Q&A with Steve Price
Ahead of his visit in December to present The Magic of Christmas, we caught up with Steve Price to find out more about both his work and his faith.
How long have you been performing, and what initially attracted you to become an illusionist?
I've been performing full time since August 2005, but I started many years ago when I received the "Paul Daniel's Magic Set". A lot of my friends played sport, others played musical instruments, I played tricks! I was fascinated by the way things worked. I borrowed all of the books I could from my local library and took it from there. I've never really looked back!
How frequently do you find that you have to create new tricks?
I am ALWAYS working on new routines. It keeps me interested, keeps my show fresh and most importantly it allows me to do repeat performances! At the moment I am working on an escape which involves a saucepan and a bottle of lemonade. I can promise that you've never seen anything like it before!
What do you enjoy most about performing?
I would have to say the audience's reaction - whether that's laughter or applause. For me, there is nothing more satisfying than a room full of people who are truly having a great time. There aren't many jobs where the feedback is so immediate, and so honest.
Do you have a gig which stands out as being particularly memorable (either for the right or wrong reasons!)?
I performed a show last year and at the end I had (deliberately) failed to return a £10 note back to its rightful owner. The lady's daughter (who I would guess was about 4 years old) stormed onto the stage, put her hands on her hips and shouted "Where's my Mum's money, Magic Man?!" She completely stole the show. The audience were in hysterics and I was struggling to keep a straight face. It's moments like that which are truly "magical".
How did you become a Christian?
I've always considered myself to be very fortunate as I was brought up in a Christian family. I attended church every week, but it was really when I moved away from my family and went to university that I had to start making my own choices. Did I want to continue going to church? Did I believe what was written in the Bible? Did I want that to affect how I lived my life? The answer to all three of these questions was "yes" and that was when I knew I had chosen to be a Christian for myself.
How difficult did you find it adapting your performances to include a Christian message?
Almost all tricks have a "story" behind them - whether that's trusting me with a £10 note, escaping from a restraint, or breaking something and restoring it again. I use these themes to make a point within my Christian message. I don't like to "preach", but I do like to capture people's attention and imagination. Some routines lend themselves more readily than others, if I can't make some connection, it doesn't matter. It's OK to just use it for entertainment.
If you want to enjoy an evening of comedy and discover "The Magic of Christmas", why not come along on Sunday 20th December. I can promise you'll be totally amazed and amused!
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