Beyond Magic With DMC

In this launch episode DMC (Drummond Money-Coutts) magician, illusionist and card shark, reattempts a major feat of escapology which almost cost him his life two years ago.

This time, however, he recreates it on an epic scale whilst exploring the physical, mental and psychological disciplines required in the dangerous world of Escapology. The episode culminates with the stunt itself, filmed before a live audience. DMC is tethered by two nautical ropes to a pair of accelerating seven-ton trucks and must free himself from a pair of handcuffs, and the ropes binding him to the trucks, before they pull tight and, literally, tear him apart.  

This time DMC explores the world of Mentalism - magic of the mind - and how apparent supernatural powers like telekinesis, telepathy and prediction produce some of magic's most powerful effects. 

Delving into the myths behind these themes he meets one of his childhood heroes – Banachek – who in the 1970s and 1980s convinced scientists he possessed powers of telekinesis and telepathy under a highly secretive research programme. Banachek’s mantra, that mentalism draws on the five primary senses to create the illusion of a sixth, inspires DMC to create a variety of mind-boggling tricks.

From London to the winding streets of Barcelona’s Barri Gotic, DMC explores mentalism’s power to influence and control subjects through a number of suggestive and predictive pieces of magic, astounding audiences with his ability to uncover the most sensitive personal information, predict the most random sequence of events or control them to experience simultaneous thoughts.

En route DMC seeks to hone these skills in order to perform the most extreme test of his abilities in an illusion where the most extreme stakes will rest on his ability to control a subject’s 50:50 decision.

As he prepares himself for the challenge of his life will his powers of control prove robust or will he pay the price of failure?

Has he bitten off more than he can chew?

Looking back on the history of his art DMC seeks to recreate some of the most baffling illusions of the last century. Taking inspiration from historical figures such as Houdini and Jean Eugene Robert Houdin – arguably the father of modern magic and illusion – DMC performs stunning new twists on classic illusions.

Along the way he demonstrates how illusion still has the power to stun and baffle contemporary audiences.

Beginning with a shocking piece of close-up magic on the streets of London’s hip East End, DMC ventures to Barcelona to witness one of his contemporaries perform a live stage show to a captivated audience. His appreciation of how classical magic can be brought to life for a modern audience allows him to formulate his own reinterpretations of time-honored routines, and to create unique pieces of his own.

Proving that what you see isn’t always what you get DMC takes his magic onto the medieval streets of Barcelona where he demonstrates his belief in the international currency of ‘delight in the inexplicable’ with a baffling piece of magic that combines his powers of prediction, perspective and illusion, after dark.

DMC returns to London - once again the streets of the East End become his stage where he performs a brilliant, classic card trick before taking it to an entirely new level with his own twist.

His journey ends dramatically in a warehouse in S W London where he performs an illusion based on Houdini’s Walking Through Walls, except DMC’s stage and ‘wall’ are stripped back to the most minimal and simple of devices. Meanwhile his live audience are permitted to view his performance space from all sides and perspectives. In a dramatic twist the illusion ends with his audience stunned, mystified and utterly lost for words.  

DMC explores the magic of Asia, revisiting classic routines and exploring its symbolism and inspiration, from animals to everyday objects and magical, superhuman powers that defy the natural order.

His journey begins in London’s China Town where he performs a dangerous trick involving a chef’s sushi knife before performing a magical transposition of Chinese coins on the streets of London’s West End.

From there he travels to Singapore – one of Asian’s most developed city states and a melting pot of cultures and religions, where traditional Chinese belief systems co-exist with contemporary, global capitalism.

The city forms the backdrop for DMC’s explorations of Asian magic and his radical reinterpretations of it. 

DMC meets one of the superstars of Chinese magic, Lu Chen, at the historic Raffles Hotel and learns how Asian magic imbues everyday objects with supernatural powers or seeks to bring the notion of dreams to life – whether of flying, harnessing superhuman strength or escaping great peril. Mystical powers based on our human dreams of exceeding our physical limitations.

DMC explores the notion of ‘Qi’ – life energy which in Chinese philosophy is thought to be inherent in all things and is used in many aspects of eastern culture, from healing to combat. He meets a lifetime practitioner of Qi Gong, literally energy cultivation, who tells him that he can harness the power of Qi before demonstrating a thrilling example of its power.

