Magicians Go From Stage To Screen -

Tom Coss

  • Deprived of stage because of the coronavirus, the magicians had to adapt.

  • Some have moved from stage to screen to continue their magic tricks in front of an audience.

  • Virtual shows created for the occasion but which do not compensate for the financial loss linked to the Covid.

Imagination has always been part of their profession.

So when the health crisis prevented the magicians from going on stage, they had to adapt.

Rather than waiting for the reopening of theaters, some did not hesitate to make their audience vibrate from a distance.

Example with the Northerner Tom Coss, professional magician for four years, who reinvented himself with the Covid

“During the first confinement, I saw my shows cancel each other out.

So, I did several tests before putting on a remote magic show.

At first it didn't work but I persevered and managed to do distance laps.

I tested this with my family, on live sites before.

And that's how I decided to invest in a studio with good lights, decor and a good connection.

And I got started ”.

Maximum interactivity

Since the beginning of November, Tom Coss has been offering 45-minute magic shows from a distance.

With a watchword: interactivity pushed to the maximum.

“For this to work, the spectator must be an actor in the show.

If he just watches a magic video, he can do it on YouTube.

There, he has to be behind his computer with lots of objects that allow him to participate directly in the show, ”says the magician.

Same opinion at Andy Verhaeghe.

This northern magician better known by his stage name Joker Dandy has also gone virtual with his shows mixing magic and mentalism.

“It's very participatory.

Everyone connected will be doing things at the same time.

For example, I make them realize that they can play tricks on themselves ”.

A big shortfall despite everything

Solicited by companies and individuals, the two magicians are starting to get used to this new format.

Tom Coss even created free individual sessions for sick children at the CHR in Lille.

For its part, the Joker Dandy offers seats at 13 euros for the general public for four dates of a 30-minute live show mixed with a 20-minute workshop where the magician teaches tricks to his virtual spectators.

What to limit the breakage in a depressing economic context.

“It doesn't replace the stage.

Compared to December 2019, my income has been divided by 10. For magicians, the month of December is equivalent to the Holy Grail.

Video will never fill this shortfall, ”admits Andy Verhaeghe.

But the two agree on one point: They will continue to perform remotely even after an eagerly awaited return to theaters.

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  • Confinement

  • Magic

  • Lille

  • Show

  • Coronavirus

  • Covid 19