8 minute read
INTERVIEW
MICK NEW MASTER of magicians
Most of us warm to people with a little charm but, in some circles, the people are ‘positively enchanting’. HELEN PERRY talked to a man who has is accustomed to people falling under his spell.
Renowned Kiwi magician Mick Peck is hush-hush when it comes to magic secrets but it’s no secret that he is one of New Zealand’s leading conjurers, recently being appointed president of the Brotherhood of Auckland Magicians, (BAM) which has helped Kiwi professionals hone their craft since 1946.
Succeeding fellow professional magician Alan Watson, who has held the post for the past nine years, Mick says Alan took on the role after a period in which membership waned and had done “a great job bringing the organisation back to a position of strength.”
“When many clubs are seeing membership go downhill, he’s left the Brotherhood on a high so I’m very focused on keeping up the fellowship within BAM and ensuring our talented performers remain in the public eye.”
Mick puts the fall in general club allegiances down to the increased use of technology and screen time but adds that has its advantages, too.
“You just have to showcase one amazing trick on YouTube in the right way and it can go viral. Suddenly you have an audience of six million viewers and not 60 or 600.
“Pulling rabbits out of hats is, well, old hat even at children’s parties. People, including kids, are more sceptical today and they expect a lot especially those who always think they can ‘work out’ how an illusion is done. I always get a kick when I see that they can’t.
“However, many tricks have stood the test of time but with reinvented presentation.”
Talking to Mick just ahead of going into Auckland’s Alert Level 4 lockdown in August, he was, in fact, quite upbeat about the way earlier lockdowns had affected his profession and the wider entertainment world.
“There were those long periods when gathering and socialising on a big scale wasn’t permitted so when we finally returned to level one, and pretty much normality, our members saw a surge of interest. Bookings flowed in.”
“It’s in the hard times – like now, emerging from another lockdown – that entertainers are often the first to be called on for charity or community work. As society gets back on its feet, people are ready to laugh and be entertained again.”
With the BAM catering for professional and semiprofessional magicians – and by invitation only – Mick adds the standard of their performances is high with a number making magic a lifetime career.
“Our members come in all guises from street magicians and hypnotists to illusionists whose acts vary enormously. The common bond is a passion and sincere respect for magic – and for our audiences.” As a full time professional magician, Mick casts his spell mainly at corporate functions and private events. He has performed alongside household names such as Jason Kerrison, Frankie Stevens, Tina Cross, The Topp Twins and John Rowles. He has also regularly entertained VIP parties at Spark Area for visiting superstars such as Queen, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie.
“I’ve been privileged to entertain the entertainers,” he laughs. “However, a career highlight was seeing Queen sound check in a totally empty arena. It was Queen, the tech guys and me. Perks of the job!”
And, Mick’s been entertaining audiences for a long time, since his school days, in fact.
“My first break was doing a show at Pukekohe Intermediate School when I was a student there. It was challenging but I loved it.”
What’s more Mick confirms his early heroes seldom figured on the sports field – “mine were the likes of Benny Hill, Ronnie Barker and John Cleese – the great comedians of the 70’s and, of course, quintessential magicians such as Paul Daniels whose honesty was without question – his TV shows never relied on camera trickery.”
Even today, Mick watches the annual Royal Variety Show where acts are numbered among the best in the world – “you learn a lot about stagecraft,” he says, adding that magic is about more than tricks. “It’s about showmanship. I can do a 45-minute show with just four illusions; the rest is all about window dressing; performing in the wider sense and holding the floor’s attention.”
Having honed his own craft over 25 plus years, Mick can lay claim to many achievements. In 2014 he was invited to become a member of the prestigious Magic Circle of London, founded in 1905 and dedicated to promoting and advancing the art of magic.
In 2018 he received a Presidential Citation from the BAM and in 2016 he was named NZ Variety Entertainer of the Year by the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand. Then, in 2020 he was named one of the best dressed men in New Zealand show business on David Hartnell MNZM’s Best Dressed List.
