Fooling two of the world's most renowned illusionists with a magic trick is no easy feat. But 14-year-old budding magician Daniel Kramer intends to do just that when he appears on new prime-time ITV1 television show Penn & Teller: Fool Us, tomorrow night (July 9). The show, hosted by Jonathan Ross, stars the US duo Penn Jillette and Raymond Teller.
Each week, a selection of magicians perform tricks in front of Penn and Teller, who attempt to figure out how the trick is done. Those who "fool" the eccentric Americans are invited to perform with them during their sell-out show in Las Vegas. Although Daniel, a year-10 pupil at Southgate School in north London, cannot reveal if they were stumped by his trick, he said: "I did two tricks and I'm happy with how they went. Penn and Teller enjoyed both.
"I tried to block them out while I was doing the tricks and perform just to the audience. When I looked at Penn and Teller at the end, they were both smiling, laughing and clapping. It was a very weird experience, but all great fun."
Daniel, who lives in Winchmore Hill, performed a card trick and an illusion involving a freakishly twisted arm. A member of the Young Magicians Club - a youth initiative of The Magic Circle - he has been practising magic since the age of seven. "My parents bought me a starter kit. I began to play with it and thought: 'actually, this is quite fun'. I started buying more tricks and haven't stopped."
He has since performed at the Cobden Club in west London, the Regal Room in Hammersmith and last year, starred in a children's ITV show, Tricky TV. But he said the ITV gig was his biggest yet.
"I am a massive fan of Penn and Teller. I've been watching them for years. I'd say this is the biggest thing I've done so far: it's proper television, on ITV, on prime time Saturday night."
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