Back in what I believe was 2007, the beloved South African TV show Maak ‘n Las embarked on a roadshow featuring comedy legends Zak du Plessis and Jammies Jamneck. One of their stops was at the Orinoco Hotel in Potgietersrus. The hotel owner, Piet van Waveren, knowing my flair for magic tricks from previous gatherings, asked me at the last minute if I’d entertain the audience before the show. Being a big fan of Zak, I grabbed my deck of cards and drove the quick 50 km to the venue.
Meeting Zak and Jammies was incredible, and after about an hour of magic tricks, they were impressed enough to ask if I could perform some mentalism for the audience after their set. I figured, “Sure, why not?” I settled in the back of the hall, expecting to relax and enjoy a little comedy while figuring out what I’d do later. But within the first two minutes, Zak surprised me by announcing, “We have a very special guest with us tonight who is going to blow your minds…” Before I knew it, I was on stage.
Despite the lack of prep, the banter with Zak was fantastic, and my unprepared tricks went better than expected. As I turned to leave, Zak comedically asked if he could “ask a few questions,” pulled up a chair, and I found myself as part of their act. During the intermission, guests lined up for the buffet while Zak suggested (without asking, naturally) that I’d go from table to table with my close-up magic. He even followed me around to each and every table, adding more comedy by “watching me closely” and joining in on the fun.
His favourite trick was when I bent a guest’s R2 coin and would inspect each one after I had bent it and return it to the person as a souvenir with a confused look every time on his face. I really made me laugh.
The show’s producer (whose name I’ve unfortunately forgotten but who was also in the photos) asked if I wanted to appear on the TV show. It was an honor, but TV magic just wasn’t for me.
And a special shout out to the random old lady with Parkinson’s for taking these blurry pics.
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