DMC’s journey and exploration into Asian magic ends with his ultimate tribute to magic and one of our most powerful dreams – that of flying - ending with his a sublime, full body levitation performed before a live audience in Singapore’s Marina Bay.

In this episode, DMC explores a vital component of any magician’s repertoire, deception.  Taking inspiration from magic’s application to the theatre of war he performs astounding tricks proving that what you see isn’t always what you get before shooting his way to a jaw-dropping finale.

DMC’s journey begins on the streets of London where he performs a classic piece of deception with a deck of cards to a number of passers-by. From there he heads to the English countryside to explore one of the most legendary magic deceptions in the history of war.  Drawing on illusionist Jasper Maskelyne’s deceptive techniques in North Africa, in which fake armies were created to mislead the Germans, DMC performs his own military inspired illusion deceiving a live audience.

DMC then visits the magic shop that inspired him to become a magician, the century old Davenports Magic Shop in London’s Charing Cross, to see how tricks and magic kept both the troops and the home front entertained during wartime. From there he performs more jaw-dropping magic on the streets of London inspired by the use of fake money during the war. Taking inspiration from a rousing flag trick used by troops on the front line he heads to the historical Army and Navy Club where he devises a trick based on coding.

DMC creates his own magical code and invites a couple to crack it, in order to unlock a wooden box. Through a series of magical revelations they crack his code but the biggest magical surprise comes when they actually open the locked box.

DMC then meets with former military interrogator Drew McAdam to discover how the army use deceptive techniques to read people and gain advantage over an enemy.  The two of them then put these techniques to the test in a performance that combines scientific analysis with breath-taking trickery.

For the episode finale, DMC brings all he has learned together into one final performance of deception.  Going up against top National Rifle Association marksman and trainer, Myles Robertson, DMC heads to the rifle ranges at Bisley to see if he can outdo one of the UK’s top shooters on his own patch, with his own special brand of magic, deception and prediction.

Exploring the dark and often disturbing world of sorcery and witchcraft, DMC uncovers the oldest form of magic – one that stretches back to the start of recorded history.  Taking inspiration from magic that has been believed in for centuries as well as the witchcraft he sees alive and thriving in Mexico, DMC performs stunning magic inspired by all he discovers.

Along the way he shows how sorcery still has the power to confound, scare and amaze modern audiences.

Beginning in his hometown of London with a shocking piece of magic that channels the darkest elements of magic DMC then heads to Mexico – a country where witchcraft is not a thing of the past but a thriving, growing part of mainstream society.  At the sprawling Sonora Market he uncovers a world of potions, lotions and spells before creating his own magical concoction with amazing magical effects.

On the streets of Mexico City DMC performs amazing close-up magic using voodoo dolls and channeling people’s deepest fears.   A meeting with a bruja, a Mexican witch who mixes Aztec beliefs with voodoo, inspires him to perform his own take on a classic piece of magic with Mexican ties.  At a supposedly haunted ruined hacienda DMC creates his own take on a Spirit Cabinet, calling forth the spirits in a uniquely Mexican way.

Returning to London his journey ends dramatically as he creates a magical performance that brings together all that he has leant – of darkness and light, fear and faith and life and death.  DMCs audience are invited to watch as he climbs inside a wooden box which is then set on fire, echoing the death of medieval witches on a pyre.  But can he show the ability to control death?

In this episode DMC (Drummond Money Coutts) explores the overlapping worlds of the magician, the gambler and the cheat - worlds rife with control, greed, and high emotion.

DMC explores the techniques they have in common before merging his skills as a cheat and magician in a daring heist, designed to fool his audience and allow him a clean get away.

DMC’s journey begins with his demonstrations of sleight of hand and misdirection, in order to show how both the card cheat and the magician use them to their advantage.

Taking to the streets of central London, for a magical game of dice, he shows how a cheat prefers their skills to remain invisible whereas a magician seeks adulation for theirs, leaving his audience baffled and amazed.

He then creates a multilayered piece of close up card magic, demonstrating how these skills are best performed slowly and naturally – skillfully fusing manipulation and control alongside misdirection.

DMC then travels to Mexico where card playing is still regarded with suspicion due to its association with the once illegal world of gambling. On his arrival DMC dumbfounds spectators with a trick that teaches them that with gambling it’s about knowing when to stop.  He then meets a local card magician and casino boss and learns that despite their recent legalization card play and gambling are still regarded negatively, before testing this notion with a trick that almost causes his audience to assault him!