Gambit the Magician, aka Sean Gray, during a show at Waterworld.
Gambit the Magician, aka Sean Gray, has professionally entertained Waikato crowds with his tricks and magic skills for the past two years.
Gray, 26, has had a passion for magic since he was a 15-year-old Melville High School student but has gotten serious with it in the past six years.
“A friend in high school showed me a magic trick with some cards. I loved it, although I knew how it was done - or at least I knew another method to accomplish the same result - I was hooked from that moment.
“I started by watching YouTube videos showing basic tutorials. In about 2017, I came across an awesome magician - now a ‘puzzle guy’ - Chris Ramsay on YouTube. Since watching his videos and learning ‘the more serious magic’, I got pulled even deeper down the rabbit hole.
“I became a sponge in the magic world and learnt so much about magic effects and performances. I became addicted and the rest is history.
“My wife Vayani pushed me to start performing publicly. I wanted to start sharing my talent with everyone and watch them experience the excitement that I once did, but no longer can since I am ‘in the know’.”
Although working full-time and running a business, Gray hoped he could transition to magic full-time so he could do what he loved - as well as having more financial stability and a lot more time to spend with his family.
But how did the name Gambit the Magician come about?
“After brainstorming a few different names, a colleague nicknamed me Gambit because he knew I was into magic. Gambit is the name of one of Marvel’s X-men who is pretty much a ‘magician’. So that’s where it began.”
He doesn’t know of any other magician in the Waikato, so hoped that would give him a big point of difference from other entertainers.
“Secondly, my character is funny. There is a lot of slapstick in my show - things that make fun of me. The magic is happening to me a lot of the time instead of me making magic. There is an element of surprise as nobody - even myself - knows what’s happening.”
Gray hoped to be the first name that came to mind for entertainment in the Waikato.
“Above the superhero/princess parties and even above the party venues. I would like to eventually move into corporate shows, doing serious magic shows for big companies, or even having my own venue for people to come and watch my show.”
Gray says he can now accept bookings with just one day’s notice. Although it has taken a lot of hard work, he’s happy and proud of how far he has come.
“There was a time when I needed a minimum of two weeks to plan and put together a show, but now I know my material so well that I can put together and perform a well-functioning set that has led me to 17 five-star reviews on Google.
“A magic show is an excellent bit of entertainment for children. I wish I had been able to see a magician when I was a child, but unfortunately, there was no such service available.
“Help keep the magic alive in New Zealand and let the kids’ imaginations run wild! Reach out to me and help your child have an awesome magical experience.”
To contact Gambit the Magician, make a booking or find more information, visit magicwithgambit.com or email info@magicwithgambit.com.
Jesse Wood is a multimedia journalist based in Te Awamutu. He joined the Te Awamutu Courier and NZME in 2020.
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