Magic man casts spell of success
MAGICIAN Ben Cardall is hoping his amazing sleight-of-hand tricks will be enough to convince the crowds that he is Stoke's Top Talent 2009.
If not, the trickster might just use his ability as a stage hypnotist to make sure stage star Jonathan Wilkes picks him ahead of the other competitors.
Ben, pictured right, of Glover Street, Birches Head, has been performing magic since he was 10 years old and, after learning hypnotism just over a year ago, has incorporated mind tricks into his act.
The 22-year-old professional actor said: "I saw a David Blaine special on TV, where he cut a coin in half, then put it back together.
"That was it for me – I just had to know how he did it. From then on, I was always researching magic and trying new tricks. I made friends at school who were interested in magic and we would swap DVDs and tricks and techniques we had learned.
"From there, magic spawned the hypnotism. Many magic tricks use hypnotism. I have a friend who is a hypnotherapist who taught me some techniques.
"I hypnotise people by distracting the conscious mind and talking to the subconscious.
"It can take anything from 30 seconds to a few minutes to put someone under. If I am on stage I have to do it pretty much instantly. So it is about picking someone who is going to be very suggestible.
"Then, a lot of it is about confidence."
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Watch Ben's hypnotism
Ben, father to three-year-old Gabriel, says his favourite trick is called "Something Fishy". It involves turning a piece of paper into dollar bills, then a £10 note, until finally it is consumed in a ball of fire and a live fish magically appears in its place.
He generally performs his magic in casinos and bars, walking from table to table to show his tricks to a handful of people at a time. But he has recently transferred his skills to the stage.
Ben's mum Irene Wainwright said: "I'm quite shy and Ben was very shy as a child, so it is not something I have ever pushed him towards.
"But from the moment he saw David Blaine, magic was all he wanted to do.
"The first time I saw him perform I was really frightened for him but he was really good."
This year's Top Talent competition begins with auditions at Hanley's Victoria Hall, which take place on June 13 and 14, followed by "callback" auditions at the same venue the following Sunday, June 21.
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Ben's card trick
The contest is open to non- professional performers of any age, whose acts are suitable for a family audience.
Event organisers are keen to stress that they are not simply looking for singers and dancers and are appealing for a wide variety of acts.
The winning act will receive a three-month contract to appear alongside home-grown talent Jonathan Wilkes, pictured, in this year's Regent pantomime – Dick Whittington – and £1,000 from show sponsors, The Sentinel.
More from Stoke's Top Talent:
Make a date, as city begins its search for a star
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