Years spent thinking on his feet came in handy for a Black Diamond magician who found himself out of work a year ago.
When the COVID-19 pandemic put a stop to in-person entertainment in the spring of 2020, illusionist Malcolm Russell had to rethink his career so he could keep paying the bills.
“Some performers found other employment, some started up home businesses and others moved to an online career,” he said.
With three decades of street performances, festivals, gala banquets and conventions in his tickle trunk, Russell wasn’t ready to quit. He decided, instead, to take advantage of the worldwide shift to online meetings and created the virtual magic show Magic, Murder and a Cup of Tea – an engaging, mystifying and wonder-provoking magic and mind-reading show – which he performs from his home studio.
“I was seeing other magicians successfully transition to online in Europe, the States and Canada,” he said. “At first I was hesitant. I had my close-up magic and stage shows that I regularly did and I was thinking, how can I do that online?”
Last fall, Russell transitioned a space in his garage to an online studio complete with lights, cameras, microphones and backdrops.
In January, he joined a group of magicians who worked together to help each other improve their online shows and by April he launched private bookings for his show, followed by public shows in late May.
“I now love the online shows,” he said. “I can create a theatrical performance that you cannot do live.”
Russell said his audience now always get a front row seat while remaining visually and mentally engaged.
“I can ask for volunteers and they don’t have to come up on stage, all they need to do is unmute for a minute and give me some suggestions or answer a question,” he said. “It’s a great way to get people actively involved without them feeling like they’re put on the spot.”
Prior to the pandemic, Russell was performing more than 200 shows a year including private bookings, restaurant gigs and at Calaway Park west of Calgary.
Now he’s taking the online stage by storm and even offering his show to the public through Airbnb experiences via www.airbnb.ca/experiences/2505745
“I’m realizing more and more what the outer limits are for what you can do,” he said. “I can add music, I can add a graphic image and I can do that with a push of the button. I’m really having a lot of fun with it.”
In May, Russell performed his show for a 50th birthday party, entertaining a woman in Switzerland and her relatives in the United Kingdom and Canada.
“A lot of people aren’t aware that not only can you have meetings online but you can have entertainment via meetings,” he said. “What it allows you to do is buy an online ticket to an experience anywhere in the world and you can have a party with your close friends and family without them having to travel for it. You can take a cooking course with an Italian grandmother, you can take a walking tour of Edinburgh following the Harry Potter books, you can learn calligraphy from a Persian calligrapher from the comfort of your own home.”
With COVID-19 restrictions relaxing as infections fall and vaccination rates climb, Russell sees more potential than ever for his magic.
“Even when things open up for in-person events, I’m convinced that online entertainment will continue to become a standard part of our lives,” he said. “What I’m hoping happens is that essentially they both remain busy because online shows can fill in gaps between live bookings. This is opening up a whole new potential world for bookings.”
Russell said the online shows will also make his a job a little less hectic.
“This saves me a lot of time on the road lugging heavy equipment, setting up and tearing down,” he said. “I’m very much enjoying the ease of doing online shows. They both have a lot to offer and they’re both exciting for different reasons.”
To learn more about Russell or to book a show visit https://malcolmrussell.net/
