One of the UK’s leading magicians, James Phelan, will perform at the Villa Marina on Thursday, October 30, bringing an evening of illusion, comedy and audience participation.

Phelan, who has appeared in London’s West End and toured internationally, said he was looking forward to performing for Manx audiences for the first time and sharing a show he describes as his most personal yet.

Speaking to Island Life, he said his latest production represents a complete departure from his previous shows and puts the audience at the centre of the experience.

‘What I’ve done is create a show that’s all about the audience and their stories,’ he said. ‘I want it to feel like whatever happens in that room will never happen again.

‘It’s just a night of playing with the audience, really. We make people forget their own names sometimes. It’s meaningful, like a kind of dance between the audience and me. It’s very active to the room and the people that are in it. No two shows are the same.’

Phelan added that performing magic has been his lifelong ambition. ‘Since I was two and a half, it was all I ever really dreamt of doing,’ he said.

A spokesperson for VillaGaiety said: ‘Most infamous for jamming the BBC switchboard after correctly predicting the lottery, and described as “Joel Dommett meets Derren Brown”, this show is a celebration of the impossible becoming possible.’

Phelan has built a reputation for combining modern showmanship with traditional sleight of hand, blending humour, storytelling and audience interaction to create a distinctive style that appeals to all ages.

The show will begin at 7.30pm. Standard tickets are priced at £29 and are available from www.villagaiety.com/whats-on/the-dreamer-live.