Artistic Statement

I am Robert Jägerhorn, a magician from Helsinki, Finland. I strongly believe that the combination of magic and theatre can offer the audience an experience that cannot be found anywhere else.

Yes, I know. It’s a magic show and many people don’t care for magic shows. They might think about tricks or showing off. My approach is different. I want to create a playful performance where the magic stops time and gives a liberating feeling of freefall. At the same time the elements of the theatre give the audience a safe and familiar framework on which to rely.

THE SHOW

My Magic Double

is a show combining magic and elements from the theatre, thereby bringing something unique to the stage.

Throughout the show I am alone on stage but bring two characters into the performance; me myself Robert and my alter ego El Droppo. Through their encounter I create a dynamic show.

El Droppo and Robert are very different. While Robert is elegant, calm and confident, El Droppo is playful, impulsive and looking for acceptance. When these two men, with their colliding characteristics but mutual compassion, take turns performing on stage an exhilarating situation arises for the audience to follow.

Robert is inspired by minimalistic magic using a few coins and a scarf, ice cubes and a drink, and conducts his performance in a stylish and confident manner. El Droppo tries to follow suit, using eggs, a bottle and a hat resulting in a spontaneous flurry of uncontrolled events.

At one point a person in the audience is invited up on stage and together we experience a magical tango.

In the last scene Robert and El Droppo find themselves in a situation where it is essential they cooperate. This is followed by a mutual acceptance and in the end they walk off stage together. After this there is still an optional encore with one single soap bubble.

The staging of the show is very simple, only two chairs and a small table in the middle of the black-box scene. This challenges me as an artist and especially as a magician as there is no place to hide. Actually, this became the starting point in creating the show: we cannot hide from ourselves, so why not let the different sides come out? We might surprise ourselves, and others.

The show is partly interactive with the audience. It is also contemplative, including a lot of music, a little silence and a few words in English. Hopefully the audience will leave the show carrying a feeling of joy, brought about by the magical parts of the show, and a feeling of compassion towards those sides within ourselves that we sometimes would rather hide from the world.

“The strength of magic lies in the happy moment we experience together. I’ll take you on a journey where time stops, your brain surrenders and the magic gives you a liberating feeling of freefall.”

-Robert Jägerhorn

Story Behind

During my 20+ years as a full-time professional magician in Finland I have produced several productions for the theatre. My first international full evening one-man show was Waiting for Hitchcock (2013) and was given in London, Stockholm, Edinburgh, Warsaw and New York.

Being proud of all my work, My Magic Double is for obvious reasons a very personal show that sticks out and thus lies very close to my heart. I developed the theme for the show together with my friend Markus Zink, German director and magician. He pushed me into my “discomfort zone” and made me realize that our strengths lie in our secrets. That is how I found El Droppo

The premiere was held at the United Solo Festival at Theatre Row in New York in November 2019. I received both good reviews and positive audience feedback. I noticed that the audience left the show in an uplifted state of mind, which made me realize that I had created something special.

Unfortunately, the year 2020 brought restrictions onto all of our societies and I didn ́t get on tour with the show as planned. But My Magic Double is still relevant and now even more refined. I am ready to conquer new venues and stages.

“Robert’s in a class of his own. At one point I thought there were actually two of him on stage at the same time. He is a sophisticated talent and for me, my first truly entertaining Finn!”

Practical

Setting: Indoor, black-box stage
Stage dimensions: 6m wide, 4m deep, 3m high
Suitable for: Adults, young people 12+
Running Time: 45 minutes
Preparation time: 5 hours (including technical rehearsal)
Technical rider (pdf).

WRAP-AROUND ACTIVITIES

I am happy to organize workshops in connection with my performances. Possible themes for a workshop could be how to combine magic and theatre, how magic utilizes perception and psychology and how illusions can be found in media, politics and advertising. The workshops would be addressed to magicians, theatre professionals, but also to the man in the street interested in magic. Furthermore, I gladly hold discussions with the audience after the show, as I am passionate about communicating with people through my magic.