If you’ve vacationed in Salou, Spain, odds are good you took in some entertainment managed by Rodney James Piper. Piper employs around 150 performers in the coastal town, in shows that range from musical productions to comedy acts and, of course, magic.
Magic is Piper’s passion, and House of Illusion, the first venue he opened in Salou, has run since 2002. At the start, the business had less than ideal returns. “The first year, I lost about €50,000,” Piper said. “We couldn’t get anyone in—it was an absolute disaster.”
Piper, however, had the conviction that “if you believe in something and you’re passionate about it and you really want it to work, you make it work.” He initially removed the word “magic” from advertising—2002 wasn’t a time when the art form was considered cool—and focused on the overall guest experience. Today, roughly 50,000 people visit House of Illusion over its peak season, with most performances sold out.
Magic in many languages
House of Illusion has since moved from its first location, a small establishment with 35 to 40 seats, to a 100-seat venue, and then to the 200-seat cabaret theater overlooking the beach where it now resides. The venue hosts two shows a night, six days a week, during the main season, which runs Easter to Halloween (in the off-season the venue is still open, but just on weekends).
Guests are primarily British and Irish folks on holiday, which means that shows are mainly in English, though Piper’s son can also perform in both Spanish and Catalan. And depending on who’s in the audience on a given night, other languages might get thrown in as well. “If there is anyone from around the world, we will try to give them a little nod by having a little bit of their language in one routine,” said Piper. “So if there are French people in the audience, we might do some colors or card names in French, just to give them a little bit of love.”
A show for every audience
Several magicians work at House of Illusion. There are resident magicians who come for the peak season, magicians who come for one- or two-month residencies, and guest magicians who come for a week or two. All of them work to put on a performance that can change from night to night depending on the audience.
“We have a modular show,” explained Piper. “We know what our openers are. We know what our closers are. We know what finishes our first half. But I really think you have to understand and look at your audience—we’ve probably got 150 routines, and at the start of the night, we will know what our audience are and tailor it to them.”
That means that a performance for a group of families will include at least one kid coming up onstage, and a show that is made up of mostly couples will have a different storyline. Piper and others host a given show, and guest acts are slotted throughout, performing seven- to eight-minute routines at a time.
No matter what’s included, however, the show is broken up into two 45-minute segments, with food and drinks served at guests’ tables. Patrons can also sit on the terrace overlooking the beach before the show, and might see some close-up magic while they do so.
A magical experience all around
Piper is focused on offering guests the best experience possible, and not just when they’re seated in the theater. After seeing a performance at House of Illusion, for example, some guests might get a free “golden ticket” to attend a late show at Houdini’s Attic—a neighboring venue that Piper also runs. There, they’ll experience a more relaxed parlor show. “All the chairs are on the tables as though it’s closed, and in the middle of the room there’s a table with chairs round it,” said Piper, explaining that the look gives the experience an “after-hours” feel. The intent is to give guests something extra and also give the magicians a chance to work on newer material.
“It’s not just about, ‘Here’s a magic show.’ It’s, ‘Let’s come and see something that’s really great. Let’s come and experience something that we’ll talk about and share with our family,’” said Piper. “It’s memories and moments, because that’s what we all need, especially at this moment.”
Photos courtesy of House of Illusion
House of Illusion
One of the main areas within the House of Illusion is the All Inclusive Magic and Mystery Theatre Show. Here you will be escorted to a world filled with laughter, suspense, ama zement and surprise. Enjoy all of this in the elegantly decorated, candlelit theatre, with free flowing wine, beer, sangria and soft drinks, where you are guaranteed the night of your life. Be sure to pay us a visit and experience it for yourself.