Magician · Historian · Raconteur
Mike Austin
Seventy years at the crossroads of wonder — performing, collecting, and chronicling the art of magical deception.
A lifetime
in the wings
Magic found me before I had the words to describe it. Over seven decades the art has been companion, career and obsession — from the wonder of that first impossible trick to the rigour of serious historical research and the warmth of sharing it all on stage.
I’ve performed close-up magic to intimate audiences and toured nationally with a full illusion show. I’ve won an international award for close-up, and spent just as many hours in libraries and dealers’ rooms as I have in performance. Magic is not what I do — it is how I see the world.
These days I spend my time collecting, researching the rich history of our art, and bringing that history to new audiences through writing and a one-hour illustrated theatrical talk.
Mike Austin — magician, historian, consultant
Seven decades
of wonder
Magic arrived before I could explain it. By the time I could name what I was watching, it had already decided what I would become.
Over seven decades I have been a performer, a collector, a researcher and — above all — a devoted student of an art that never runs out of secrets.
“The greatest illusion is not the trick itself — it is the moment of absolute belief in the audience before the trick begins.”
— Mike AustinMy collection spans centuries and continents — books, apparatus, ephemera and correspondence from the great names of magic history. My research has been published and performed to magic societies and general audiences alike.
From close-up magic at intimate gatherings to full-scale illusion touring shows — a performing career spanning five decades with an international award for close-up magic.
A serious collection of magical apparatus, books, posters and ephemera charting the history of conjuring from the 18th century to the present day.
Published research into the history of magic — from Victorian automata to music-hall conjurers — presented to magic societies and historical audiences worldwide.
The journey
so far
A life measured not in years but in impossible moments, celebrated names and the particular silence of an audience that has just witnessed something it cannot explain.
Magic discovered at an early age; the first tricks learned from books and the first performances to family audiences. A lifelong fascination was sealed.
A full professional performing career — close-up magic, cabaret and an international touring illusion show. Award for close-up magic at an international competition.
A transition into project management training and consultancy, running alongside a continuing passion for magic and the beginning of serious collecting.
Deep archival research into magic history, a growing collection, and the development of Around the World with a Magic Wand — a theatrical talk bringing it all together.
One hour of
stories & wonder
Around the World with a Magic Wand is a one-hour illustrated theatrical talk in which Mike Austin traces his extraordinary life in magic — from childhood fascination, through professional performance, to the world of serious collecting and historical research.
Expect extraordinary stories, rare artefacts, celebrated names from magic history, and the occasional moment of genuine impossibility. The talk weaves personal memoir with the broader sweep of magical history — suitable for magic societies, theatre audiences, and anyone who loves a great story told well.
Performed as a polished one-person show with projected imagery and carefully chosen props, the talk has been developed over many years of research and refined with live audiences in mind.
Project
Management
Alongside a life in magic, I have spent thirty years in project management — training, consultancy and delivery across government, the NHS, financial services and the private sector.
I am an accredited PRINCE2 trainer (both 6th and 7th editions) and work with organisations and training providers to build genuine capability, not just exam passes.
Through my consultancy Red Spanner I offer training, rescue consultancy for troubled projects, and practical frameworks for teams who need to deliver.
Visit Red SpannerLet’s talk
magic, projects, or both
Whether you’re interested in booking Around the World with a Magic Wand, discussing a project management training or consultancy need, or simply want to talk magic history — please do get in touch.
mike@mikeaustin.co.uk