Aiden Schofield has been taking his magic show all around Australia, and returns to the Melbourne Magic Festival in 2023 with a 5 show run. I sat down with Aiden to find out more about his self titled show “Aiden Schofield: MAGICIAN”.

1. Your show is titled “Aiden Schofield: MAGICIAN”….within a festival of magicians, what makes you
   and your show different?
   Honesty, I don’t know what makes me different… I’m a bit of a quirky performer, and I like to have fun on stage and create a fun show for people to watch. I guess the type of magic I do is different compared to other magicians. I specifically decided to have no card tricks in this show or tricks that I have seen other magicians perform, that way I can keep the show full of surprises. Plus, the material is just fun for me to perform, and also feels like real magic (manipulating bubbles, predicting the future, and levitating objects).
   
   The show: I take a lot of inspiration from concerts. From Michael Jackson, Justin Bieber, Ed Sheeran, Dua Lipa. The way I’ve structured my show is based more on concerts I’ve seen rather than other magic shows. I’ve also taken a theatrical approach to the way the magic is presented.
   Fun Fact: The name of the show is actually a reference to Michael Jackson. Michael Jackson is the reason I first got interested in the entertainment industry as a whole. I styled the word ‘MAGICIAN’ in capitals, as a reference to his 1996 album HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I.
   
2. Why should audiences come and see your show this year?
   A good reason to see my show is if you missed out last year, definitely make time to come see it this time around! The show has grown quite a bit since last year and has grown into something I’m super happy with. I’ve added even more magic into the current routines – more magic, more music, more fun. There’s a lot of visual magic and I feel like it’s a great middle ground show (not close-up magic, not big grand illusions) and it’s perfect for all ages. There is no theme / story / message to this show, just people seeing impossible things, which is pretty cool.
   
   I’ve tried my best to make it a fun and interactive experience with a variety of magic for everyone to enjoy. In the show audiences will witness magic performed with bubbles, sand, Rubik’s Cubes and many other curious objects.

3. Is there anything new / exciting that you’ve been working on recently?
   Yes, I’ve been working on a lot of things lately. This year I completed ‘Trick a Day May’, which is where you upload a video performing a completely different magic trick to your social media profile/s every single day for the month of May. (Find mine on Instagram @ascho51 or Facebook and YouTube @AidenSchofieldMagic).
   
   Couple of other things I’m working on are: adding more magic into the show and expanding current routines to make them more magical. The other is I mentioned before about taking a theatrical approach to the show – little things to try and make the show more professional: lighting cues, music and sound effects, transitions and set design etc.
   
4. I hear you have been on tour (of sorts) for the past year or so…any highlights / memorable
   moments that you can share?
   So far, I’ve performed small batches of shows at festivals around Australia. I’ve performed the show in Adelaide, Darwin, Perth, Queensland and Melbourne, but I’m excited to take it around the rest of the country and the world.
   
   Highlights from taking my show to different cities include travelling to new places, visiting different theme parks (my favourite), and also getting to see and meet other magicians.
   Honorable mention: I showed a group of adults some close-up magic when I was in Perth, and at the
   climax of the trick (the big reveal) one of them started jumping up and down, squealing out of disbelief. That was fun! (If you want to know which trick this was, you’ll just have to come and see my show!)
   
5. What are you looking forward to the most at the 2023 Melbourne Magic Festival?
   I’m excited to be performing this show at the Melbourne Magic Festival again this year. Last year I performed one show only and now I’m back for a run of five shows playing nightly at The MC Showroom!
   
   I’ll be checking out (theme park) Gumbuya World for the first time. I love theme parks and they’ve recently opened Project Zero which was formally known as the Buzzsaw from my home park Dreamworld on the Gold Coast. I’m also looking forward to performing little segments in both gala shows (close up and stage) and the Open Mic Night at Storyville.
   
   If you’re interested in catching Aiden’s show then this year is your best chance! Get your tickets here.

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