Originally appeared in the August issue of 519 Magazine.
More than 200 million viewers tuned in to Britain’s Got Talent in 2014 to witness the unveiling of an electrifying new illusionist named Darcy Oake. The Winnipeg born magician traveled to the UK to participate in the show and life has been a roller coaster ride ever since. He brings his bag of tricks to The Colosseum tonight (Thursday, August 16) for two shows.
Inspired by classic sleight of hand techniques, Darcy transports the crowd to another dimension with exhilarating visuals and logic-defying exploits.
“With the Internet and technology it forces magicians to be one
step ahead of the game,” he told 519 Magazine in a phone interview from South Africa. “People watch things in slow motion and they watch things over and over to try to find the solution, so I think it makes magicians stay ahead of the curve and be as sharp as they can. I wouldn’t say the expectation is far greater than they were back in the 80s. It’s all based on everyday patterns that people expect and magicians sort of capitalize on that. We sort of take you on a journey. So it’s harder to fool people because the answers are more readily available, but I think it’s that much more special when you do fool them.”
From sleight of hand to death-defying escapades, this master magician grabbed the world’s attention, ushering in an exciting new era of an age-old art form.
“I tend to look at old books, look at old illusionists – the original guys – and find out what they were doing and maybe put a different spin on it to bring it into today’s culture,” he explained of his craft. “I find myself looking back into a sort of turn of the century era and draw inspiration from it. I try to gain experience and knowledge from those guys and their ideas.”
After being baffled by an accidental card trick his father showed him at seven years old, Darcy delved into the craft.
“I was absolutely blown away,” he remembered. “I was so excited and I begged him for months to tell me how he did it and he wouldn’t tell me. Finally, five weeks later I learned that it was a complete accident and it just happened to work out. There was no plan of action, no trick, it just happened to work out. I will never forget that feeling. I want to be able to do that to other people. If that never happened – if that trick never worked out – I wouldn’t have been bitten by the bug and I wouldn’t be where I am today.”
He’s gone on to perform throughout Europe, from Paris to London, and across North America, including New York and Las Vegas. Darcy brings his flashy magic act to The Colosseum in Windsor for two shows on Thursday, August 16.
What is an internet pharmacy and how buying medications online
