Every magician has an origin story — and mine started way earlier than I ever expected. Long before the purple hair, big crowds, and busy weekends of shows, I was just a kid sitting cross-legged on the floor watching a magician perform at my preschool. I was five years old… and completely hooked.

When I first started performing magic, I thought it was all about tricks — learning sleight of hand, practising routines, and getting the big reactions. But after thousands of performances in shopping centres, schools, birthday parties, festivals, and events… I’ve realised the real lessons have very little to do with the tricks themselves. Here are some of the biggest things performing has taught me along the way.

One of the things I love most about being a full-time magician is that no two days ever look the same. One minute I’m performing in a busy shopping centre surrounded by families grabbing coffee and doing their weekly shop… and the next I’m in a school hall full of kids ready to shout “DO IT AGAIN!” at full volume. Here’s a little behind-the-scenes look at what a typical week of Magic Jake can look like.

Every magician has moments where the show takes an unexpected turn. Usually it’s a trick that goes slightly off-script or a volunteer who steals the spotlight… but this time? It was a balloon animal. And honestly — I never stood a chance.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned after performing hundreds of shows, it’s this — kids have absolutely no filter… and honestly, that’s half the magic. Every show is different, every audience is unique, and sometimes the funniest moments aren’t part of the act at all — they just happen in real time. Here are some of the funniest things kids have said during my magic shows (and yes, some of these completely broke me on stage 😄).