Debashine Thangevelo
WHILE viewers are au fait with the legendary Dynamo, David Blaine, David Copperfield and Criss Angel, here in SA there aren’t many TV shows that expose local talent in the same field.
However, SABC3 are slowly changing that disappointing status quo. After giving Magic Mo his own series not too long ago, the channel has realised the potential in growing the genre.
And so it comes as little surprise that Bryan Miles has been added to the line-up. Based in Cape Town, this mind control expert’s renown as an entertainer has spread to Hollywood too.
He says, “I have been performing at The Magic Castle in Los Angeles. And they have repeatedly invited me back since – this will be my third year. It’s a really prestigious thing to be invited to perform there.
“I have been doing this all of my life. I started very, very young. I was always obsessed with pulling things apart. I wanted to know not just how things work, but why they work. And with that curiosity I also realised that the brain can be tricked and fooled.”
This got him invested in absorbing all he could about psychology, hypnosis and so on. He studied many hypnotists, taking in as many TV shows as he could.
“I also read up extensively. But I never had a mentor, per se,” he adds.
“I was performing for money when I was 13 years old. I worked in a restaurant going from table to table performing; I did that all through high school. Then I spent a number of years in New York teaching sleights of hand to children. I found that quite inspirational.”
There is an art to being able to try and get into someone’s head; it requires skill, focus and finesse. And, of course, if it is conducted on a public platform, it demands a fair amount of showman-ship as well.
Over the years, Miles has been leaving viewers gaping in astonish-ment by delving into things like the sixth sense, hypnosis, psychic abilities, phobias, illusion and the sheer power of suggestion.
His show, One Day with Bryan Miles, is shot in and around the Mother City. And Miles has a few fascinating encounters with several celebrities along the way. So what inspired the leap into TV now?
Miles explains, “At the risk of sounding very vain, I came back here (from Hollywood) and thought, ‘Why isn’t there a local hero on TV doing what we do?’ I have been putting stuff on my YouTube channel, like log videos. I have been working with a TV producer/creator who has worked with some of the biggest names in mentalism. We got in touch and wrote the show together. We thought it’s about time SA got the tricks of the trade of the mind and we brought the show to SABC3.”
It took the two of them a year to put together the series and every episode boasts a distinctive theme.
He adds, “We try and showcase different areas of the human mind as opposed to just showing one area like hypnosis. I have a variety of celebrities on the show. We have Marc Lottering, who was great. He is a Capetonian and a lot of fun. We also have chef Sipokazi Mdlankomo. They were all really nice to work with.
“I’m not trying to preach or convert anyone. We are just asking what are the possibilities, while also making the power of the human mind entertaining. All the reactions seen are completely natural.”
Other highlights on the show include Miles cycling down Adderley Street – blindfolded, TV presenter Katlego Maboe testing his sense of luck, a massive game of hide and seek with Jack Parow, and Francois van Coke in a dangerous demonstration involving a sentimental guitar.
One Day with Bryan Miles airs on SABC3 on Sunday April 10 at 5.30pm.