them lost in. If you can get them laughing and remind them it's not about being fooled, it's about being amazed, then usually they will go along with it. The best magic show is the one that leaves you with questions. In terms of TV work, you have written and starred in many high-profile TV series', including Monkey Magic, Psychic Secrets Revealed with Derren Brown, Jerry@Trick and Pen and Teller's Fool Us and Dirty Tricks. How do you feel magic has evolved since your early days in Monkey Magic? Monkey Magic was really the first new wave magic show. It was after David Blaine but he was still quite a mysterious stranger, whereas this was more Jackass or Trigger Happy TV. It was about four guys doing magic with weird objects in strange places. We would do magic with explosives on ladies in their 80s or with maggots and school girls so that they would freak out. The idea was that it would be like a stand up comedian doing magic as it's less patronising. Magic has come a long way in the last few years and is now more popular than ever. It's only now magicians are putting down their glitzy top hats. You have also co-written and starred in feature film Get Lucky which came out on 9th August. How do you find the transition from comedic magician to actor? It's actually an easy transition as it's very similar. When you're a magician, you're an actor playing the part of a magician. I have trained as an actor but I end up meeting a lot of producers because
I have worked on scripts and comedy. The challenge with Get Lucky is that it's a drama, but weirdly I enjoy doing that a bit more perhaps, as I am so used to doing comedy. The chance to get something different is always exciting. In addition to this, you already have films, Epic and The Anomaly coming out in 2014, and have recently finished filming for crimethriller Peterman. It must be great to have such variety in your work? It's amazing. Acting is always a hard thing to get full stop so to do four films close together is great. These three are very different films. Epic is a dark comedy directed by Ben Hopkins, who I genuinely think may be one of the most talented people I have ever met. It's a very funny film, with the comedic underplayed humour you might see in The Office. Peterman is also a very good film, directed by Mark Abraham. What appealed to me was its very clever premise. The Anomaly is sci-fi, so very different again. I don't know how you fit it all in! How do you relax on a day off? I don't really have days off. I'm very lucky to make a living doing my hobby so I am always thinking of new material. The trick is to find the thing you enjoy and then trick everyone else into paying you for it. Ali Cook's Principles and Deceptions tour will be at Tonbridge School on 4th October, 7.30pm. www.alicook.com
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