This Fringe World, Perth professional close-up Magician Toby Zhang has been lighting up stages with his parlor-style magic show WOW, Magic! Bursting with fan favourites such as card magic, coin magic, Rubik’s cube magic, mentalism, and more, you can still catch the local talent for the final two weekends of Fringe at Ivy & Jack in the CBD. KWANWOO HAN caught up with Toby Zhang to find out about his journey as a magician and what audiences can look forward to.
Congrats on making it do far! How does it feel to have the show running this year?
Unfortunately since COVID-19 many shows from other states has been cancelled this year. I’m feeling so lucky as I running my show WOW, Magic! in Fringe World festival this year.
You’ve received a lot of great reactions about your show, how does it feel to receive that praise?
I have to say thank you to all the praise. Your support is an important impetus to let me improve my show!
How does performing the show now, halfway through the season, compare to the first one in the beginning?
Well, I have to think back every time when I finished the show. Until now, halfway through the season, I still ask myself all the time how can I do better in the next show? Not just for the magic routines, I’m also thinking about the actor’s lines, camera, PA system, etc. Having changed little things every time, I can see my show become better compared to the first one in the beginning.
How did you first get into magic? Was it a magician on TV or a how-to book?
My father showed me the first magic in my life when I was four. I was interested in magic from that time but I didn’t start to learn magic until when I got older, I saw one famous magician performed magic on TV, his name is Lu Chen. Even now, I’m still intoxicated by his acting and lines.
When you first started out, what was it like pulling off a trick in front of an audience?
As the first time of many other artists, nervous. It’s not because the magic itself. It’s because I didn’t have enough experience.
What is the most difficult trick you’ve pulled off?
Nothing is easy before thousand times practice and performance. Nothing is difficult after thousand times practice and performance.
After the show, what’s next for Magic Toby?
After Fringe World festival this year, my next goal is Australia’s Got Talent. I have to keep practicing, try to change and add more magical effects into my show. I also hope to bring a better show to Fringe next year.
To finish up, what’s the one thing that makes performing magic worth it?
Magic, it’s making an adult become a kid, making kid’s dream become true. That’s why we perform.
