“Magic is about the journey, not the destination”

Tuesday 31 May 2022

Britain’s Got Talent finalists James and Dylan Piper joined comedy magician John Archer to perform to a sold-out audience at St James.

Ahead of their performances on Friday night, the acts spoke to Express, and they agreed that magic is more than the “big reveal”.

Father and son duo James and Dylan reached the final of BGT in 2020 with Amanda Holden calling them “two extraordinary men”. They were the only act in the show’s history to receive two standing ovations and five “yeses” from the judges. 

Pictured: Event Organiser, Rod Williams, said the "night of magic" was the first sold-out show at St James since the pandemic.

James said it was a “dream come true” to perform with his son.

“I’ve been a magician for over 20 years and performing with Dylan has helped me to create something different and more meaningful,” he said. 

“Magic is about telling a story. Performing as father and son is great and it’s a relationship that people in the audience can relate to and you can make that connection. 

“The magic doesn’t matter as much as the connection. It doesn’t matter what tricks you’re performing. It comes down to making memories.”

James said that he was grateful for the opportunities that BGT has presented for the pair. 

“It’s really amazing that I’m now able to tour with Dylan and we will always have the BGT footage - [it[ is just incredible to have those memories that will last forever,” he said. 

Pictured: James (left) and Dylan Piper said they were excited to visit Guernsey and perform here for the first time. 

Dylan echoed his father’s comments. 

“When I perform magic on my own, it can be nerve wracking because all the attention is on me, so when I get to be on stage with my father it’s more fun,” he said. 

“A lot of the time you don’t appreciate what you’re doing because it feels normal now because we do it so much, but then I stop and think and realise that most people have their whole lives without these opportunities, and it makes me appreciate that it really is a dream come true.” 

Somewhat surprisingly, James said that the “big reveal” is his least favourite part of magic. 

“One thing I have always struggled with is the big reveal because there’s a sense that you’re just saying ‘look how clever I am’ and I’ve never been comfortable with that,” he said. 

“I love creating a sense of wonder and awe and creating memories, but there is a fine line between that and coming across as arrogant. 

“Performing alongside Dylan is great because I can give him those reveal moments, and he helps to level the performance out.”

Pictured: Comedy Magician John Archer (right) with world-famous magician David Copperfield. 

Comedy Magician John Archer is a former BGT semi-finalist. He tours with Tim Vine and has made numerous TV appearances. 

“James is absolutely right that the big reveal isn’t the most important thing. Magic is about the journey, not the destination - or at least it should be,” he said. 

“I could teach my mum to do a trick with a deck of cards in 10 minutes and the mechanics of the trick would blow people away, but just doing a trick is not enough. What makes great magicians is the process of getting to the end point.

“The great magician Ricky Jay one said ‘magic is a powerful art that can support a weak performer’ and that is so true. You can see someone on YouTube perform a trick but that’s only the destination. You need theatre and something to hook you in.”

John said that comedy is a “strong part” of his stage persona. 

“Comedy and magic work so well together because they are both a set-up with a punchline,” he said. 

“I need to balance the laughs with the wonder because they can step on each other if you’re not careful.” 

Pictured: American magicians Penn & Teller perform at The Rio in Las Vegas and are the the longest-running headliners to play at the same hotel in Vegas.

John was the first magician to fool Penn Jillette and Raymond Teller on their hit TV show 'Penn & Teller Fool Us, where magicians are invited to perform for the world-famous duo in an attempt to fool them with a trick. 

“The one thing you normally have in your arsenal as a magician is that, no matter how the show has been, you still get the ‘wow’ moment from the audience,” he said. 

“When you’re performing for other magicians, you lose that ‘wow’ moment. Penn and Teller’s sole purpose was to sit there and work out how you’re doing the trick. I wasn’t confident that I would manage to fool them.

“The trick I fooled them with was a relatively simple trick with five envelopes, where one contains something and the others don’t. There are well-known premises for that trick, but I had come up with my own method.

“The production team wanted me to do a different, more showy trick, but I stuck to my guns because I knew that Penn and Teller would likely be ticking off the possible methods and by the time they had ruled them all out there wouldn’t be the time for them to go back and think about how else I could have done it.” 

Pictured: John Archer said he was inspired to pursue magic by watching his uncle perform a card trick each Christmas. 

The night of comedy was organised by former Guernsey resident and magician Rod Williams.

 “This event has been in my heart for a number of years - so to have a sold-out show and these great acts is a dream come true,” he said. 

“I lived in Guernsey for 15 years and still have family here. I really wanted to bring magic acts over to the island. Hearing people being excited about it in the lead up to the event has been fantastic.”

Rod said he regularly performs for charity in the UK.

“I do a lot of charitable shows for people who are in debt or struggling with addiction, whatever it may be,” he said. 

“The audience comes in with the weight of the world on their shoulders, but magic takes you to another world. While they’re watching the show, everything else fades away, and they walk out with smiles on their faces. It’s a great thing to see.”

Dylan added: “When the audience get swept up in the magic and their faces drop when the trick unfolds, it’s a really good moment. 

“We are so happy we get to have those moments, make these memories together and travel to amazing places doing what we love.”