By: Ernesto Altamirano

Celebrate the holidays with the entire family at The Illusionists – Magic of the Holidays, a mind-blowing showcase featuring jaw-dropping talents of the most incredible illusionists on earth. The Illusionists has shattered box office records across the globe and dazzles audiences of all ages with a powerful mix of the most outrageous and astonishing acts ever seen on stage. This non-stop show is packed with thrilling and sophisticated magic of unprecedented proportions.

And here at Latino Edge, we were honored to interview Chris Cox!

Chris Cox knows what you’re thinking. You’re thinking, who the hell is Chris Cox? Lucky you’re reading this then! He’s a multi-award winning ‘mind reader who can’t read minds’ and the only mind-reader in history to have played New York’s Broadway, London’s West End & Sydney Opera House having been seen live by over 750,000 people worldwide. He’s the star of the BBC’s Chris Cox’s Mind Boggling Magic & Killer Magic and has been featured on NBC’s The Today Show. Outside of performing Chris is a creative for Harry Potter & The Cursed Child, Lapland UK, DC Comic’s Park Row Restaurant and Punchdrunk. The UK’s Guardian Newspaper say he is “one of the most exciting entertainers in Britain” with The New York Times saying he’s ‘a hyperactive Harry Potter who knows what you’re thinking.’ Though Chris is far too modest to mention it.

And now, it is a privilege for us to present our exclusive interview with the marvelous Chris Cox.

We wanted to start by asking, what first sparked your interest in magic, and how did you decide to pursue it as a career?

I was 11 years old at home in England and I got a letter, that was delivered by… an owl. Then 7 years at Hogwarts, Hufflepuff and Proud and now I’m a mind reader. I wish! In fact I, like every magician got a magic kit as a kid and have been interested in magic ever since then. The main thing that’s always interested me has been performing and entertaining. I can’t act, dance or sing so magic and specifically mind-reading is what I do instead. I always think of myself as an entertainer and performer who does magic rather than a magician.

Which magicians, artists, or entertainers have inspired your work, and how have they influenced your approach?

The names that spring to mind are magicians like Derren Brown, Andy Nyman, Penn & Teller, comedian Tim Minchin and the actor Mark Rylance. I also am constantly inspired by theatre, movies and TV shows which are smart and creative. Everything can be an influence. I see things I like and try to work out what I like about them and whether that can help in my performance. I also see interesting creative ideas and see what they can inspire me to think about. Mark Rylance is a good example, an actor like no other, what he does on stage is sort of real magic, the way he inhabits and role and controls an audience. Seeing what he does and trying to work out how he does it, it’s incredible and made me think so much about how to play with how I can make audiences feel.

Were there any significant obstacles or challenges you faced when starting out in magic? How did you overcome them?

I was very lucky in that I got into magic when I was younger and being young is a bit like having a super-power. You just go-ahead and do things, because, well, why not. So I saved up my student loan in my final year of University in the UK and used that money to put on a show at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. That went well, and I kept doing it. However every time I create new material, that’s where there are obstacles, because I come up with this idea of something which is impossible and then have to work out how to do it. Sometimes that comes quickly, sometimes that takes, days, weeks, months and years.

Your style combines humor and magic seamlessly. How do you strike the right balance between the two?

So much of magic and mentalism / mind-reading especially can rely on process, so my aim is to make that process as fun, funny and entertaining as possible. So I always start with two things, the idea for the trick and the idea for how to make it fun, funny or entertaining. Ideally all of those things. I’ve always got to be aware of the fact that too much humor can undermine the magic, often it’s about creating the right beats and moments and pacing to let the magic shine through the laughter.

Your shows also rely heavily on engaging and connecting with the audience. How do you tailor your performances to make them so interactive and personal?

Every show is different and unique because every show uses audience members which are picked at random. I know the structure of what I’m going to do, but it’s the person which makes it different every night and I have to go with them and how they react. It can be quite terrifying because I spent all this time, money, effort and energy making my acts as strong as they can be and then I invite a total stranger onto the stage to help me do that. It’s a bit like getting on a plane and the pilot picking a random passenger to be their co-pilot for the flight.

How has magic evolved with the rise of technology and social media, and how have you adapted to these changes?

There’s an old phrase which is, any sufficiently advanced form of technology is indistinguishable from magic, and that rings true. Magic and technology have always been hand in hand, when electricity first appeared, magicians used it as a trick before it became common place. The joy of the rise in technology and social media is it just gives us something else to use to create magic moments. For example there are thousands of tricks that involve using cigarettes, but in the UK smoking is banned in most places, so almost no one has a cigarette on them, whereas everyone has a phone on them, so you can use that to create magic in the same way you used to use things like cigarettes.

Be sure to follow Chris Cox on Instagram at @magiccox and also visit his website at magiccox.com!

The Illusionists – Magic of the Holidays showcases the jaw-dropping talents of the most incredible illusionists on earth. “The Illusionists” has shattered box office records across the globe and dazzles audiences of all ages with a powerful mix of the most outrageous and astonishing acts ever seen on stage. This non-stop show is packed with thrilling and sophisticated magic of unprecedented proportions.

Don’t miss your chance to see this spectacular show when in it comes to the Plaza Theatre in

El Paso this Sunday, December 15th!

CLICK HERE TO BUY TICKETS!

For more information about “The Illusionists – Magic of the Holidays” and tour dates, visit www.theillusionistslive.com and follow “The Illusionists” on Instagram, Facebook, and X.