Gold Stars – Nathan Hedger and Riely Saville

GOLD STARS

We asked local stars to tell us about their talented careers and reveal where it all started and their career highlights..

NATHAN HEDGER

My name is Nathan Hedger and I have been performing magic for about 15 years. I have been doing it as a profession since 2014 and full time for about five years. I perform both roving magic and stage shows however I get the most joy performing close up magic in a roving environment. When you first want to become a magician you see all these tricks and illusions and want to know how it’s done. With some of them, when you become a professional, you know the secret so you don’t get that same amazement as easily as you used to. For me I had to find another way to enjoy it, and that’s when I began to love the audience reactions. That is what I love and strive for. Being part of making someone smile, or laugh or go ‘what the... that’s not possible!’ is an incredible feeling. I still remember the moment I really thought I wanted to do this, I was on a lunch break back when I was working for Supercheap Auto, went to get some food and walked past a couple sitting at a bar table.

I had some of my early magic on me at the time and decided to ask if I could show them a trick. They agreed, I performed some tricks, thanked them, got my food and went back to work.

About 30 minutes later, they came to find me at work to thank me. It turned out the woman had just lost her job, a few difficult things were going on and it was quite a rough day, yet that little bit of magic really turned things around and made her day so much better.

To me, I didn’t do anything super special, but I realised being able to make someone’s day or make them smile, laugh or have their mind blown, (in a positive way), with magic, that is pretty special and I want to keep doing it.

RIELY SAVILLE

SHE IS THE WOMAN OF MANY FACES AND CHARACTERS WHO CAN BE SEEN AT MANY OF OUR TOP FUNCTIONS PROVIDING A GLITTERING PERSONA WHICH IS GUARANTEED TO BRIGHTEN UP ANY OCCASION.

After a challenging time in the world, especially for those in the performing arts, Riely Saville is back and she’s ready to sparkle. She has performed at many of our iconic venues including Movie World, Sea World, The Star, Dracula’s Cabaret and Pink Flamingo but her history as a performer started with the training and discipline of classical ballet. Her baby steps, literally, started at the age of three when she began dance classes with Dawn and Joy Ransley before joining the Gold Coast City Ballet. That in turn led to an invitation to join the prestigious Australian Ballet School in Melbourne, before dancing with The Melbourne Ballet Company. The Ajkun Ballet Theatre in New York City was the next to call, where she danced the role of Juliet in “Romeo & Juliet” and received a standing ovation for her performance. Staying in the one dance lane was never going to be enough for Riely who returned to the Gold Coast and set about expanding her range of talents. So much more than a ’triple threat’, she soon could add the following skills to her resume - besides dance she also, acts, sings, stilt walks, roller skates, martial arts and aerial arts. That unique skill set has paid dividends because over her career she has worked for some of the biggest names in showbiz, including Kanye West, Disney, Universal Studios, Royal Caribbean International, and MAC Makeup. She also is about to star in a yet-tobe released feature film but cannot as yet reveal more details.

After a stint with Universal Studios in Singapore and then performing throughout Asia, Riely returned home again and set up her own entertainment business, EPIC Creations. From Marilyn Monroe to unicorn parties and a rolling Champagne dispenser, Riely has a character for every occasion. She loves producing shows and awe inspiring moments for people of all ages and from all walks of life. Whether it’s a small, private party, a large corporate event, music festival, or rocking the stage for 30,000 people, her mission is to entertain. “I love bringing smiles, fun and WOW moments,” she explained.