For the past four years, best friends Mike Tyler and Christopher Wayne have been stripping away their top hats and capes, taking magic to a whole new level.
Working 9-5 jobs before turning to magic, Mike said they both couldn’t believe that no one had thought to combine the second oldest profession with the two things that everyone loves – nudity and comedy.
“We were full-time clothed magicians first and we both had successful careers doing that,” he said.
“I did high end corporate events and functions and Chris was the first Australian magician to have his own TV series, and he did a lot of magic with families.
“We always wanted to design a show that was different to what other magicians were doing around the world, and to take magic to an audience that wouldn’t normally attend a magic show.”
It was there the idea of the Naked Magicians was born.
Since then, the talented duo have performed in over 200 cities around the world, showing off their muscles and magic skills to audiences – including their parents.
“We were performing at the Brisbane Comedy Festival and there was a moment in the show where we were naked,” he said.
“I remember looking down at the front row and Chris’ mum was sitting there and she just locked eyes with me. I can’t look at her the same way now.”
Compared to the likes of Magic Mike, but with actual magic tricks, the Naked Magicians prove their motto that good magicians don’t need sleeves and great magicians don’t need pants.
“We like the audience to have a laugh and enjoy the magic, get to know us a bit before they do see our magic wands,” Mike laughed.
“We’ve had a couple of times where tricks have gone wrong when we’ve had audience members on stage who were a little too enthusiastic to see us naked.
“But we haven’t had any wardrobe malfunctions because we don’t actually have a wardrobe.”
With incredible escapes, mind reading and a metaphorical climax for the final act, Mike said it’s best to leave the kids at home for this one.
The Naked Magicians will be performing at Evan Theatre on Thursday, June 28 at 7.30pm. This is an 18+ event. Tickets start at $44.90. To book, call 1300 PANTHERS.
Lauren Suttie
Lauren Suttie is the Weekender's General & Community News journalist.