The Faking It magician who now teaches magic

When he was 10, Kevin McMahon carried out tips from his new magic set for his brother and sisters however he gave up when he began moving into physics and maths.

Years later, he was mid-way via a physics PhD at Heriot-Watt College in Edinburgh when magic got here again into his life.

In 2005, the Channel 4 present Faking It, which gave contestants 4 weeks to persuade a panel of specialists they had been in a totally totally different occupation, was searching for a physicist to coach as a magician.

Kevin efficiently utilized and among the many specialists he needed to idiot was Paul Daniels, Britain’s most well-known TV magician, and the person whose identify was on the magic set he had as a baby.

“It was a tremendous expertise,” Kevin says.

Kevin says fooling Paul Daniels was the “victory” level of Faking It.

“Once I came upon it was fairly euphoric,” he says.

“I used to be leaping about with an costly go well with on, paid for by the manufacturing firm, throwing champagne round.”

Nevertheless, convincing prime American magicians Penn and Teller was one other matter.

“I used to be woefully underprepared they usually noticed proper via it,” Kevin says.

“I feel they realised that I used to be performing materials that I did not like.

“They made me realise that it’s a must to actually get excited in regards to the magic you are presenting or the viewers will see via you instantly.”

Regardless of his success on the present, Kevin returned to Edinburgh, with no ambition apart from finishing his PhD.

“It was just a few days later, it crossed my thoughts I might give magic a attempt,” he says.

“I used to be reluctant to inform my mum and pa as a result of once you’re already a scientist, it is the equal of working away to affix the circus.”

Kevin gave himself a 12 months, and by the tip of 2007, he had turn into a magician – Kevin Quantum – who included his scientific background into his type and exhibits.

Since then, he has toured the world, staged common exhibits on the Edinburgh Fringe and acquired to the semi-finals of Britain’s Obtained Expertise.

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“BGT was a little bit of a dream,” he says.

“The manufacturing firm had been chasing me for years to do it however I would all the time resisted,” Kevin says. “Magicians hadn’t actually come throughout nicely on the collection.”

Nevertheless, Kevin got here up with a brand new cannonball pendulum phantasm – with the added component of it being set on fireplace.

“It went down extremely nicely,” he says.

He didn’t win however the present made him realise how he might take his magic to the “subsequent degree”.

13 years in the past, Kevin arrange his personal pageant in his house metropolis of Edinburgh, alongside together with his spouse Svetlana.

And one among its ambitions was to create new magicians.

Sharing recommendation appears at odds with the world of magic, and the magician’s organisation, The Magic Circle, however Kevin believes it’s potential to do it with out giving freely too many commerce secrets and techniques.

“Possibly as a result of I acquired into magic a bit later, I did not are available as somebody who had been hoarding magic since they had been 11,” he says.

“The tips are a really small half. The actual abilities are within the presentation, the arrogance, the will to point out another person. Then you definitely construct in numeracy, and literacy and science. “

5 youngsters are being mentored by professionals – one among them, Dan Bastianelli – began his profession in a pageant workshop, on the Future Magicians programme.

The youngsters will every carry out a brief routine on stage on the Scottish Storytelling Centre in Edinburgh on the finish of December.

Kevin says: “It isn’t a contest, it is about bettering and mentoring them and making the subsequent era of magicians.”

“It is taken me 15 years to get to the place I’m. If I can assist these guys shave a while off that journey then I am completely going to do this.”

“Whether or not meaning as adults they’re a bit higher in entrance of colleagues giving a presentation, hitting the gig financial system with this being the bit on the aspect, or turning into skilled magicians, I do not thoughts, I similar to that they are getting one thing actually optimistic.

“And I am selfishly wanting ahead to getting them low-cost on the magic pageant in years to return.”

This would be the Edinburgh Magic Competition’s first full programme since 2019 – final 12 months’s pageant was cancelled simply days earlier than it was because of start – and Kevin believes there is a renewed urge for food for stay magic.

“Magic’s reputation is as enigmatic as magic itself,” he says.

“Magic is greatest loved in particular person – sitting just a few metres away from one thing inconceivable taking place is totally different from sitting just a few metres out of your tv watching one thing inconceivable occur to another person.”

“The expertise of surprise and amazement is so uncommon on this world.”

Edinburgh Magic Festival is on across the city until 31 December.