Despite many accolades to his name, he remains serious about his profession and
Mick Peck
also his obligation to the society, which is recognised and respected nationwide. Mick adds that included in its many responsibilities, the BAM is the custodian of the prestigious Grand Master of Magic Award, the highest honour for a New Zealand magician. It has been presented only 19 times since 1969.
As vice president of the non profit Variety Artists Club of New Zealand for four years, together with his active participation within the BAM, including producing regular public shows, Mick has also been involved in many charitable fundraisers such as organising regular shows at the Rose Theatre in Belmont. He is also a keen supporter of BAM’s annual Houdini Day held on Halloween to honour the late Harry Houdini, who died on Halloween Day, 1926. “Charity work aside, I usually do about 200 shows a year but taking on the president’s role for the BAM also means ensuring it remains prominent going forward and that members continue to keep the mystery and allure of magic alive.
“As long as it evolves, magic will never die. Instead of doing tricks with handkerchiefs and top hats, modern performers do tricks with iPhones and Instagram. It’s a matter of keeping it relevant, exactly the same as any other art form.
“We all take an oath of secrecy not to reveal the working of tricks but the ‘secrets’ are just a part of magic. Magic without an entertaining presentation is simply a puzzle.
“It’s not necessarily about how my tricks work, it’s about how they make the audience feel... entertained, I hope!”
Alan Watson
Photo Wayne Martin
LIFETIME OF MAGIC
Magicians have long been admired for their ability to hoodwink most people and, in keeping with tradition, Alan Watson’s success as a professional magician comes down to deft sleight of hand, flamboyant showmanship and skilful illusions which few can fathom.
But if his sorcery is in demand at public events, it’s his administration skills and drive, which have ensured the Brotherhood of Auckland
Magicians is in a strong position as he steps down after nine years as president, passing the mantle to fellow conjurer, Mick Peck.
A former Pakuranga resident who, until prior to the arrival of Covid19, was still well known for his regular Sunday night family shows at nearby Waipuna Hotel and Conference Centre, Alan can boast four generations of magicians within his family.
They include his uncle and mentor, the late Oswald Ashton, his three daughters, one of whom still lives in Howick and granddaughter Aleshia who was just 14, when she won the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand Rising Star award. Though his daughters no longer actively perform, they have done so here and abroad in the past.
On stage, Alan’s wife Michele has been his assistant for many years and is also accomplished at making the balloon animals so popular with children. Michele and Alan are joint recipients of the International DRAGON Award which they received in New York in front of their peers at the Society of American Magicians 100th Year Convention.
“When I became president of the Brotherhood of Auckland Magicians nine years ago, my primary goal was to refocus the direction of the club and bring it back in line with the founder’s vision of an organisation for professional and semi-professional magicians. I feel I have achieved this and can hand over the leadership with confidence.”
Alan himself has been honoured with a host of awards, including the Queen’ Service Medal for services as a magician.
He is a member of the Magic Circle of London, is patron of the International Brotherhood of Magicians Ring 160, holds an Award of Merit from the Academy of Magical Arts, is a past recipient of the Benny Award from the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand (its highest award) and is a recipient of the NZ Grand Master of Magic Award. What’s more, that’s just a handful of the accolades which have gone his way.
Having planned ahead for the time he would relinquish some of his different roles and workload, Alan and Michele had been approached, before Covid-19, to perform close-up magic on cruise ships which they thought would be a wonderful way to see the world.
“We were also planning to spend up to two months of the year working in Fiji at resort hotels but the world has changed dramatically with the pandemic and our plans have been halted,” Alan says ruefully.
Although those plans have altered – for the time being at least – and Alan might be ready to downsize his workload, it’s doubtful he will disappear altogether – after all his life has always been about ‘surprises’ so it’s unlikely to change now.
