Chris Pilsworth – Canadian Touring Magician
Chris Pilsworth is a Canadian touring magician. This April, I was on tour with my friend and fellow magician, Michael Conway. We performed in six theatres in Newfoundland and Labrador. Michael is originally from St. John’s and arranged the tour through the provinces umbrella arts organization. I’d never been to that part of the country, so it was great to mix performing and seeing some of the sites.
Getting There
A performer on tour, needs to bring everything they’ll need to present their show. This is what I brought this time, two checked cases, one carry-on and a back pack. Contained therein was two tables, all of my magic tricks, costumes, make-up, microphone, audio equipment as well as all of my regular clothes for two weeks.
First Stop on the Newfoundland and Labrador Tour
Our first stop on the tour was Grand Falls. The photo above is their theatre. It was originally designed and built for the Czechoslovakian pavilion at Expo ’67 in Montreal. Joey Smallwood, the premier of NL and Labrador at the time, purchase the theatre, had it disassembled and rebuilt in Grand Falls. As you can see, it is beautiful and was a great venue to begin the tour.
Here is a photo of a typical dressing room. This is where I prepared my costume and make-up. The bright lights beside the mirrors are there to simulate the intensity of stage lighting. That enables performers to apply their make-up in such a way as to read well from the audience’s perspective.
The second stop on the tour was Gander, NL. Near our hotel was the tourist sign. It is mandatory to take a few of these types of photos, as a reminder of the different cities visited while on tour.
On Tour in St. John’s
In order to help sell tickets to the shows, performers will go on TV or do radio interviews. While there, we had three radio interviews across the province. This one took place in St. John’s. Even for a radio interview, I always bring some magic to show the host. The tricks I show are easily described and the reactions of the hosts are always exciting to hear!
Chris Pilsworth – Canadian Touring Magician in St. John’s
It is said that public speaking is near the top of the list of activities that frighten most people. Imagine performing in a 1000-seat theatre. As a performer, I get a bit nervous before a large audience, but once I’m on stage, the nervousness subsides and it is fabulous to create some amazing memories for all those in attendance.
It goes without saying that in NL and Labrador, there is some breath taking scenery. The above photo is from Stephenville on the west coast of Newfoundland. The wind was very full when I shot this photo.
Where Will Your Next Adventure Take You?
As a magician, it is fun to not only perform at the show, but to also share my art with other people I encounter. At the airport in Deer Lake, after getting our boarding passes, I showed some magic to the ladies at the counter. They were so happy and told me that the magic made their day.
Chris Pilsworth – Canadian Touring Magician.
Chris Pilsworth is a Canadian touring magician. He’s looking forward to his next tour in this amazing country.