Morten Deurell –
26 years on stage

When did you start performing?

I have always loved creativity. My parents are trained teachers, both with creative subjects in their background – and I grew up in the Copenhagen suburbs. We had a piano and I took lessons, my parents sang in a choir, my mother did needlework and my brother and I drew all the time.

I played guitar from the age of ten and later started singing. Part of that time was spent playing classical Spanish melodies. Enjoying art and sharing it with others through performance has always been part of my life. Especially the social aspect of art: singing together, experiencing together and playing together... It is an essential part of human culture ever since stories were told and dances performed around fires in primitive societies.

When I was 13, there was a circus show in my local neighbourhood that you could take part in. It was great fun. I hadn't imagined back then that I would become a professional magician.

When did you start doing magic?

My first magic trick… I was with my father in London in 1989 – 11 years old. We walked into the world's oldest toy shop – Hamley's Toys on Regent Street. An eccentric fellow was demonstrating and selling magic tricks. It was the first time I had seen magic up close – I was spellbound. I tugged at my father's sleeve until he gave in and paid for a set of trick cards that were easy to do some pretty wild tricks with. When I got home from the holiday, my classmates became the audience for my tricks for a while. It wasn't so easy to do magic back then – the cards couldn't do everything. And at that age, without practice, I fumbled a lot with my fingers. But the dream of being a magician was probably already a seed planted back then.

When I was 19–20, I sang in a choir. We always hung around a bit after rehearsal. Something strange happened there. A nice guy named Kristian showed me a trick. He took a lit cigarette and magicked it away in his hand. I was speechless! I was enchanted. I knew in that second that I had to learn some tricks – so I could give others the same experience.

How did you become a professional magician?

Kristian revealed that there was a magic shop in Horsens that sold books and props. I contacted them and got their large catalogue of amazing tricks. Everything from card magic to sawing ladies in half, clowning and finesse. I ordered books on coin magic, card magic and a pile of various props and then got to work practising. I decided there and then that after one year I would do my first professional performance. From there I practised up to ten hours a day and tried tricks on friends and acquaintances. I finally understood the instructions and really got into the world of magic. When the year was almost up, an old friend asked me if I would perform at her workplace. I did, but it didn't go well. I had certainly learned to do tricks, but had to admit that I needed experience performing live.

Where did you start?

If you want experience you have to find somewhere to get it, and where I first got it was at restaurant Teaterkælderen. I got a job as a performing waiter where I did equal parts singing and close-up magic at the tables. It was hard work, but I am happy to have had the experience. And bookings for various private and corporate parties quickly started appearing.

How did you get into stand-up magic?

At some point I saw Rune Klan perform on stage at Comedy Zoo and was very inspired. The idea that you could be yourself on stage and do contemporary magic that was also hilarious. I spoke to Rune and he was kind enough to give me good advice. After a few years of close-up magic and a growing interest in stand-up comedy, I decided to try an open mic myself at Kulkafeen. I had several more after that. This was as a pure stand-up comedian without magic, though.

Later I combined my experiences from the stand-up scene and the advice I had received from other magicians and put together a stand-up magic show. I tried new material at smaller variety stages and as extra acts when I was booked.

How has your magic developed since then?

The quality of the entertainment became more and more solid. Entertainment had gradually become my livelihood. This didn't stop me from being curious about life and other art forms. I became interested in theatre sports/improv comedy. I performed, as a member of the group "De Gales Division", with wild and whacky improvised scenes. Improvisation has since become a permanent part of my live show. It is one of the reasons I am passionate about live entertainment.

I also became increasingly interested in conventional acting, and later trained as an actor at the private acting school Copenhagen Acting School.

Since then I have done audience warm-up for various TV shows (Brian Mørk Show, Vild med Dans, Natholdet, P3 Guld, Comedy Fight Club, Vild med Talent, among others).

Do you only perform at private events?

No. Over the years I have performed in a huge variety of places.

Both at Roskilde Festival as an event, as resident magician at Plaza Library Bar, at Hilton CPH and at the late Tivoli Cabaret (Copenhagen's Tivoli).

I have always loved travelling and combined my work with travel. Since I speak both Danish and English fluently and can perform equally well in both languages, it was natural. So I have performed with Vivienne McKee (Crazy Christmas Cabaret) in the south of France, as headliner at Magic Bar in Stockholm, at the legendary burlesque club Slipper Room in New York, on the street in Melbourne and at clubs in London and Brighton.

I was also part of the Burlesque Cabaret concept Cabaret Bohemia as Monsieur Deurell.

In January 2017 I performed the show Suite 507 at Teatret ved Sorte Hest – a collaboration with my talented, funny and kind colleague David Tholander.