Mark Bennett’s idea for Smoke & Mirrors came from running a different magic venue in Bristol called Illusions Magic Bar. Visitors there could sit at the bar and be treated to some close-up magic. It was first come, first served, though people had trouble accepting that. “Around 2010, 2011, we used to get phone calls asking how much it was to sit up front,” Mark explained. “And I was like, ‘No, it’s free. You buy a drink and go up to the bar to watch a trick.’ And then I thought, ‘Hold on, let me have a little think about this.’”
That little think turned into Smoke & Mirrors, which opened up the hill from Illusions in October 2012. The venue is a 1920-style speakeasy bar and theater. “My theme for it was a Ronnie Scott’s jazz-style club,” