Being on the road is part of the life of an entertainer. I love to sleep in my own bed at night, so I try to keep most of the shows within a 3 hour radius of my home town, Ottawa. Sometimes, when I’m on tour, I go further afield. On the road, a few…

Unlike a product, a magician is integral to the service we provide. That is why over the years, my magic fitness has been really important. I’ve exercised and played sports to keep in shape. Going to the gym was one of the first activities I incorporated for my physical fitness. I would use the stationary…

Comedy magic is no laughing matter. I loved comedy before discovering magic, but the two have both found a home in my heart. They compliment one another, make my audiences happy and make me happy too. I remember having Christmas dinner at my aunt and uncle’s one Christmas. I had 4 cousins that were all…

New skills are what a good magician should always be learning . Some of the skills are sleight-of-hand techniques, but there are related disciplines that can improve a performance. New Skills Come in all Different Shapes and Sizes Over the years, I’ve taken many courses including: acting, dance, improvisational comedy, Commedia dell’arte, clowning, tai chi…

Beginning to learn how to be a magician, is like learning any new skill; it takes patience, dedication and passion. When I started, the library was my first source of knowledge. I’m so happy other magicians wrote books about sharing magic. Most of the magic books in the library were geared towards the general public.…

Since starting to perform full-time, I’ve discovered that each year is made up of goals that I set in January and serendipitous events. 2024, a magical year, was no different and was full of some amazing performances and locations. The Beginning of A Magical Year January and February are always a bit slow after the…

As an Ottawa Birthday Party Magician, parents contact me to make the birthday child’s celebration extra-special. My first shows, were children’s parties. They were a great training ground for a 12-year old magician. As children haven’t developed the best social skills, they let a performer know that they know how a trick is done or…

Throughout my magic career, I’ve had many magic mentors that have provided timely guidance. A few years after I started, I got in touch with John Milks, a local magician, who was performing shows in my city. He allowed me to tag along to some of his shows where I began to see how individual…

When you think of a cruise ship magician, large cruise ships in the Caribbean come to mind. Since 2014, I’ve been the resident magician aboard the Canadian Empress. It’s home base is Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Each season, from mid-May to mid-October, they have tours that last from 4 to 7 days long. They primarily sail…

Ottawa holiday parties make December, for entertainers, a busy time of year. Usually, corporate parties happen on Friday and Saturday nights prior to Christmas. Family parties happen during the day on Saturday and Sunday. Pricing during those time is generally higher than mid-week as there are typically on three weekends before Christmas. By mid to…

It takes a lot of practice in order to perform at Busking Festivals. During university, Chris Pilsworth, routinely went to Sparks street, in Ottawa, to perform, pass the hat and earn his tuition. During those four summers, Chris learned how to engage and audience, have them watch his show and also throw money into his…

As a festival performer, you need to be adaptable to all sorts of variables. This is what makes working at festivals so much fun. Last week I travelled 9 hours to Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario for their annual Rotaryfest. Starting on Thursday, I had three outdoor shows. Friday also had three shows and Saturday there…

Another fringe benefit of going on my China tour, is the opportunity to sample some of the culture. In Shanghai, a group of magicians went to see an interactive play where we followed the actors through the different sets and scenes. It was an immersive experience and really impressive. It was like being in a…

After the performances in Guangzhou, I went to the next stop on my China tour, Hangzhou. The location for these performances was a small theatre owned by my friend, Simon. At that location, I presented 3 shows and 1 lecture. And there’s the egg. Lectures for Magic Clubs A magic lecture on the China tour…

Chris Pilsworth on tour. In March and April, I was on a 3-week tour of China. I presented 10 shows, 6 lectures and 4 workshops in 6 cities. This was my second time in China. The first was in 2017 when I was a consultant on a 12 part TV series called, “The Amazing Magicians.”…

When I started to perform magic for money, I knew that I’d need some costumes in order to justify my princely sum of $5.00. Now way back then, $5.00 was a lot. That would amount to more for a half hour of work than mowing two or three lawns for neighbours. Costumes by Mom My…

The reactions a performer receives when they are performing a show, are what fuel the desire to keep performing. Knowing that you are the source of fun, amazement and laughter is intoxicating. It takes time for every performer to get good enough that the reactions become consistently strong. Every performance is for a new group…

A subset of the magic community create and invent new tricks. When I began learning how to be a magician, the library was my primary source of knowledge. The books that I borrowed showed how to make simple tricks with supplies that could be found around the house. Many tricks in my first public shows…

Learning to be a magician can only happen when more experienced magicians share their tricks, wisdom and knowledge. When I started to learn how to be a magician, the library was a great place to discover magician’s secrets. I probably took out all the magic books in the library multiple times each. That helped me…

Designing magic and creating new mysteries is something I love to do! It is not always easy to come up with ideas about how to make the impossible possible. Sometimes I imagine that another magician has already come up with a solution. Then the question becomes, how would I do that trick? Begin with a…

Being able to perform around the world is one of the benefits of being a world travelling magician. In a few months, I’ll be returning to China to perform some shows and present my magical creations to Chinese magicians at lectures in different cities throughout China. World Travelling Magician gets his first Taste of China…

Entering a Magic Competition is scary. Imagine having to perform your own creations in front of hundreds of other magicians. If that weren’t enough stress, you also are competing against other highly-motivated magicians. Let’s Do It In my twenties, I competed often at the national and international levels. My goal wasn’t necessarily to win, as…

Before the magic show starts, there is quite a bit of preparation. For smaller shows, I’ll spend about an hour at home to get set for the magic show. Some props need to be reset. There are other items in a show that are called consumables. They will need to be remade for the next…

When I started learning to become a magician, I didn’t realize there were magic clubs and magic meetings. I was 11 years old and the library was my go to source for secrets. There were magic books in the children’s section, but I gravitated towards the ones in the adult section, as they were more…

When I was 12, I started my performing career as a birthday party magician. It has been an amazing career. Recently, I performed at a birthday party of a young boy. His friends and family loved the show! Learning to be a Birthday Party Magician When I started to perform magic, I was 11 years…