We recently had a chat with one of our business members, David Fung. David is a Professional Magician based in Norwich and we discussed his experience living and performing in Norfolk.
Do you have a favourite venue in Norfolk you like to perform at?
It’s so hard to pick out one venue, there are so many beautiful locations and buildings in Norfolk. The Assembly House does stand out as a particular favourite. Hockwold Hall is a great location, as well as hosting performances such as my own, they hold events such as Wedding Fayres. The owners, Richard and Marie are warm and welcoming. I enjoy travelling across the county, visiting Norfolk’s numerous stately homes, and the event venues. Some of which are so full of history and character. Dunston Hall is another favourite venue to perform at. Essentially, it’s the people who really make a performance memorable, the atmosphere is everything.
What is your perfect Norfolk day out?
My perfect day would start with the weather, hopefully the sun would be shining on a warm, cloudless day. Perhaps take a drive over to Cromer and have a wander down the pier and along the beach. I’d finish back in Norwich, out for dinner with friends at Cisco’s (opposite John Lewis) for sushi and cocktails.
If you could invite 3 people in the world to visit one place in Norfolk who would they be, where would you take them and why?
I’m happy spending quality time with my family. Taking time to walk around Norwich, visiting the many churches and historic buildings. Perhaps I’d take them on a day trip around the Broads and treat them all to a falafel wrap at the end of the day.
What is the most amusing thing that has happened to you when performing in Norfolk?
One of the most interesting moments was during a play at Maddermarket Theatre in Norwich. I was playing a 1000-year-old wizard. I performed my own magic as part of the play. I had a wooden staff that produced flames and exploded in a flash of sparkles. I’ll never forget the image of the 1st rows faces with their eyes lit up and the feeling of the whole auditorium going ‘wow’.
Who inspired you to learn and perform magic?
One of my earliest memories was of my dad at parties and Christmas performing simple card tricks. I would ask him to do it again and again. He told a story where he’d seen a magician pick up a rock and water would come out. A few years ago, I managed to perform the same trick at the Maddermarket Theatre.
What advice would you give to someone who was thinking of starting out in magic?
The main thing is to have fun and enjoy it. Magic is a creative art, and you should do it in your own way. I would suggest that you take in knowledge from all sorts of sources; reading magic books, novels and films relating to Magic, go and watch other performers to give yourself ideas on what sort of magic interests you and you’d like to persue. You could even draw inspiration from nature itself.
How has lockdown impacted your ability to perform?
Lockdown had a huge impact. Live performances became impossible, and I missed live entertainment and creating those moments. The philosophy of magic is all about being face to face, reaching out to connect with the audience.
There was the opportunity to perform zoom shows, but that’s no real substitute for live performance.
David Fung is a member of the Inner Magic Circle and is now taking bookings for events, weddings, parties and Christmas celebrations for this year and next. Visit his fantastic web site https://davidfung.co.uk to book and find out more.
You can also follow David on the following social media accounts:
https://twitter.com/DavidFungUK
https://www.facebook.com/DavidFungUK
https://instagram.com/DavidFungUK
