Desert Island Tricks artwork

Performing Arts · Alakazam Magic

Desert Island Tricks

by Alakazam Magic

Each week, host Jamie Daws invites one of the biggest guests in the world of magic to maroon themselves on the Alakazam Magic desert island. They are allowed to take with them 8 tricks, 1 book, 1 banishment and 1 non magic item that they use for magic! They even get a welcome package with a deck of card inside! We discuss their 'can't live without' lists and why those items were chosen. Episodes are uploaded every Friday and are available via all Podcast service providers! To find out more about the team behind Desert Island Tricks, please visit: www.alakazam.co.uk 

Latest episodes

Showing 20 · updated from the feed

Stranded with a Stranger: Stephen Maule

A coin vanishes three times, ends up trapped inside a phone and then bends after the spectator has been holding it. That’s how Stephen Maule chooses to open his desert is

Sep 25
25 min

SOS: Oliver Meech

Magic gets stale when we keep reaching for the same props, the same references and the same “safe” structures. So we invited Oliver Meach back for a Desert Island Tricks

Sep 18
1 h 48 min

Michael J Fitch

He’s performed for Queen Elizabeth II, he’s a resident magician in Gordon Ramsay restaurants and he’s Vice President of The Magic Circle, but he still geeks out over the

Sep 11
1 h 32 min

Chris Funk

A card rises to the top of the deck because a violin is playing and somehow that makes perfect sense by the time it’s over. That’s the kind of “how is this even happening

Sep 4
1 h 17 min

Stranded with a Stranger: Luke Murray

Luke Murray sends in his desert island list and it is an incredible working mentalism set: strong openings, clean mid-show impossibilities and a closer with competition-w

Aug 28
20 min

Kieron Johnson

The easiest way to spot a real magician isn’t the trick, it’s what happens when something goes wrong. Kieron Johnson joins us to talk about the skills you can’t fake: aud

Aug 21
1 h 33 min

SOS: Wayne Goodman

A “best of” list is easy to make. A forever list is brutal. Wayne Goodman comes back to his desert island lineup and we pressure-test it like working pros: what still pla

Aug 14
58 min

John Bulleid

An elephant stands on an empty stage. No cover, no curtain, nowhere to hide. Then a flash of light and it’s gone. That’s where we start with John Bulled, internationally

Aug 7
1 h 38 min

Stranded with a Stranger: Tom Rolfe

A deck of cards turns into dental floss, a salt cellar melts through a table and a “Russian roulette” style routine somehow becomes a smart lesson in character and contro

Jul 31
21 min

Tom Stone

The fastest way to kill your creativity is to make it easy. Tom Stone explains why he keeps raising the bar for himself, how he avoids falling into a “system” and why a l

Jul 24
1 h 10 min

Christopher Carter

If you’ve ever watched mentalism drag under too much procedure, Christopher Carter brings a refreshing counterpoint: move fast, stay direct and make the audience feel the

Jul 17
1 h 15 min

Pete Heat

A billionaire builds a Star Wars-shaped house in Portugal, hires a team to stage a “mind-reading” AI, and throws a party so convincing that guests keep asking how to buy

Jul 10
1 h 24 min

Stranded with a Stranger: Tim Ambrose

A single moment can reboot your creativity and for Tim Ambrose, it happened in a Las Vegas hotel mall while everyone else went out for the night. He wandered into a magic

Jul 5
26 min

Steve Faulkner

Often, it feels like you have total control when performing magic. But what if everything depended on a split second? That’s where Steve Faulkner begins his desert island

Jun 26
1 h 19 min

Guy Hollingworth

A magic classic finally gets its next chapter and the creator is as thoughtful as you’d hope. We’re joined by magical royalty, Guy Hollingworth to talk about More Drawing

Jun 19
1 h 57 min

Oscar Leonard

A cruise ship theatre looks glamorous from the outside but the work is brutally practical: your show has to reset fast, pack down smaller than you want and still hit like

Jun 12
1 h 28 min

Michael Vincent

Your magic can be technically flawless and still feel forgettable. This conversation with Michael Vincent hit us like a wake-up call: the real goal is the experience you

Jun 5
1 h 31 min

Stranded with a Stranger: David Rhodes

A lot of magic advice lives in theory. David Rhodes brings something better: a working performer’s list of eight routines he’d keep if everything else disappeared, plus o

May 29
24 min

Jean Luc Bertrand

The magic that stays with you isn’t always the trick you can describe, it’s the feeling you can’t shake. That’s where our conversation with French magician, creator, hypn

May 22
1 h 42 min

SOS: Harry Nardi

We’re drawing a line in the sand: self-working tricks are not a guilty pleasure. If the audience can’t backtrack the method and the moment feels impossible, it’s real mag

May 15
59 min

Chart trend

Position in the Performing Arts chart (US), last 90 days.

#70
all-time peak
25
days in the top 100 since Dec 2024

Chart positions

Where Desert Island Tricks ranks today in each Apple Podcasts chart (US, Sep 26, 2026).

#191 — Performing Arts US

What listeners say

A curated, balanced selection of Apple Podcasts reviews.

This is a really fantastic magic /mentalism podcast. The premise is fun and each guest brings a different perspective and vibe to the questions and format. I am really enjoying hearing about all the guests’ Desert Island Tricks. Their book selections are great, too!

John Moran · Oct 2024

Desert Island Tricks has quickly become one of my favorite podcasts on magic. It is so much more than most magic podcasts where we hear the same old story about the magician getting a magic see under the Christmas tree. By discussing their favorite tricks, we learn more about the performer, what makes them tick, and how to improve ourselves. More than once I’ve been inspired to pick up and read a new magic book. And I’ve also been inspired to add a few new effects to my repertoire. thank you, Alakazam for putting on this great podcast each week.

Magical Dimensions · Jun 2024

There are a lot of Podcasts to listen to but it is my personal opinion Desert Island Tricks is the most enjoyable. Based on the first two episodes I find myself digging through my draw of forgotten tricks, and hitting books long forgotten. Jamie Daws does an extremely good job interviewing his guests. I find this Podcast to be not only enjoyable but a wealth of information. As always if Alakazam Magic has there name attached to it you can count on it being quality. I believe every magician young, and old is going to get a wealth of information just listening. The only thing left to say is Enjoy.

BurtE54 · Feb 2024

I am enjoying this podcast so much. I am just a hobbyist and am learning so much about effects and how to routine them. I have added several to my wishlist and a couple of good books, too. Keep it coming! Thanks, Jamie and Alakazam.

TNCerny42 · Nov 2024

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