chance to meet actual working pros , including a man named Roy Cowl who would become his first real mentor . Roy taught him a great deal about magic .
But Roy also did something else that would change Nick ’ s life forever …
One sunny Brighton day , he invited Nick to join him on trip to London . A friend of Roy ’ s , named Ken Brooke , had just opened a brand-new magic studio . It was located at 145 Wardour Street in the trendy neighborhood of Soho , in the heart of London ’ s West End . Nick was blown away . This was no ordinary magic shop , piled with tricks and apparatus . It was , indeed , a magic studio , complete with a couch and magic bar .
Ken offered Nick and Roy a cup of tea , and they began chatting . Upon hearing that Nick did the Linking Rings , Ken asked him to perform his routine . “ After I did ,” Nick says , “ he complimented me . I felt so proud . Then he showed me his routine . I sat on the couch astounded , and when Ken asked me what I thought , I replied : ‘ With my rings , some of them are already joined together and there is a gap in one of them .’ Ken looked at me and smiled , saying , ‘ We will make a magician of you yet .’ In that moment , my entire life changed . And I will always be eternally grateful to Roy Cowl for introducing me to the great Ken Brooke .”
Though Nick ’ s performance was average at best , Ken saw a spark of genius in him . He also recognized Nick ’ s abundance of ambition and desire . All he needed was mentoring . And that is exactly what Nick got . He saved every penny from doing kids shows and used it to pay Ken to mentor him , explaining : “ Virtually every week , gigs permitting , I would take the train to London and continue my magical education with Ken . His tuition fee was an astronomical guinea ( one pound and one shilling ) for each half hour . It was the best money I could have spent . And the best lesson … always learn from the greats !”
Ken didn ’ t just teach Nick how to do tricks ; he taught him how him how to create compelling routines that would grab audiences , including : a complete rethinking of his Linking Rings routine , along with routines for the Multiplying Bottles , Nemo Rising Cards , Sponge Balls , Coins Through Table , and Nick ’ s newest favorite , the Ken Brooke Electric Hair / Paper Balls Over the Head . Once Nick had mastered the techniques required for each routine , Ken worked with him to learn pacing and how to put his new routines together to create a commercial act , two elements far more important than merely stringing a bunch of tricks back-to-back .
While working with Ken , Nick also had the opportunity to meet several other top magicians , including Tony Slydini , Fred Kaps , Tommy Cooper , Billy McComb , Pat Page , Maurice Fogel , and a host of others . Each of these magic greats influenced him in different ways — some inspirational and others by their unique styles and techniques .
“ I became a huge fan of Billy McComb when I saw him perform the Gypsy Thread at a London Society of Magicians event at the Conway Hall ,” Nick states . “ From that moment on , I thought there was nothing I would prefer more than restoring a piece of broken yarn while telling good jokes . I still