Magic tricks and illusions based on the mysteries of ancient Arabia are being performed in Dubai to showcase the city.
British illusionist Phil Fenton is using the emirate as the backdrop for his TV programme The Magic of Dubai, which takes its inspiration from the history of Arabian street performance.
"Street magic is as old as time it goes back thousands of years," says the magician. "Classic illusions have their roots in ancient history there are depictions of the 'cup and ball' trick in hieroglyphics in the Egyptian pyramids. Playing cards, which are used the world over, have a fascinating history and the first cards to enter Europe came from the Islamic world." For his six-part TV series, shot last week in various locations in Dubai, Fenton combined his skills with a large dose of showmanship to create a spectacle that he hopes will bring the city to life on screens around the world.
All about location
"The idea behind the show is that it's not about me, it's all about location and magic," he says. "Everything I do will be leading towards a Dubai theme. In the opening shot I will emerge from a heat haze in the desert to perform magic in a tent. One illusion involves making a young local girl appear in the desert, and then she makes me vanish," he says.
Another of his big set pieces involves levitating a Arabicstyle dallah pot and making it pour coffee into a glass.
"All the illusions use the locations to their full effect, and they are all done in one take with no cutting or camera tricks," says Fenton. "During filming in the Gold Souk in Dubai, one piece of magic is to pour a handful of gold dust onto a silver tray, and it will turn in to a beautiful gold necklace. In another trick I take a gold ring from a lady's hand, make it vanish and reappear in the trader's stock." The Arabian theme even extends to the performer himself, with Fenton heavily disguised in Bedouin costume.
"The audience won't see anything except my eyes," he says. "I'll be the mystery man, the Man With No Name." He says his voice will be muted through the show so it can be dubbed into a variety of languages for distribution.
"Normally when I perform I talk all the time, I can't stop, but for this I will be completely silent to add to the mystery," he says. "That's the great thing about magic, it works in any language. People have the same reaction to what I do whether they are Japanese or Russian, it doesn't matter if I can't speak the language.
"Besides, I don't think there were many Mancunian Bedouin!" the illusionist adds, referring to his home city of Manchester.
Fenton toured throughout Europe and the United States before settling in Dubai this year, following four years of efforts to get the show made.
"The city is just amazing and the audiences here are very receptive. Street magic like this is new here apart from me, there is maybe only one other magician in the city.
Everybody has been very helpful in setting up the show. I'm promoting Dubai in a different kind of way, using magic to show the city off," he says.
To capture the splendour of the city and the intensity of the illusions, Fenton enlisted the help of Dubai-based Phoenix Film, a firm specialising in commercials that has been working in the emirate for more than 20 years.
"They have never filmed a magic show before but I'm very glad to have them I have a fantastic team without whom none of this would be possible," says Fenton.
Busy schedule
"After filming the whole sixpart series this week we plan to show the pilot at a film festival in Cannes next month, so the post-production boys have a very busy weekend ahead of them. From there we will sell the show worldwide and it should be on TV screens around the start of next year." Filming began at the Six Senses Spa in Madinat Jumeirah on Sunday, before moving on to take in the Gold Souk, the Emirates Golf Club, and the Hatta Heritage Village.
"There are so many amazing places to film in and around Dubai," says Fenton. "I really love it here. I would really like to settle and base myself here after the filming for this show is finished." However, Fenton has no intention of resting on his laurels once filming is over for this series.
"The idea of combining fantastic locations and magic is something I'd love to take elsewhere, for example to Singapore or Spain, and do themed shows there," he says. "That's the eventual aim, but I wanted Dubai to be the first because it is just amazing and this kind of magic has not been done here before.
By Gregor McClenaghan
© Emirates Today 2006
