It’s a kinda magic – By Simon Savidge

For some reason the Queen song (see above) has been running through my brain non-stop but I suppose it was only natural since I recently met gay magician Stephen Dela. Perhaps, at the moment, not the best known of all those who deal in the art of hocus-pocus but who we at Bent feel will soon be entertaining and leaving the masses both confused and elated by his magical skill.

So Stephen when did you first know that you wanted to be a magician?

I always had a fascination with magic from an early age; I think as a child that you always find the whole magic thing quite special. I guess that’s why Harry Potter has done so well, kids love it and the kid in us loves it. I liked the idea of making things disappear and knowing things adults didn’t know (laughs) I guess there was a streak in me that wanted to entertain too.

Are there other gay magicians?

Well ,of course, there are quite a few. In fact I started a gay magic circle, which sounds really rude (laughs) but it isn’t. Taking centre-stage here in the UK is the legendary Derren Brown, it’s interesting, as I think he is in a way a magician and yet he uses it to try and disprove magic, although his mind reading it’s very interesting. After all we all know that it’s not ‘really’ magic it’s an illusion. I don’t have a wand.

Well that kills all the jokes I was going to make about comparing who has the biggest wand…

(Laughs) We don’t all sit around comparing wands… no. Someone did recently ask me if I ever got wand envy (laughs). I am quite happy with my wand thank you very much for asking (laughs). It’s a good line with all the boys though.

Does doing a bit of prestidigitation (sleight of hand) help in meeting men.

In some ways it does, you meet men who are attracted to the sexy showbiz lifestyle but then again do you really want people like that for more than a fling? In reality, when you tell someone that you are a magician the instant image they get is me performing at a children’s party and that tends to make them laugh, which is a bit of a passion killer.

You don’t really get magicians on the gay scene do you?

To get more work on the gay scene I did magic in drag for a while… I would love to do more shows in bars and clubs. Mind you if you come and see the show it’s very camp and we get a lot of gay men in the audience so, in a way, it’s like a gay club with magic tricks… but in a theatre.