James wows Indian crowds with his magic
TO be honest, I wasn't au fait with the term 'mentalist' when I spoke to a local magician who has recently returned from a tour of India.
James Ward is not your average 'rabbit out of the hat' magician – he calls himself a 'mental magician' and compares his work to that of TV’s Derren Brown, using psychological illusion, perceptual manipulation and persuasive techniques.
Although the 51-year-old from West Tanfield has only been actively performing magic for five years, the former solicitor says his interest in mentalism goes back much further.
"As a former criminal lawyer, I have had a long-standing interest in human nature, the mind, and what makes most of us tick. I think we all underestimate our abilities, and how far the mind can take us if we truly apply ourselves," he explained.
James, who is a member of the Harrogate Society of Magicians, has recently lectured to the Northern Magic Circle and the Bradford Magic Circle on mental magic.
He has also created magic tricks and written for magic magazines in the UK and USA.
And his growing reputation led to him receiving an invitation from the Calcutta Magic Circle to perform in venues in and around Kolkata, formerly Calcutta, for a fortnight over the New Year period.
James says that his skill is in second guessing his subjects – something which he learnt he could do of his friends when they went out for a meal together.
"Mentalism is, at its simplest, 'magic of the mind' and utilises many skills – a knowledge of body language, psychology, sometimes sheer instinct, and a sprinkling of traditional magic principles, the purpose of which, among other things, is to second-guess, and occasionally influence, people's actions and decisions. Hopefully, in an entertaining manner!" he said.
"I used to once play a game with my friends whereby I would try to guess what meals people would have on entering a restaurant we'd be eating in. I had quite a high success rate, though my most amusing memory was on the day I suggested that one couple would order nothing. I hit very lucky because, shortly after arriving, they had a blazing row and stormed out! If we'd had the lottery back then, I'd have bought a ticket!"
While in India, he lectured and performed various 'psychological illusions', including key and spoon bending, revealing a word and country thought of by an audience member, predicting decisions subsequently made by a spectator and causing a key to turn over in his hand without moving – known as telekinesis.
"I was treated as a special visiting guest, made speeches, was given flowers, gifts and experienced certain Hindu rituals," said James. "It was a crazy experience for an ordinary person in that I signed autographs, shook hundreds of hands, was photographed with hundreds of people, and interviewed by the local TV station.
He added: "All rather surreal – but the Indians seem to love their magic!"
On New Year's Eve, he performed at an annual function of a leading Bengali children's magazine, held at a local school, where he performed children's magic for a 200-strong audience.
On another occasion, he performed in front of 700 people at the 93rd birthday celebrations of one of India's most famous magicians, The Great D C Dutta.
At the event, James said: "As a visiting guest of honour, I was garlanded with flowers, presented with gifts and underwent Hindu rituals – a fascinating experience."
But the highlight of James' visit was to attend the Chandanaggar Magic Festival, where he presented a mind-reading lecture with the help of an interpreter to a gathering of some 150 magicians from around India. He also performed at the closing gala, before a 1,200-strong audience.
"Because of the vast distances involved, and the somewhat unreliable transport system, some had travelled to the festival for up to 50 hours to be there," he said. "They made me feel like a star - hundreds of handshakes, photos and autographs! Afterwards, I was interviewed by a film crew from the local TV station."
Back in West Tanfield, James works as a freelance book editor and part-time comedy writer. He has written for TV and radio, both here and overseas for, among others, Roy Hudd and Freddie Starr.
In the past, James largely performed mentalism for friends and family, but is currently putting together an act which he's considering 'road-testing' for free, possibly for charities and other groups, with the intention of eventually presenting a more structured form of what could be described as 'psychological entertainment' for corporate or private functions.
For more information, contact James on 01677 470363 or email mindmagic@jamesward.co.uk
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Sunday 05 February 2012
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