EDINBURGH 2022: Magical Bones Q&A

BWW catches up with Magical Bones about bringing Soulful Magic to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2022.

Tell us a bit about Soulful Magic.

Soulful Magic is a culmination of over 10 years of stage work that I have been performing since my first stage show, Sleight of Dance, in 2011 and up to my most recent success, Black Magic, which I debuted at the Fringe in 2019 and toured around the UK in 2021/2022.

My route to magic started with music. As a kid, I would always practice magic with hip-hop, RNB and Soul. This was the music I grew up listening to at home daily.

For me, music and magic go hand in hand. Both inspire my routines and have shaped my way of life.

With Soulful Magic I wanted to bring powerful stories intertwined with a set of innovative illusions that will have my audiences immersed in the heart of the magic.

I've always used magic to share my experiences of street culture & lifestyle and all the heroes that have inspired me, and this show is no exception. I have poured my heart and soul into these new effects pushing myself to the realms of impossibility, and I believe this is my most ambitious project to date.

Why bring it to Edinburgh?

I think the Edinburgh Fringe Festival is the perfect place to debut ideas as a performer. You have so many people around the globe that attend the festival which is great for exposure. And being surrounded by all the wealth of talent and artistry for an entire month, helps you grow as a performer. I also love the city of Edinburgh with all its beautiful history, it's definitely one of my favourite places to visit.

What sets it apart from other magic shows at the festival?

I think what makes my magic different from any other magic shows is the combination of skills I can incorporate into my magic routines. So, the way I present magic is very different to most magicians, for example, not many magicians can catch a chosen playing card from a deck of cards sprung into the air, whilst doing a backflip!

My background is street dance and I used to perform as a break-dancer along the Queen's walk on the Southbank, just by the London Eye. I did that for over 10 years in a crew called One-Motion and my nickname was Bones (because of my hard-hitting popping style). If you go on YouTube and type London Southbank break dancers or One Motion crew, you can watch some of the routines we used to do. I eventually started incorporating the magic I learnt as a little kid into my street dance routines, and that's how I came to be Magical Bones.

Culture and lifestyle are what shape my routines. I also have a different cultural background from most magicians. I'm a black guy from South London and that aren't many black magicians so this alone is quite unique.

Who would you recommend comes to see it?

This show is a family-friendly show, so anyone over the age of 6 can enjoy the show. It's not a kid's magic show, however, kids can enjoy it just as much as the adults. Anyone that loves street magic & illusions, great music and breakdancing, can come to see this show!

Do you feel you know what to expect from the festival?

The last two years have been a rollercoaster for everyone especially performers. I believe this year will be busier than ever since people can finally travel again. I think the excitement of performers and audiences coming back to the full festival is going to be something special. I can't wait to see packed audiences in the theatre shows again. For the last two years, I have been doing a lot of my performing on a computer screen doing zoom shows, so I can't wait to actually wear trousers again! With all that's going on in the world I think the Fringe will provide that little bit of escapism that everyone needs.