Jackson Aces shows are guaranteed to intrigue, inform, surprise and astound audiences with his mix of dark arts, illusion and cheeky humour. He has become Australia’s best magician, and he never fails to leave our family spellbound.
We first met Jackson 10 years ago at an event launch where he was performing. His wizardry with cards had an instant impact on Striker, who begged us for a magic kit on the way home. We’ve continued following Jackson Aces as he morphed into Australia’s top magician and illusionist, making today’s interview super special for us.
Jackson, our first question takes us back in time. We’re wondering how you became interested in magic, and what was the first magic trick you ever learned?
Sitting in Geography class one day, my friend Ryan turned around with a pack of cards and fooled us all with a card trick. It was a selective school, and everyone was duly impressed. I’m very competitive and went home intent on finding better tricks to try the next day at school. I spent hours on Google and found very little in the way of an answer. But while I sat there, an advertisement for a magic show serendipitously came on TV! It was David Blaine: Street Magic. I decided to stay up late to watch it, and from his first card trick, I was hooked! Blaine’s magic was so good, I thought it must be real.
My first card trick was called the Key Card; it’s a simple beginner’s trick that my mum taught me. From there, she bought me my first premium decks of cards and magic DVDs for my 13th birthday. I’ve always had hobbies and passion projects, but Magic is the only one that stuck, and that I eventually realised I could make a living from.
With so many possible tricks up your sleeve, what is your favourite to perform and why do you enjoy it so much?
My answer won’t surprise you. It’s a card trick, but not just any! It’s a trick called “The Ambitious Card”. It’s one of the first routines you learn if you’re serious about card tricks, but it allows for a lot of creativity and variety within it, like a jazz solo that can go as long as you want it to. I love it because I’m easily bored and have an obsession with performing complicated tricks. It’s so satisfying.
The gist is this: a card is signed by the volunteer, and in the basic version, the card is repeatedly put in the middle of the pack and continues to appear on the top of the deck (hence the name, Ambitious Card).
My version is like a tennis match of unexpected impossibilities. The card appears in my pocket, then sticks to my forehead, and finally comes out of the spectator’s phone screen. In the end, the whole deck disappears while the volunteer holds onto it. (No exaggeration).
I’ve seen you perform this. It’s bewildering to watch, and to be honest, it freaked me out. I have no idea how you do it!
How do you practice and come up with new magic tricks and illusions? Basically, what is your fitness routine for magic?
Each trick is different; some can be picked up quickly, others take weeks or months to perfect! I have a “finger fitness” routine to stretch out my hands just like an athlete would before a game.
But magic is this quirky art that also involves an audience! And this is where I think many magicians get tripped up.
With every trick, there is a testing stage after you’ve taken the time to master it. You have to put it in front of an audience; only then do you know if it’s a fooler. Being caught out is all part of the process.
It’s essential to discover how the audience thinks it’s done, even if they’re wrong. Because if they’re sure it went up your sleeve, it doesn’t matter how you did it, they won’t be impressed unless you do that trick without sleeves!
You’re working with people’s preconceived ideas and assumptions. If you ignore the audience, you will be good, but never great in their eyes.
My Illusion Shows really tested my stamina. I had been doing a daily fitness regime for months leading up to them. When it came time to rehearse with my assistant, it involved hours of dance lifts and moves each day, as well as performing these grand illusions, which is very physical in itself. It is a lot more complicated than making cards disappear. I lost 5 kilos in the first two weeks and felt like I’d been hit by a truck!
Of course, we all now want to learn how to perform a magic trick. Do you have any tips or simple tricks kids can learn to amaze their friends and family?
You know, because I love the Kid’s Bucket List so much, here’s an exclusive treat: In lockdown, I partnered with Dan Murphy’s to create a beginner’s magic course, which they included with a deck of cards in their gifting hampers. Your readers can watch it for free and tick “Becoming The Life Of The Party” off your bucket list.
(And yes, it’s easy enough for the kids to learn, but amazing enough to fool the grown-ups!)
Can you share a funny or surprising moment that happened during one of your performances?
Oh my gosh, there are so many! They ALWAYS come from something going terribly wrong!
My first public 1-hour stage show was a sold-out night. My whole family was there, along with a few celebrities. I had unknowingly misplaced a dove during rehearsals, and no one realised until it was almost too late.
I was just about to perform my dove trick finale when my assistant abruptly came on stage with a feigned smile and wide eyes. She whispered, “Where’s the dove?” It was then that I realised I had no finale. My volunteer was left standing there, and the audience was confused as we had a frenzied conversation under our breaths. As far as I was concerned, that dove had really disappeared!
My assistant left in search of the dove, giving me a chance to buy some time. I’d already put all my tricks into this 1-hour show, and had nothing left. I then remembered I’d seen a magician perform a trick the weekend before, which I’d never performed myself.
With the stakes super high, I invited two new volunteers on stage and performed the trick from memory. It was one of the best reactions of the whole show! I think the audience could tell my adrenaline was high, and this seemed to rub off on them, too. The anticipation was real.
Meanwhile, I couldn’t help but glance over at the wings of the stage, seeing pink silks, top hats and oversized wands flying everywhere as my assistant searched for that missing dove!
Thankfully, by the time my volunteers took their bow, my assistant returned to the stage and the colour had returned to her face. The dove had been found!
Ironically, the dove trick got the second-best reaction of the night, and the audience wouldn’t stop talking about the second-to-last trick!
There have been other times when I asked a volunteer to slap me on stage playfully, and on two occasions, I was punched instead of slapped. You might ask why I ever did that trick again after the first time – perhaps the concussion had something to do with it!
Jackson, what magic feat do you hope to master in the future?
One of my holy grail magic effects is levitation. David Blaine did it as the finale to his street magic special, and I hope to put a levitation effect into my stage show very soon. Watch this space!
We all have heroes. Which magician has inspired you the most? What magic trick awed you the most from their repertoire?
By far, it’s the two Davids: David Blaine, still my hero and biggest inspiration, and David Copperfield, whom I admire greatly for his stage performances and ability to make the show feel like a rock concert experience.
But I also have some amazing friends and mentors from overseas. I’ve been taught by Andrei Jikh, who taught the stars of Hollywood’s biggest magic movies, Now You See Me 1 & 2, and my best friend in magic, Joseph Reohm from LA, who is booked out years in advance on cruise lines. Some of the best tricks are the ones most closely guarded, that you only learn by trading tricks with other world-class magicians.
You’ve performed for so many incredible people, including some of our favourite NRL players. Who would be at the top of your list to perform for in the future?
I’m currently obsessed with the TV series The Bear, so I would love to meet Jeremy Allen White. I also listen to standup comedy most days, so Dave Chappelle, Bill Burr or Seinfeld would be iconic.
Where can we head to see your magic here in Sydney and beyond?
I have a few shows coming up, the big one being a week at The Sydney Opera House from 30th July to 3rd Aug.. And on Saturday, 26th July, I play the legendary Palms showroom at Crown Melbourne. We are almost sold out, and it is a thrill to be bringing my stage show interstate for the first time!
Jackson, thank you so much for your time. It has been wonderful watching your career bloom, and we’re all chuffed that we can tell our friends that Australia’s top magician taught us a magic trick! Readers, visit www.magicianjacksonaces.com for information on Jackson’s upcoming shows. Head here for tickets.