Prepare to be amazed as illusionist Apollo Jackson steps forth to push the boundaries of reality and distort your senses as part of Anthony Street’s ‘Spellbound’.
This incredible night of magic and grand illusion was inadvertently born when Spellbound founder Anthony Street was eight-years-old at a carnival and saw a magician for the first time.
“I went there with my granddad because he was a performer, and he was setting up to do a performance,” Street reminisced.
“While he was setting up, I went walking around the carnival and came across the magician – and that was where my hook on magic began.
“Then Santa Claus bought me my first magic kit and I started performing magic for my friends and family.”
That magician left an impression on the young aspiring superhero, who now performs the very same trick as part of his show.
“He had this trick where he had three different lengths of rope – and this sounds so lame – but he magically stretched them to be the same length,” Street explained.
“Seeing him do this thing that appeared to be impossible is what grabbed me; having this ability to do something that wows people is what grabbed me.”
Now 41, the passion remains, and Street has toured professionally as an illusionist nationally and internationally for almost 12 years.
“When I see the looks on their faces or I hear the gasp, it’s unbelievable – that’s the magic to me,” Street stated.
“To the audience it’s the trick, for me it’s the effect it has on people. A sport can impress people, but magic, when someone’s brain can’t comprehend it, that is priceless.”
The illusionist remembered a time when an elderly man approached him after a show and said that he felt like a child again.
“You’re getting these unbelievable unique feelings that people are experiencing, and what other job does that? It’s incredible!” Street exclaimed.
The show involves comedy and a lot of audience participation.
“You’ve got small magic, grand illusion magic; there’s a magic trick that I do with the entire audience that happens in everyone’s hands,” Street explained.
“There’s such a huge variety in the show for old, young, male, female – there’s something for everyone.”
And he has faith that Apollo Jackson will fill his shoes perfectly at Panthers.
“I’m taking a step back from touring full-time and I’ve got a new guy joining the show,” Street said.
“He’s known from ‘Australia’s Got Talent’ and ‘The Bachelor’.”
The Gold Coast local shares Street’s love for magic.
“This show is a whole brand-new experience for him because every magician wants to tour and perform in their own show,” Street said.
“He’s stepping into a production that exists, much like a musical performer stepping into Wicked of Moulin Rouge.”
The show is on April 25 at the EVAN Theatre and tickets range from $59.90 to $69.90. Find out more online at https://penrith.panthers.com.au/event/spellbound-a-night-of-magic-grand-illusion.
Ally Hall
Ally Hall joined the Weekender in 2024, and focuses on entertainment and community stories. She's a graduate of the University of South Australia and has previously worked as a Video Journalist with Southern Cross Austereo and as a News Reader with Australian Radio Network.