With a cheeky grin and wink, the magician persuades me to give him my favourite ring.
My eyes are glued to his hands (big, in case you were wondering), but seconds later, the piece of jewellery reappears attached to his keys.
Perhaps it was the impressive slight of hand, or that this handsome trickster had undone just enough of his shirt buttons to keep me intrigued, but I couldn’t help but wonder: do I fancy magicians now?
Make no mistake, these professional performers are truly skilled at their craft. It takes years of practice and grafting to get to their level.
But long gone are the days of middle-aged men pulling fluffy white bunnies out of top hats in village halls.
We can banish thoughts of bedazzled purple waistcoats and Paul Daniels-esque capes — this new generation of magicians are using their magic wands in all the right ways.
‘People say I’m charming when I want to be’
Troy von Scheibner, 35, is putting his infant son down for a nap as he answers my Zoom call. ‘Sorry, just on daddy duty,’ he says. I’m already invested.
He was just 12 when he become obsessed with David Blaine, who Troy calls ‘the coolest magician out there’.
‘It first started as a hobby, then I joined a magic club,’ he tells Metro.
Aged 15, Troy was named the Young Close-Up Magician of the Year by the Magic Circle, the London-based society for magicians which has been promoting the art of magic for over 100 years.
‘When I was 21, I got a residency at a restaurant where I’d go every weekend,’ Troy continues. ‘It would turn into a club afterwards and you had a lot of celebrities and TV executives that would go there, anyone with a bit of cash.
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‘I think because I was quite young, they were a bit more into letting me in, rather than if I was a an older magician. I had youth on my side, and people say I’m charming when I want to be, so that helped.’
Rubbing shoulders with influential people, Troy soon landed higher profile events, a loyal online following and his own E4 show.
‘For a long time, I was conscious about the fact that some people thought of magic as lame or cheesy. But I’m a mixed race guy with tattoos, I go to the gym. I think one of the reasons I got on TV in the first place is because of how I look.’
Troy’s aesthetic is part of the package, and it works for him.
‘I’ve performed at an Anne Summers party, and my management even had to turn down a gig doing magic backstage at a porn awards event,’ he shares.
Not that it bothers him, but Troy does sometimes wonder though if it’s the magic or the man that’s prompting all these female-led bookings.
He continues: ‘I don’t know if magic itself as an art-form is sexy. I think it’s really down to the individual, and whether they make it feel like it’s sexy or cool.’
Troy adds he doesn’t tend to bring up the fact that he’s a magician on first dates. ‘I typically say I’m an entertainer,’ he says. ‘Although that prompts questions like “are you a stripper then?”.
‘It works in my favour, because it catches them off guard when I do some magic, and their mind gets blown.’
‘We’re craving a sense of mystery’
Psychotherapist and relationship expert, Sarah Louise Ryan, says we’re in an ‘era of radical transparency’, so ‘a little mystery that feels safe is quite erotic.’
She tells Metro: ‘Being in the presence of a magician asks us to slow down, pay attention, be present and attentive.
‘In a world that’s ever overstimulated and ever online, we are forced into connecting to something that provokes awe and playfulness – feelings that we don’t often access in the world today.’
Meanwhile, dating and relationship coach Kate Mansfield says that the commitment to a slightly off-beat craft can be attractive too.
She tells Metro: ‘A magician is someone who has put in the hours to master a craft that most people would never attempt.
‘That dedication is attractive. And let’s be honest, those hands have skills.
‘More than that, though, choosing magic as a passion takes a certain confidence. It’s not the ‘safe’ choice. It’s quirky, it’s bold, and it says: “I know who I am, and I’m not apologising for it.”
‘In a dating world full of people trying to be what they think others want, that kind of authenticity stands out.’
‘Looking good is only half the battle’
I was lucky enough to see my next sexy magician in action – up close and personal.
I’d been invited to a VIP experience at The Magician’s Table in London. Located down an unassuming street in Bermondsey, it’s described as an ‘unforgettable evening of entertainment’, home to a host of world-class magicians.
On the door, I was handed four poker chips which acted as drinks tokens, before being led into the main event space, and seated on a small table. With the cocktails flowing, the magicians hit the floor, visiting each table one at a time, showcasing their skills.
And let’s just say I was drawn to Gareth Kalyan’s aura immediately.
Sporting a pair of black clip on suspenders and a crisp white shirt, Gareth, 39, captivated our entire table.
‘I’ve been a full-time professional magician for 20 years, but it’s not what I dreamt of doing when I was a kid,’ Gareth tells me.
‘In fact, I had zero interest in magic back then — I was very much a ‘cars and football’ boy,’ he explains.
And while Gareth agrees that nowadays, magic has become a hot commodity saying, ‘there’s practically a magician at every corporate drinks evening and weekend wedding within a 50-mile radius of London’, he’s not sold on the idea that sex appeal has played a role.
Gareth points out that ‘sexiness’ isn’t just limited to being good looking. Instead, he says the ‘interest and intrigue’, which the performer works had to create is what makes the craft sexy. ‘Looking good is only half the battle,’ he adds.
Words spoken by a man who clearly hasn’t clocked his razor sharp jawline recently.
That being said, Gareth recognises how much the ‘magician archetype’ has changed over the past few decades: ‘Paul Daniels was the kind of figure I used to associate with magicians when I was growing up. They were slightly nerdy, circus-inspired, and often performed as family or variety entertainment.’
But, after going to Las Vegas, Gareth saw a different type of magician.
‘It was fast-talking, charismatic, and stylish, with jokes clearly aimed at adult audiences too. It instantly appealed to me and completely changed how I saw the art form. It inspired me to carve out my own image and approach to magic.’
Gareth says social media has also meant individual performers have to do more to stand out.
He says: ‘Magicians nowadays need to have compelling backstory, a distinctive look, or a unique performance style.
‘That pressure has driven innovation and resulted in a much more diverse, modern generation of magicians.’
Gareth’s right of course — sexiness goes hand in hand with genuine talent. But nevertheless, show me a suave, smoldering, magician with a pack of cards in hand and I might start to believe magic really does exist.
‘I’ve been a magician for 40 years — times are changing’
Paul Lytton, 50, is a magic veteran, and has performed for celebrities including Paul McCartney, Elton John, and One Direction over the past 40 years.
‘I’ve seen a substantial increase in bookings over the past few years,’ Paul tells Metro. ‘This is definitely because the image of the magician has changed dramatically.’
Paul things it’s all down to the internet. ‘Social media opened magic up to a global audience and pushed performers to evolve for shorter attention spans, making magic faster, bolder, and more visually driven.’
With performers embracing different aesthetics, Paul notes that they’ve naturally ‘brought a sense of edge, confidence, and sex appeal into the art.’
‘Put it this way,’ he adds ‘I’m ginger… how else do you think I managed to marry my model and actress wife?’
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