By Joanna Orland
First and foremost, Chris Cox is an entertainer. The performer who has an array of accolades in his repertoire, a hit live show called Fatal Distraction, and a brand new BBC Three show called Killer Magic, is a fascinating character. His performances entail “mind-reading” magic alongside comedy and narrative, captivating his audience using psychology, body language, and the power of influence to reel people in. Hook, line and sinker, there I was having my mind violated by the wonderfully charming, interesting, and chatty Chris Cox.
I must admit — magic freaks me out. I know it’s not real. I understand how Chris uses other techniques such as psychoanalysis and manipulation to produce his illusions. I don’t believe in witchcraft. What overwhelms me is that a regular human being can be that much more intuitive than the majority of us, so much so that he can use these powers to not only entertain, but to have us question, beyond our own reasonable logic, that perhaps he actually can read our minds.
In spite of Chris explaining some of his mind-reading techniques to me, I couldn’t help but be very impressed by the trick he tried out on me after our interview was over. He not only “read my mind”, but he also manipulated me into “reading” his. Even with my guard up, I couldn’t help but be dazzled by the “cul-de-sac” technique he used to figure out what I was thinking.
Beyond the magic, Chris continues to be a fascinating character. His comedy stylings have mass appeal not only in his live performances, but he is also the man behind viral video Wolverine The Musical from BBC Radio 1. His love of theatre and narrative is his inspiration, with magic and comedy as merely details and hooks within a grander scheme. For example, his show Fatal Distraction is based on the true story of Chris getting his heart broken. It raises the question, “is love the only real bit of magic in the world?” I dare you to not find this endearing.
He’s probably manipulated me into writing such a flattering article, so for the sake of impartiality, do listen to my audio interview with Chris Cox as he chats to me about narrative, theatre, comedy, and even reveals the secret of how he reads minds!
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Chris Cox: Fatal Distraction is at Udderbelly Festival on May 3rd, 2014.