzied modern age. 

And what’s next for David? Well a whole lot, he tells us, in a suitably enigmatic, magician-y way. His aim now and always, he tells us, is to inspire people with his magic, and help them dream, in more ways than one.

Keep track of David’s shows over at davidmarshallmagic.com