Magicians have the power to mesmerise, shock and bamboozle, as Gayle Ritchie discovers when she meets one of Courier Country’s kings of conjuring.
It may be the oldest trick in the book but when he pulls a white rabbit out of a hat, Adrian Harris has a wee chuckle to himself.
As Perthshire’s very own Mr Magic, the grandfather-of-three prides himself on doing “old school magic,” as opposed to the new-fangled David Blaine-style wizardry that has become popular in recent years, but it’s a source of delight that never grows tired.
“I’ve been doing magic for more than 60 years and while many of the tricks are old favourites, I’m always adding new twists and surprises to my routine,” says the 71-year-old.
Adrian enjoys nothing more than bamboozling audiences with card tricks, transforming slips of paper into money, turning chains of black circles into all the colours of the rainbow, and, of course, pulling rabbits out of hats.
He’s been practising since he was nine and has performed his vast repertoire of tricks and illusions across the globe.
Awarded a certificate for holding a 50-year membership with Perth Magic Circle in 2014, he is also one of the UK’s leading dealers in rare and vintage magic books and apparatus.
“My sister gave me a box of tricks for my ninth birthday and that was the catalyst,” he explains.
“I started taking out books on conjuring from the library and spent my pocket money on magic magazines.”
He tracked down a store in Perth that was selling card tricks and a magic shop in Dundee which stocked jokes and conjuring equipment.
And when he came across a set of comedy Passe Passe bottles (the kind immortalised by the late Tommy Cooper) he saved up for weeks then skipped school to buy it.
Throughout his adult life, Adrian flirted with a variety of intriguing jobs, from scenic artist at Perth Theatre to sign-writing, glass-inspecting, working in a distillery and even a spell at Perth Prison.
But magic has always been his passion and a hobby that has taken him all over the world.
He keeps his magic collection in two sheds at the bottom of his garden in Perth. Inside, there are more than 3,000 books on magic and apparatus dating back to the 1900s, including a 1910 German sword and a rare snake charming basket.
He finds many of his treasures at conventions, the biggest being in Blackpool, where around 3,600 magicians flock each year.
And another less salubrious source is from the collections of dead magicians…
For anyone keen to get up to some tricks, Adrian says Perth Magic Circle is looking for new members.
“There’s a misconception that the Circle is closed to all but the most gifted magicians,” he says.
“Our attitude is that’s it’s a fun group and anybody interested in magic is welcome to come along.
“We’ve got 14 members including an 86-year-old from Kirkcaldy, but we need more young people – and women – to keep us fresh and vibrant,” he adds.
“If people come along to our sessions, which take place at the Ex-Servicemen’s club on Perth’s Milne Street on the first and third Wednesdays of every month between September to June, they’ll see just how much fun we have. I predict they’ll be hooked.”
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For more information on Perth Magic Circle, check out www.facebook.com/Perth-Magic-Circle-374819709386653/
