A box became my gateway to wonder…
Little did I know at twenty-one, when I auditioned for a show it would become my future passion and chosen profession. Whilst studying a degree in Drama at Queen’s university in Belfast, I went on work experience with Cahoots N.I., a Belfast based children’s theatre company who specialises in magic.
“Working as a box jumper on that show, I got to see magic literally from inside-out and surprisingly, I still fell head over heels in love withit even though I knew how the secrets worked!”
When I finished my Degree in Theatre I wanted more than anything to become was a professional magician.”
Nikola Arkane
Soon after that, I joined The Ulster Society of magicians. After winning a stage competition in 2006 I was elected their first ever female chair from 2012 to 2013. In 2016 I was asked to organise my first Irish magic convention, ‘Belfast MagiCon’ on behalf of the club bringing magicians from all over the world including Roberto Giobbi from Switzerland, Canada’s Shane Cobalt, Malin Nilsson from Sweden, America’s John Lenahan and Rafael from Belgium. Many local artists contributed to this wonderful weekend celebrating magic in the city I was born in.
From 2016 – 2018 I helped devise and create “Danny Carmo’s Mathematical Mysteries” a multimedia illusion and magic show with Cahoots N.I. and thanks to an American theatre agent buying the show, I toured that show in theatres all over America – twice. I visited so so many cool places including; Florida, Poughkeepsie, Detroit, Vermont, Montana, Colorado, Texas, San Fransisco, California and even the magic capital of the world Las Vegas!
When passion becomes a way of life!
In 2018 I decided that I wanted to begin performing close-up magic professionally. Up until that point I was literally petrified of platforming for adults. And, in the summer of that year, I was given the wonderful opportunity to travel to Sweden and participate in Tom Stone’s Magic University Conjuring Course. This was a week long workshop in magical performance, misdirection and prop making. I was just one of many magicians attending from all over the world.
On the course I even got to make my first magic wand from scratch, learning from the talented master, Tim Star. This opportunity along with much encouragement from many of my friends and family in the magic world led me to finally begin pursuing my dream of moving from children’s magic into close up and stage magic professionally.
Springing off this experience, in January 2019 I was booked to perform my first close-up and stage act for adults professionally at The Magic Club in Oslo in January. Following that I performed at The Chicago Magic Lounge in July and in August with Mystique in Stockholm.
In September I competed and won the International Brotherhood of Magicians British Ring Close Up Competition and took first place in the Ali Bongo Micro Marathon.
After winning these accolades I achieve one of my all time lifetime goals – I was booked to perform thirty-five shows at the The Magic Castle in Hollywood in the Close-Up Gallery and in the Parlour of Prestidigitation (as FizzWizzPop). Achieving this goal a year into my close up journey, a goal which many magicians aim towards most of their careers, I feel humbled and honoured to have been given this opportunity to step up and showcase my magic to the world representing the U.K. and Ireland at this level.
An apocalypse won’t stop Arkane!
2020 was to be the year I began travelling the world showcasing my magic however, the COVID-19 pandemic cut all prospects of travelling anywhere outside my bedroom overnight. Quite soon during the March lockdown I realised that I can approach this one of two ways. I can either do nothing. Or I can try my best to improve myself as a person and performer.
Firstly, I began to read and learn as much magic as I could. With the desire to upgrade my skills, thinking that when the world managed to get back to some form of normality I’d be ready to hit the ground running. As the first lockdown week progressed into several months I knew I had to do something more than practice to keep magic alive for myself. And if anything else, keep sane!
Funded by The Arts Council of Northern Ireland and National Lottery Fund, I built a tiny studio theatre in my bedroom to stream magic shows for children and adults all over the world. Over the next year I became a regular guest performer at The Chicago Magic Lounges Cocktail hour weekly online shows, Washington Magic, Monday Night Magic, The Amsterdam Magic Show and I also performed on behalf of the Academy of Magical Arts three times in their virtual magic shows for members. These shows allowed me to invent new material, expand my contacts within the industry and allowed people who wouldn’t necessarily ever see me performing, have my magic up on their television screens globally.
