By Laura Frykberg
Forget bunnies drawn from hats and attractive women being sawn in half, the job of the illusionist is far from that of the magician.
Paul Kieve makes the seemingly impossible look possible, but don't mistake his work for a magician's.
Mr Kieve says an illusionist is something very different.
“A magician would be someone who works with smaller props, smaller materials, an illusionist would be someone who works with vanishing tigers, and working through brick walls, and big spectacular stunts. The fact is, I describe myself as an illusionist because it’s a more honest term – because I’m creating the illusion of magic,” says My Kieve.
British-based, the illusionist is in New Zealand working his magic on Masi, a stage production about its director's parents' romance.
Mr Kieve's talents have also been put to use on film sets - one of his most famous creations is Harry Potter's magical map.
When asked why he can’t reveal his trade secrets, his answer is simple.
“I always say it’s very boring to know how these things are done. In a way, it’s almost better to know the effect magic has on people when you don’t see how it’s done, and it’s interesting when you set up an illusion – it’s quite a fragile thing because the mind starts to want to believe it’s a magical thing,” he says.
While Masi does not have quite the budget a Harry Potter film does, Mr Kieve says illusion on the stage can often be the more magical experience
Audiences can decide for themselves when Masi opens in March next year.
3 News