Coffee With... Richard McDougall

What comes to light when you intensively work the same type of venue, 40 years apart.

Richard McDougall
Coffee With... Richard McDougall
Photo by Will Houstoun

Richard McDougall’s career has included performances for Queen Elizabeth II and Stephen Hawking. He was a cowriter on the Derren Brown show, which won the Silver Rose of Montreux for Channel 4, and is a founding magician at Breathe Arts Health Research, which explores the use of magic in healthcare settings. These comments come from a conversation with Will Houstoun.


I would like English breakfast tea, with oat milk and honey. Preferably in a cup rather than a mug, but if we only have a mug then don’t overfill it… and if it’s in a teapot, please heat up the pot first. I’m fairly fussy about my tea.

Magic Moments was a magic-themed restaurant that opened in London in the mid-1980s. People would come and have a meal, but they were there for the magic. It was located on Regent Street in London, so it was very central, and it was purpose-made for magic. There were three or four dining areas, seating over 100 people, and it was open seven days a week with between two and four magicians working at any given time.

To keep reading, sign in or subscribe

Get unlimited access to all things magical and wondrous.
Subscribe now