Killer Magic: Meet the magicians
A group of weird and wonderful young magicians gather to compete in a series of themed challenges in BBC3's Killer Magic, in an attempt to avoid the death-defying "killer trick".
From a burlesque dancer and fire-eater to a mind-reader who can't read minds, a bizarro mystic to an urban street magician, meet the team and find out more about their own Killer Tricks...
Dee Christopher
Rock 'n' roll attitude, mysticism and guyliner. Oh, and frankly remarkable magical skill. That's the essence of Dee. With the concentration and focus he brings to his performance it's no surprise to learn he's fascinated by feats of mind over matter. Though he's not saying whether or not he winces when he adds to his growing collection of tattoos. Incidentally, he prefers the ones on his right hand to those on his left.
With a tongue as pointed as his boots and a sense of humour as dark as his clothes, Dee can give the impression he's come straight from hell. But he hasn't. He's from Nottingham. And don't get the wrong idea – he's got a lighter, frivolous side. Just look at the hat collection. He almost matches Damien for headgear, and he's right up there with Jasz in the unofficial biggest make-up bag competition.
Style of magic
"I mix side-show, mysticism and bizarre magic altogether to create a unique style of magic. I like to draw comparisons from horror movies and rock 'n' roll."
Killer trick
"Russian roulette with power tools! I have five power tools, one of which is live, the other four are dead. I have to use my intuition to figure out which one I don’t want to test on my body..."
Chris Cox
Chris loves his computer, he loves video games, a quirky t-shirt and the odd book – Chris was a geek before geek was the thing to be. And as well as being a geek he’s a mentalist – which when it comes to magic isn’t as rude as it sounds! A multi-award winning mind reader, with a string of accolades under his belt (including sell-out shows and tours) Chris is an accomplished and much loved performer, using a mongrel hybrid mix of witty chit chat, magic, psychology, devilish good looks… and lying!
You’ll seldom see a card trick from Chris – he’s just not that sort of magician – but one thing’s for sure, he’s definitely the joker in the pack. Never afraid to make himself look ridiculous in the name of avoiding the killer trick, he’ll dress up, strip off, and do silly things just for your entertainment. And if you’re a fan of puns, Chris will give you one.
Style of magic
"I'm a mind-reader who can't read minds, so the same as all the other mind-readers just a little bit more honest. My job is to simply make you think that I know what you're thinking. So basically I normally mix mind-reading, psychology, influencing, entertainment, attempting to be funny, and generally being a bit stupid along with loads of other things to give the impression that I can read your mind, influence you and predict your behaviour."
Killer trick
"The sheer fact I'm still alive. I mean, look at my scrawny self? I'm like a real life Victorian Child Mr Burns, it's a marvel that I'm still not only performing but haven't injured myself. In reality though I do some pretty amazing stuff with planting thoughts in your mind and exploiting them for amazement purposes."
Jasz Vegas
Jasz is a burlesque dancer, a stilt-walker and a fire-eater. And with that sort of background to call on it’s no wonder she leaves audiences open-mouthed with her adventurous routines. It’s not that she doesn’t feel fear, it’s that she likes it... Always up for pushing boundaries, for doing something in a new way, Jasz also brings a style and glamour that sets her apart. She’s certainly brought the killer heels to killer magic.
Her hair’s been green, blue, black, blonde and she has a variety of performance styles too. She can be keen and bouncy, slinky and sultry, dark and mysterious and any colour in between. It allows her to fit right in to the mood of her trick and means she can pull off hidden camera tricks in spectacular fashion – an original, fearless, quality and breath-taking performer and magician.
Style of magic
"Beautifully strange!"
Killer trick
"My favourite trick is in episode Toys. It’s a gory trick that involves me swallowing a signed building block, alongside some other building blocks… you’ll have to tune in to see what happens in the end."
Ben Hart
Tall, handsome, intelligent and charming, Ben is a well-dressed and well-travelled magician. His work has taken him to some of the world's top nightspots, theatres and private parties, from Monaco to Las Vegas, where his performances are original, daring and always startling.
Not only is he a wonderfully skilled sleight of hand magician, he's also a walking encyclopaedia of magical history. With a formidable range of knowledge to draw on when it comes to the magic competition, Ben won’t let his impeccable manners get in the way of beating his fellow magicians and avoiding a potentially fatal killer trick. A killer magician in a killer suit.
Style of magic
"I put very strong emphasis on the story of all my tricks and I try not to use the standard magicians’ props. I’d imagine some people might describe it as surreal, and visually stimulating."
Killer trick
"My favourite trick is a card trick where I concentrate on somebody’s card and the corner just tears itself off. It’s like being possessed by the devil – I have the power to make things destroy themselves by merely staring at them."
Damien O’Brien
Bitten by the magic bug at the age of 12, Damien’s style grew out of the years he spent performing street magic, close-up. And the street is where Damien’s heart lies. He loves a baseball cap, trainers and a unique tattoo or two. Sprinkle in a bit of bling and a cheeky south London attitude and you’re well on your way to a flashy, showy magician.
When it comes to the competition on Killer Magic Damien can trash talk his opponents like the best boxers. And make no mistake, his tricks punch hard. But behind his tough guy guard he can match Ben for charm. Watch the way he makes his audience the stars of this trick. And the thrill he gets from startling spectators with his skill and imagination makes him a born entertainer.
Style of magic
"My style is cocky, showing off basically! I like visual magic; I like to make things change in the blink of an eye."
Killer trick
"I love the card in the fish trick in the pilot episode. I had a guy in a fish and chip shop, he had his lunch, some fish and chips in a box, in his hands. He picked a card from the deck, signed his name on it then he put it back in the deck. I put the deck back in the box and then in my jacket pocket. The whole point of the trick was to combine food and magic so I asked him to open the box with his fish and chips and I knew he was expecting to see it inside there. When it wasn’t there he calmed down. Then I asked his friend to pick up the fish. No card. Finally I asked the guy to open up the fish, which he’d had in his hands the whole time. As soon as he opened it and he saw the card he was like “Oh shit!” It was such a great reaction. He was even surprised the card had fish on it!"
Killer Magic starts on Tuesday 24th March at 10pm on BBC3
