Aspiring magician Thomas Hayman says a 9-5 job is not in his future. Photo / John Stone
Aspiring magician Thomas Hayman says a 9-5 job is not in his future. Photo / John Stone
Thomas Hayman first got interested in sleight of hand as a way of making the ladies swoon.
"I was watching a clip on Youtube where a guy uses magic to make a girl kiss him, I thought that was pretty cool," the 17-year-old Whangarei Boys' High student said.
He decidedit wasn't the best tactic for finding a girlfriend but did become obsessed with the art of magic, practicing up to two hours a day and getting a part-time job to fund his hobby.
Now the young magician has had his first big break, booked to perform in Whangarei alongside well-known hypnotist Dave Upfold.
He has also performed corporate gigs and can be found meandering the streets in his spare time, entertaining strangers with his growing repertoire of illusions.
"You need to be really, really good with people. I spend one hour a day practicing a single move and the other hour I spend working on interacting with people."
His parents were happy he had found his passion but worried about the lack of a regular pay cheque.
While some tricks were self-taught, many had to be purchased to master.
