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The flow of conversation at most parties is quite predictable.
As guests mingle, getting to know new acquaintances, you’ll overhear the usual questions — friendly, lighthearted, and easy to answer.
“Seen any good movies lately?”
“Do you have a hot holiday planned this winter?”
“How do you know the host?”
But for Matt Gore, there is one question that he is always a little apprehensive to answer. “What do you do for a living?”
“If I say the word ‘magician,'” Gore said with a laugh, “the conversation changes, right there. That’s what we’re going to talk about. ‘You’re a magician?! Prove it! Show us a trick. Right now, do something!’”
Gore met with 650 CKOM at a coffee shop in Warman. The magician had a deck of cards at the ready, prepared to dazzle with his sleight of hand. (Brittany Caffet/650 CKOM)
Gore, a skilled magician who has captivated audiences around the world with his mind-bending illusions and performances, knows that his profession is often met with curiosity, wonder, and a healthy dose of skepticism.
He sees magic as more than just a performance, but a chance to offer people a brief escape from the stress of their everyday lives.
“Everyone’s got stuff going on in their life. Everyone’s got problems. But for a moment, we’re going to forget about all that and just enjoy a moment together,” Gore explained. “After the show, you can go back and you can pick up that weight that you once had, but it feels so freeing just to just be like, ‘How is that possible?!’ That’s the power of magic.”
Whether he’s performing at a party, on stage or in a small town hall, his goal remains the same — to create a moment that feels completely magical, even if it’s just for a few minutes.
Gore said at one point in his career, he was performing more than 300 shows a year. He has slowed down since becoming a father but stays busy performing shows all over western Canada. (Submitted)
A magical childhood
“I was born into, what you could say, is a bit of a magical family,” Gore said with a smile.
His uncle, David Gore, is the founder and director of the College of Magic in Cape Town, South Africa — a world-renowned institution where the mysteries of magic are brought to life, teaching aspiring magicians the secrets behind illusions and the art of wonder.
As a five-year-old boy, Gore vividly recalls sitting in the audience, watching his uncle perform. “He did some magic and I was just captivated, in absolute awe.” That moment was the spark that ignited a lifelong passion.
Matt Gore was five years old when he saw his first magic show. That performance sparked a lifelong love of magic. (Submitted)
“My uncle took me under his wing and taught me the craft. It was my escape from the world. It was a world where anything is possible. Like a real-life Harry Potter,” he reflected.
As a young boy, Gore was introduced to the many branches of magic. “Magic is like the umbrella term,” he explained. “Under that, you’ll get mentalism, illusion, comedy magic, close-up magic, children’s magic, street magic… there’s so many different genres, and most performers pick one.”
But Gore didn’t want to be limited to one style. While most kids his age would head to the beach, Gore would be at home, practicing magic for hours on end. Whether it was mastering card tricks, perfecting sleight of hand, or studying the psychology behind illusions, he dedicated himself to becoming a well-rounded magician.
Gore said his uncle, David Gore, is his biggest inspiration. David founded the College of Magic in Cape Town, South Africa. The institute teaches aspiring magicians from ten years of age and upwards the secrets behind illusions and the art of wonder. (Submitted)
It’s that commitment which allowed Gore to turn his passion into a full-fledged career. His success didn’t appear out of thin air or come out of a hat. It was built one practice session at a time.
“I don’t believe in luck. I believe in hard work and discipline,” he said. “The harder I work, the luckier I get. And if you stick with something long enough, it eventually starts looking like magic. It’s beautiful.”
The methods behind the magic
Behind every illusion, Gore performs is a level of craftsmanship and creativity that goes far beyond what the audience sees.
“My goal as a magician is to make what I’m doing look easy. Make it look effortless,” Gore said, explaining how he uses mirrors, cameras, and plenty of trial and error to develop and test out new tricks.
As for the secrets behind those illusions, they’re well-guarded. “There’s a magician’s code,” Gore notes. “We are sworn to secrecy. I’m very big on that because that’s what keeps the magic alive. The minute they know how it’s done, it ruins the magic. I’ve seen it countless times. I’ve seen someone light up when they see an effect. And the minute they figured out how it was done, it’s a huge disappointment.”
It’s this sense of mystery, the belief that anything is possible, that fuels Gore’s work. “In my opinion, magic is not just about the effects of what I’m doing. It’s how you make people feel.”
Gore is a two-time FISM Africa Magic Champion, as well as a two-time competitor at the FISM World Magic Championships. “That’s like the Olympics of magic,” he said in an interview with 650 CKOM. (Submitted)
A lot of Gore’s work also involves inventing his own routines and effects, though he’s also inspired by the work of other creators. “They are inventors,” he said of those who design magic tricks. “They’re the creative geniuses of our world.”
Gore purchases rights to perform tricks created by others. However, even with these purchased routines, the work is far from done. “It still requires a lot of practice and rehearsal,” he explained.
Technology also plays a role in many of his tricks. “Science and magic and technology are often integrated,” he said. “It could be various techniques that one has to apply. It’s very difficult to answer this question without giving an example, but that would be giving away magic, and I’m very good at keeping secrets. I suppose that’s my job.”
For Gore, the challenge isn’t just about creating an illusion. It’s about refining a skill. “There are a lot of people that are amazing online, because they can do something 1,000 times and post the one time it works,” he pointed out. “But a live performer has to get it right every single time. I like to do things that are very skill-oriented, which is quite difficult. I just enjoy a challenge.”
Learn a Magic Trick with Matt Gore
From South Africa to Saskatchewan
You may be asking how a magician from South Africa wound up settling down in Saskatchewan. The answer? In pursuit of the most magical feeling of all — love.
“Magic started going really good. I started travelling more and I was on my way back from doing a magic event seminar and conference in Vegas and I stopped in Paris,” Gore recalls. “I met a lovely lady, a lovely nurse, who lives in Saskatchewan. We fell in love.”
After years of long-distance, Gore knew a new chapter was calling. “I’d reached the top of my threshold. At that time, I was the FISM Africa Magic Champion, which made me number one in the continent. I wanted a challenge. So I decided to move to the other side of the world, not only to be with my wife, Brooke but to start a family and push myself in North America.”
During his years in the industry, Matt Gore has performed magic in 25 different countries. (Submitted)
Many of his colleagues were puzzled by his decision to move to the Canadian prairies when most magicians head to big cities like Los Angeles or New York. “I get teased a lot for living here, but you know what? I absolutely love it,” he said with a smile. “I love going to the rural communities. They’re so warm and welcoming. You know, there’s like 300 people there. They’re going to shut down the town. They’re all gonna be in that hall, and they want to have a good show. I really enjoy it.”
Gore said he stays incredibly busy, filling his schedule with shows across Western Canada. But despite the wide reach of his performances, his favourite audience remains a small one — his two young children.
But while they’re enchanted by his skills, they’re not easily impressed. “They even tease me,” he laughed. “They’re like, ‘Dad, we’ve seen that one! You got any new ones?’ They’re a pretty tough audience to entertain.”
Matt Gore moved from South Africa to Saskatchewan in 2017 to start a family with his wife, Brooke. He said his children are two of his biggest fans… and harshest critics. (Submitted)
As he’s settled into a comfortable life in Saskatchewan, Gore often finds himself at social gatherings, shaking hands and meeting new people.
The conversation, as expected, usually follows a predictable path, always leading to one question:
“What do you do for a living?”
“Between you and I,” Gore said with a grin, “sometimes I just say I’m a bank teller or an accountant.”