A fresh dose of mind-melting magic from Peter Clifford

He’s not seen all that regularly in his native Bristol, performing his magic all over the world as he does: so any hometown performances by the brilliant illusionist and close-up magician Peter Clifford are a cause for celebration (and some snappy wallet- and diary-grabbing).

Peter appears as a magician all over the world, performing strolling close-up magic at weddings, corporate events and in restaurants. “I enjoy the personal experience of performing close-up magic,” he explains. “It is right under the noses of those watching and often the magic happens in their hands using objects that they own, creating a very powerful and unforgettable magical experience.”

He also creates magical shows for small theatres – and that’s exactly what he is back to doing this month, with Magical Mythologies, his latest mind-melting show.

In the intimate surroundings of the Wardrobe Theatre, Peter will be weaving his magic around stories of life, conjuring and the wonders of the world, playing with puzzles of perception and prestidigitation.

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“For me the joy of performing in a small theatre like the Wardrobe means there is a large enough audience to create a great atmosphere without losing any of the intimacy of clos-up magic,” Peter reflects. “This ‘parlour’ style allows me to weave a narrative around the magical effects, taking the audience on a mystical journey over the course of the evening”

And what particular themes is Peter exploring with his latest show? “Magical Mythologies explores how we perceive the world around us, and the stories we tell ourselves and each other…how so little makes sense when you look at it and think about it. I’m creating fun and magical effects from these ideas – for example, some effects with time, which feels like it is constant to us and yet isn’t, so I create some magic effects with time travel.”

Peter Clifford, whose new show ‘Magical Mythologies’ “explores how we perceive the world around us, and (…) how so little makes sense when you look at it and think about it.” Pics: Jack Willingham

Science fiction is another influence on Peter and his shows. “I’m fascinated by how different people can experience the same event differently – how our own minds fool us, and why that can be a useful skill… So, not only, ‘can you not believe your eyes?’ but ‘should you really trust your own mind?’”

For anyone who’s not yet enjoyed an evening in his company, Peter describes his performances as “an evening of fun, fascinating facts, fooling effects, banter and bamboozlement…with some jaw-dropping magic shared around the audience with warmth, wit and wonderment. I find wonder in the workings of our brains and how we perceive the world – which is, more and more, being found to have surprising limitations.”

And just what is life like as a professional magician? “I always carry a pack of cards (a habit of the last 40 years!) and a notebook. More recently I have been consulting, creating and directing for other people – Derren Brown, Morgan and West and, for the last five years, David Blaine (on his TV special Beyond Magic and for his first live theatre tour). That has all been very exciting and great fun and now it is my turn to perform again; Magical Mythologies is my first new theatre show for several years and I am very excited.”

Peter Clifford brings Magical Mythologies to the Wardrobe Theatre from March 17-21. For more info, visit thewardrobetheatre.com/livetheatre/peter-cliffords-magical-mythologies

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