For the stage magician, just as for the musician, painter or surgeon, there are few things scarier than a permanent injury to one’s hands or arms.
For up-and-coming illusionist Luke Blaze, that was what he faced just before his 18th birthday four years ago.
Blaze was just about to take his show on the road when his right arm was mauled by the family dog in a completely unexpected attack.
“We still don’t know why, but he jumped up and went for my throat,” Blaze said.
“As a natural reaction I put my forearm up to protect myself and he latched onto it with a locked jaw. It was very painful and quite serious.
“My father and mother rushed me to the hospital. Upon arrival the nurse saw the outcome of the incident and within minutes I was under the knife.”
After months of rehabilitation, Blaze regained most of the use of his arm, but it has never fully recovered.
Despite this, Blaze, at 22 years of age, has become one of Australia’s most promising escape artists and illusionists.
Having been mentored by celebrity illusionist Cosentino, Blaze’s show Reborn includes an underwater escape, transportations, levitations, fire eating and, of course, cutting girls in half.
However, Blaze said it was the interaction with the audience that made his show unique.
“In a typical magic show you’d normally see about 15 to 20 per cent of (tricks with) audience participation,” he said.
“In Reborn it’s about 60 per cent. So just over every second trick, I’m getting someone up on stage performing with me.
“When you perform from a distance, sure, it’s great, but when you can get audience members up and then allow them to enter the world of magic with you on stage it’s a lot stronger.
“It’s definitely a lot more rewarding when you can make the magic happen in their hands.”
Luke Blaze performs his show Reborn at the Palais Geelong on Saturday, September 16.
