By Vương Bạch Liên

A dozen people surrounded Belgian illusionist, Bruno Marchal, as he was performing his magic cards tricks at a spectacle in Hà Nội last week.

Everyone tried to follow his gestures closely, but nobody could explain why cards transformed under their noses, or how he could correctly guess a card which had been secretly chosen by one spectator, and not revealed to anyone else.  

Like others who watched the performances, I was stunned by his talent.   

Anne Lange, delegate of Wallonie-Bruxelles International, said last week that she was herself amazed by his skills.

“He is a true magician,” she said.

‘Close up’ magic tricks

Marchal, in his 50s, has lived in Hà Nội for more than ten years, but his interest in magic began 30 years ago. He said that one day he found himself mystified by David Blaine (one of the most famous artists in this field) and his close up magic tricks. Working on his skills and abilities, honing his talents at events such as the Louis Vuitton opening ceremony or Hermes Ceremony at the Hanoi Opera House, he has managed to find his way in magic and each performance can now be deemed a ‘must see’. Here in Hà Nội, his magic is mainly designed for cocktail or dinner parties. He performs amongst people with a deck or cards, close to his audience, not on a stage. No mirrors, no smoke, no hidden places, only his hands and a deck of cards. He has performed in English, French and Vietnamese at important hotels in the capital.

He specialises in playing cards because he finds them to be “universal”.

“Everyone around the world has played cards. Vietnamese audiences also love them. This is a wonderful medium, easy and accessible. Any card game can be manipulated and used to amaze anyone, children and adults. No need for fake artifacts or objects that in my opinion spoil the real impact of magic. Another huge advantage with Close-Up magic is that everything happens in front of your eyes, viewers are themselves actors, they can touch the cards and look at everything”, he said. 

“It’s an amazing spectacle because it uses no artifice. The magician plays with the people’s perception as well as their minds. It is true illusion in front of the audience. What people see is actually not what happens but nobody realises,” he said.

He has never taken any lessons. Only some illusionists showed him some techniques because they felt he had some skills. He also attended magicians’ congresses in which he and experts share and discuss old and new techniques. "It is all about work and training, and a lot of practice because everything has to look smooth and natural," he said.

His 12-year-old daughter has also started to learn some techniques and a few routines that she presents to her friends. Marchal said that he would be willing to teach others his techniques.

"Like other magicians have done with me, I am quite ready to teach my techniques and provide training to those interested. I have already done it with some people and if in the future there is a significant demand, I could start a magic club in Hà Nội. Nevertheless future magicians should be aware that it requires patience and fastidious training that could last several months before starting to perform in front of an audience.

But there is a huge reward of being able to bring dreams to life in the eyes of people by showing them impossible things,” he said.