Producing the largest, live magic theatre show since the pandemic!

‘Magic to me is…’ uncovers what magic is to the magicians of Meta Illusions and the unique stories that set them on an unusual path to become performers

It has been over a year since physical shows and live performances were abruptly cancelled. Since then, we have adapted our shows to the virtual realm, performing at online teambuilding activities and virtual events. 

However, as performers, the desire for physical connection is part of our internal mould. ‘Magic to me is…’ is an opportunity that we have created to showcase live magic entertainment in Singapore for the very first time since the pandemic. 

We have been working hard to make this production come alive. At the initial phase of staging the show, the director, Alexander Yuen worked with the individual cast members to derive the best way to present what magic means to them. The show aims to go beyond the superficiality of mere trickery and present magic with a depth of meaning and value.

The show will be taking place on the night of 29th and 30th July 2021. We are super excited to be performing live again and are currently rehearsing hard for this show. 

Beyond the Magic

Besides spending hours learning sleight of hand and mastering the art of performance, we also take the time to develop other capabilities. These skills may not be directly linked to magic, but we believe that they are essential in increasing our value as a company. 

In our previous Townhall meeting, Edward Loke taught the team the fundamentals of video editing. After sharing his tips and tricks for creating quality productions, he was then challenged to conceptualize, cut and create one within just one hour.

Edward working against the clock to complete the video editing challenge

Check out the end result for yourself. Click the link below and enjoy!

NTU WKWSCI Students Learn Magic!

This month, we conducted another magic workshop for Nanyang Technological University, this time for the students at the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information. As part of their Communications week, they wanted to allow students to encounter unique opportunities beyond the school curriculum.

The workshop was headed by Kai Emmanuel who taught the students tricks with common everyday items that they could use on their friends and even social media. It was heartening to see them perform the tricks on their other friends right after the workshop. 

With the school’s support, we were able to provide special props for the students, which they could keep with them. The enthusiasm of the WKWSCI students to master the tricks also made the whole programme a joyful learning experience. 

We believe that learning magic can be an empowering experience and a useful skill. For more information on our Magic Workshops and the different courses we offer, please visit magicworkshops.org to view our past experiences and teaching philosophies. 

Virtual Magic Workshop for NTU!

We were recently engaged by Nanyang Technology University to conduct a virtual magic workshop for their CN Yang Scholars. The workshop was conducted by Edward Loke who taught the students beginner-friendly tricks from our General Magic Courses programme. 

The tricks were catered towards these university students' lifestyle and age, so that they would be able to perform these tricks to their peers in their free time. Thus, the materials consisted of everyday objects that could be turned into entertaining pieces of magic!

With the students being enthusiastic and responsive across the virtual platform, Edward had a great time teaching them as they even took down notes to remember the tricks. Recorded tutorials were also sent out post-workshop to provide quick recaps on the lessons taught. 

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Edward Loke has many years of professional performing experience. Since joining Meta Illusions, he has performed both locally and overseas in countries such as Vietnam and Hong Kong. Your guests will definitely be blown away with his witty and lively style of magic.

Virtual Magic Workshop for Google!

In December last year, I had the privilege to perform for my biggest client yet - Google. As part of their virtual year-end celebration, I was to perform magic as well as teach them all a trick. 

It was such a fun show as the Google staff interacted with me throughout my performance. After the performance segment, we went straight into the workshopping, where I thought them a simple trick with a pen and a coin. 

The Google staff then went into break-out rooms to practice the moves and come up with their own presentations for the trick. Upon re-entering the main room, we got some of the participants to perform the trick to the rest of us and I gave feedback to them. However, I only had positive things to say as they demonstrated the trick in such entertaining and creative ways!

Kai Emmanuel performing his Virtual Magic segment

I believe that Magic can teach one the value of authenticity because every trick that you learn can be presented in your own unique style and you can mix up the various sleight-of-hand moves to create your own tricks. 

It was truly a great pleasure to see the program run successfully and receiving the good feedback afterwards.  

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Kai Emmanuel has been performing Magic ever since he was a young boy. He brings his passion and finesse to every show. With the incorporation of story-telling techniques combined with compelling pieces of magic, your guests will be left utterly astonished.

The year that was 2020.

It was an unexpected, unprecedented and unique year to say the least. Many businesses went bankrupt, people lost their jobs and the economy plummeted.

Yet, here we are - at the end of a year filled with an onslaught of challenges and disappointments. 

We made the best out of it.

Let’s take a quick recap at some of the highlights from this year:

Project Expo

During the Circuit Breaker period, we collaborated with the Singapore General Hospital (SGH) to entertain migrant workers who were isolated at the Singapore Expo. Alexander Yuen, Jack Seet, Edward Loke and Markus Ng worked together to produce a magic video to inspire hope and Kai Emmanuel even taught them a trick that they could learn in their wards. 

Virtual Magic Shows

With all the physical limitations in place, we knew live magic performances would not be feasible for some time. Thus, we adapted and innovated our shows to the virtual realm. 

Magic Workshops

We believe that Magic can be used as a powerful tool in many situations - be it in the corporate world or in your daily lives. This year, we managed to kickstart our magic workshops, which can be run both physically and virtually with safety management protocols in place. 

We are grateful for the support we have received in 2020 and especially to all those that still believed in the power of magic to transform lives and spread hope. 

2020 will be remembered as a year not of failure, but fortitude. 

Let’s go 2021! 

Why Magic Workshops?

If you are looking for a new and interesting way to engage your team, then our Magic Workshops are a perfect fit for you. 

Our workshops are geared for team-building and application. They can be conducted safely in-person or virtually to suit your needs. 

In a recent workshop conducted for the volunteers at Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital, the instructors, Kai Emmanuel and Kenneth Kho received praise for their smooth training. 

The volunteers were taught several tricks with an emphasis on the presentational and interpersonal aspects of performance art. 

They were then placed into break out rooms. This enabled the instructors to provide individual feedback. 

We believe that Magic can be a powerful tool to break barriers especially in a time like this. Moreover, it is not a skill that can be easily picked up on your own (trust us, we’ve been there). 

Awaken your Magic with our workshops!

Find out more here.

MICE EVENTS - SAFER STAGE MAGIC SHOWS

The Singapore government recently announced that they would allow MICE events with up to 250 participants to resume. 

This is great news! We have been itching to get back up on stage for months.

But we can’t simply magic our way back to the stage amidst the pandemic. 

In anticipation for this, we have implemented new measures to ensure all performances are conducted with the lowest possible risk of transmission. Our Safe Magic Policy covers all components of the event – before, during and after. 

The revamped magic shows are 100% contactless, using UV sterilized props for an added level of protection. Therefore, event organizers can trust Meta Illusions for the highest standards of safety. 

Kai Emmanuel

Edward Loke

Satisfy your guests’ craving for entertainment. Let’s break the illusion of a new normal safely. 

#SafeForStage