Magic! at the Hideout
Three sold out shows so far at Trickster’s Hideout in Squamish.
Trickster’s Hideout in Squamish, Oct 10, 2025
AbracaDumbass
I wrote a book with my friend Wes Barker (Big Trick Energy). If you’ve ever wondered what the life of a magician is actually like, or how magic for TV is really made, this funny and unflinchingly honest book will tell you.
It’s basically a showbiz memoir, the story of the first ten years of his career, making his way from filling potholes for the city of Surrey to having his own national TV show in the US. But it also includes a few tricks and bar bets you can learn to do, all in Wes’s signature style.
Wes is a brave, friendly, hard working guy, the kind of dude who always makes the choice that leads to the better story, and you can feel that in these 280 pages. It’s currently available for pre-sale at his website: AbracaDumbass: A Magician Who Can't Keep A Secret – 2nd2none (wesbarker.shop).
Magic Outside
All my existing bookings have been cancelled or rescheduled due to the pandemic, but a couple of clever people thought to hire me for socially distanced outdoor shows, and they were great!
One was for people on their apartment balconies, another was for people at a park.
I’m not super interested in doing regular indoor shows right now as I think it’s too risky, but I’d definitely do more outdoor ones. It felt great to do a proper show for real live people (as opposed to performing over video), and I felt like all of us, the audience and I, had really missed it.
Getting set up for an outdoor show at a park.
A Single Deck of Cards at the Chilliwack Cultural Centre
Last Friday was the premiere of a new magic show, 90 minutes with only a single deck of cards, at the Chilliwack Cultural Centre. One more show, Friday Nov 8, 2019, at 7:30pm!
Unscriptured: Expanded Edition!
This January 10-12, Thursday to Saturday, at Havana Theatre on Commercial!
Finally testing out the expanded version of this show. No longer a solo show: now with music, a small choir, and guest preachers drawn from the local comedy scene.
It’s going to be ridiculous fun, and I think the variety or brains firing will create something really special.
What’s SO Funny?
Guested on Guy MacPherson’s super long running (I think longest running?) comedy podcast, What’s So Funny? We talked magic, starting a cult, and lots more — it was pretty fun, and it’s the first time I’ve had that unsettling thing where somebody springs a question on you that shows they did some research.
Unscriptured wins Pick of the Fringe 2018!
After a tour through Saskatoon, Edmonton, and Victoria, earning a couple of five star reviews along the way, Unscriptured returned home to the Vancouver Fringe where it sold out its run and was awarded Pick of the Fringe!
That’s three years in a row winning Pick… might be time to take a break.
Chris & Travis win Pick of the Fringe!
The Chris & Travis show has been selected for the Vancouver Pick of the Fringe 2017! Out of 101 shows, 6 were selected to be held over. Chris & Travis will be performing their extra show on Sunday, September 24, 7:45pm, at Performance Works on Granville Island!
Review for Chris & Travis
From this site:
CHRIS AND TRAVIS - Carousel Theatre
Reviewed by Penny Warwick
The Carousel Theatre seems like a cruelly small venue for this fantastic show, although being part of such an intimate audience makes you feel like you've stumbled upon a real gem - which this show is. Within moments of arriving due to the unplanned late arrival of a few guests, we were then offered an arm-wrestle-off to decide whether the new arrivals got to steal the best seats. This sets the mood perfectly for forty-five minutes of delightful absurd silliness.
The interplay between these two fringe stalwarts is effortless and as an audience member, you certainly feel that you are watching these two friends have a really great time on stage together. Audience interaction plays a huge role and whilst for the most part new 'guest stars' seemed to follow well, sometimes those chosen would hilariously misinterpret what the made-up-gibberish speaking protagonists were actually aiming for. The language used throughout is beautiful, a mix of absolute nonsense language with the occasional word thrown in for clarity or comedy, actually make that clarity and comedy.
Quite honestly I would watch this show every day of it's run if I could. Carousel is a small venue and so get your tickets fast as I have a sneaking suspicion sell-outs are on their way. If this show does not win Pick of Fringe I will eat my schmeogledug (that's an invisible cat, if you didn't know).
Chris & Travis at Vancouver Fringe!
Unscriptured at the Edmonton Fringe worked! I'll be bringing it back, for sure. But next week: Vancouver Fringe, performing in the improv duo, Chris & Travis, with Chris Ross.
Chris Ross is an absolute treasure of a human being—warm hearted, generous, and murderously funny. Come see us perform from September 7-17, 2017, on Granville Island!
Edmonton Fringe 2017!
After a surprisingly successful run with Chris & Travis at the Regina Fringe, and street performing at the Saskatoon Fringe, I've arrived in Edmonton with the new show, Unscriptured.
Currently scrambling for props, making all the last minute tweaks¹, and worrying.
If you're in Edmonton, come and see!
¹read: wholesale changes
Summer touring and a (gulp) brand new show.
I'll be in three cities, this summer:
1. Regina in early July for the Fringe with Chris & Travis, likely doing our No Language thing.
2. Saskatoon in early August, street performing as a magician.
3. Then Edmonton Fringe later in August, with a brand new show. Unscriptured is a solo improv show in which I lead a church service for a religion made up on the spot, based on an audience suggestion. I'm terrified.
4. Back in Vancouver in September I'll be doing Vancouver Fringe with Chris & Travis, possibly doing all 7 shows as No Language sets, but not yet decided...
Pacific Contact 2017
Just won "Best Booth" award at Pacific Contact in Vancouver. Definitely going to learn the wrong lesson from this.