You believed in me, now I believe in myself!
The support I have received since the pandemic ended from the magic world has been staggering. And my career has snowballed ever since. Coming out of the pandemic in 2021, I was a part of a series of Podcast interviews, was featured in magazines including being on the front cover of the I.B.M’s International magazine – The Linking Ring! I performed in both the I.B.M British and International online Gala shows this year and my first convention in front of a live audience again, Sweden’s Magic Weekends in Lund from 1st to 3rd October 2021.
Blogging helped me find my voice
Alongside performances I began writing a Monday Magic blog every week. And I continued to do so between 2019-2021 with the goal to improve my writing skills so that one day I would publish my own books. In November 2019 I published my first book Becoming FizzWizzPop! And then in February 2020 I released The Chaos Within lecture notes.
In the last year I have managed to write two new magic books that are about to be released. Firstly an apocalyptic close-up book titled, In Plain Sight and thanks to The Arts Council of Northern Ireland funding this second book project, POP was brought to life. POP explores the magic show and material I’ve been performing as my kids character FizzWizzPop since 2008. Essentially my life’s work as a magician.
If you know me, you’ll know I never stop and between performing in online shows, getting back to live shows I also in the last week competed and won the I.B.M British Ring Picnic, BRAVO online competition with my Cups and balls routine which I’d been working on since January 2020. It feels unbelievably great to work and develop something to the point I’m able to share it with others – I am very grateful for the award and praise!
This Girls Got Talent
Just before the pandemic reached its climax, I was asked to participate in television show Sweden’s Talang, Got Talent competition where I got a standing ovations in my audition carrying me through to the Semi-Finals.
This show gave me the opportunity to hone my cups and balls act into the beautiful piece of magic it is today and I also got to build a completely brand new magic act.
Here are links to my audition and semi final performance
A Rising Star & Cover Girl
Shortly after this I was featured on the front cover of one of the industry’s longest running magic magazine’s Genii Magazine. An article which showcased my story from beginning till now. And just the next month I was also surprised by being awarded The Allan Slaight International Rising Star Award which came with a cash grant and iPad award.
Penn & Teller’s: Fool Us
And as if being on one television show was not enough, I decided to audition for one of the biggest magic shows on television today – Penn & Teller’s: Fool Us.
I managed to be selected and performed on Season 10 of the series. Which you can watch here.
Competing and Travelling the world
In the last two years I have continued my journey of sharing what I love most with the world. I became a Grand Prix winner of Sweden’s Stage Magic, 1st Prize winner of Stage magic and Parlour in 2023.
I’ve travelled to many conventions around the world sharing my passion for this artform. The Session, London. Illusions Denmark. Trix in the Stix. Blackpool Magic Convention and many more.
I toured with Northern Ireland’s own, Peter Corry as the specialist magic act in “The Showman is Coming” across the Netherlands.
Performed twice at Chris Wilders “Curious Cabaret”
Returned to The Magic Castle performing in both The Parlour of Prestidigitation and The Palace of Mystery
I competed in my first F.I.S.M. Europe in May 2024 perhaps the biggest competition I’ve ever done and biggest stages I’ve performed on ever!
From that I applied to The Arts Council of Northern Ireland for an Support the Individual Award Project to fund a mentorship programme with Korean FISM winner Hyunjoon Kim which I was granted in November 2024 and I travelled to Korea to study this January 2025 for a full month.
Final thoughts…
The journey for my continues. But I guess if I have learnt anything from all these experiences is that to never give up trying to achieve your dreams.
Little and often is the way to get stuff done
And finally but most importantly you MUST believe in yourself.
It may have taken me thirty-nine years on this planet to realise this but it has been the key to unlocking everything good in life!
Onwards to magic!
Thanks for reading!
Nikola Arkane