Magician extraordinaire

WHEN dream and reality collide, that’s where the magic happens. For Peter Marvey, that’s also where his world lies and where he gets his audience to revel in.
A renowned magician and illusionist, Swiss born Marvey has always been fascinated with magic since his early childhood – he’d made food he didn’t like to eat disappear. He also created his first illusion (a version of levitating girl) while he was in high school.
Fascinated by the world of mythical enchantment, he left his architectural studies midway, and began living his dreams delving into the world of wonders.
Famous for his signature piece, Dream Flying which took him seven years to master, Marvey regularly takes his magic on a world tour.
Having performed in over 30 countries in five continents, Marvey has earned multiple awards including The Golden Wand in 1996, Merlin Award for the Magician of the Year 2002 and Most Creative Illusionist 2009.
From now till Nov 24, Resorts World Genting will host Marvey at their Genting International Show Room that will showcase his plethora of tricks and illusions.
He will also be performing his latest act, the Diamond Illusion, an extravagantly glamorous and glittery affair in which he makes not one, two, but three of his showgirls appear out of thin air.
Visitors will also be enthralled by his signature acts such as the Ultimate Cut, Lumitec Levitation, Jumping Jacket, Strongest Woman and spellbinding the audience with his adept sleight of hand magic tricks to baffling body-splitting and impaling action, and many more – with of course, the highlight of the night, The Flying.
In an interview, Marvey shares some insights on his work and life.
Among all the tricks, which is the toughest?
“The toughest is probably The Flying. Because it is free but you still need to keep control of all the movements.
“You have nothing to hold on to and if you make a bad mistake, you could fall. It is nice too, to be flying up so high … it is like a dream come true.”
What’s the worst thing that could happen?
“I fell (laughs). There are many things that could happen and I always need a plan B. I must also try to stay calm to solve things. There are situations where we have to react really fast.
“It happened once in the Middle East when I was performing. The public was invited and I was cut and one guy ran onto the stage.
“I thought maybe he wanted to find out how the trick works but he actually just wanted to help! He was just not used to this kind of show.”
How long does it take to master an act?
“It depends. If it’s an illusion, it can be from three months up to many years like The Flying which took seven years. But I am constantly improving my acts. I have actually thought of something I might change (with The Flying).
“Right now, I’m working on another illusion which we might showcase here (in Genting). I like to always be on to something new, not only to perform but to create at the same time.”
You do a lot of illusions but do you personally believe in magic?
“Yes, of course! I see wonder in every little thing. Everything, even the smallest thing can be so magical. There is nothing more real than magic when the two worlds – dream and reality – come together.
“My ideas are my aspirations like the Diamond Illusion, for example. I wanted to do something glamorous with something up high and turning with people sitting around it and with glitters everywhere.
“But that was just a vision, a dream. And then, when you think of how to bring it to reality, it’s just thrilling.”
What makes a good magician?
“I don’t know (laughs). If people find the show great, then I think the magician is good. It’s like in art, there is no good or bad, just what you like and don’t.
“But ‘the secret of the magician lies in the art of uniting dreams and reality’. That’s my quote. Also, ‘everything is possible but we have to find the solution’.
“I believe that everything is possible but maybe not at this time. Either we find a solution or someone else does, maybe today or tomorrow. But if you believe, you will find the solution more easily.
“If you see something, like a car, you would want to make it go much faster. But if you don’t see it (the car), even if I were to tell you about it, you wouldn’t think it’s possible.
“Seeing helps you invent. But remember, ‘the closer you watch, the less you will see’.” (chuckles)
Peter Marvey: Magician Without Limits will run daily till Nov 24. More on the show and tickets can be obtained from Genting website.