From Russia, with magic

“You have not witnessed my kind of magic in India before,” says the globe-trotting Russia-born magician Alex Black, now on a visit to Chennai.

“It is not a typical magic show. Suddenly, characters will emerge from a screen into real life. There will be jugglery, acrobatics and a bubble show.”

The multi-faceted artist, who will perform between April 27 and May 13 at the Russian Cultural Centre, adds, “Every day, we come out with new ideas after hours of work on them. It is necessary to stay relevant in this profession.” iPhones have been known to fly in his shows.

American magician David Copperfield has been his inspiration, Mr. Black says, but his parents were apprehensive when he opted for an Honours degree in magic from the Circus University in Saratov, Russia. His lawyer father Pavel and costume designer mother Svetlana thought that he had opted for a profession that would take to him nowhere. He says, “They realised its potential only after I started buying property and secured wealth.”

Saratov was home to the pioneering Nikitin Brothers, ‘fathers of the Russian magic show’. Three universities in Russia offer honours programmes in magic. Now, Mr. Black says, he would rather join another troupe than let his own become a part of “corporate culture”.

Declining to give away his secrets, Mr. Black says of his magic, “There is a little bit of science, illusion and skill,” and adds mysteriously, “It is not just a Harry Potter show.”