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| Kevin McMahon – Faker No More |
The Daily Scotsman chronicles the transformation of a 24-year-old self-described “wall-flower” into a full-time illusionist.
The British TV4 show Faking It is in the reality TV mode of many productions currently in favor on both sides of the Atlantic.
The show seeks out contestants to try to take on a role completely outside their comfort zone. They’ve featured a young man from the wrong-side of the tracks being groomed (literally) to work as a doorman for a very posh joint. The subjects are taught by the best in their new field and hope to learn the shibboleths and mannerisms to avoid detection as a fake.
Kevin McMahon was a studying at the UK’s Institute of Physics when producers recruited subjects for the reality show. His trek from a ‘timid Kevin’ to faking it as a top magician just four weeks later made for compelling television.
The Scotsman described the transformation thusly: “He left the Capital a diffident, tongue-tied wallflower and after several cringe-worthy scenes returned a confident, convincing illusionist – and a ladies? man. Now Kevin has permanently hung up his white lab coat in favour of becoming a full-time magician.”
Said Mr. McMahon, “I wasn?t satisfied with my career, knew I didn?t want to be doing this [physics] and just thought I?d give it a try. I just wanted some fun.”
The show brought Mr. McMahon to London to study under professional magician, Nigel Mead.
It was truly baptism by fire.
“Even on the first night they were testing me,” recalls the budding star. “I had just arrived, had dinner and Nigel showed me this great card trick. I said I liked it and he replied: ?Good, as we?re off to a restaurant and you?re performing it.? I just couldn?t do it [the trick], it was really embarrassing – and annoying. Looking back, I see they did it so I would fail.”
In the second week, Kevin worked under his new mentor, comedy magician Mandy Muden. Her job was to teach Mr. McMahon how to be funny. Talk about a tough job.
He said: “We were practising when I realised I was going to perform that night. It was very, very nerve- wracking. It was comedy – no magic – but it was my first time ever on stage. I did make the audience laugh but at some points I made a joke and it was like tumbleweed. I was thinking, s**t, please laugh. But fortunately it picked up and I eventually got laughs.”
The show even flew Mr. McMahon to Las Vegas where he met with Penn and Teller. Unfortunately, Mr. McMahon wasn’t prepared for the meeting. Assuming he would only be watching the masters perform, he elected to get drunk and return to his room at 6:00 am. When he met with Penn and Teller a few hours later, he fell flat. “I was hungover and hadn?t prepared, which didn?t go down well.”
Apparently part of the intrigue and sick-pleasure Faking It provides is the inevitable berating of the subject by mentors and producers. The television producer told Mr….
Continue reading Fake It ‘Til You Make It: Making of a Magician
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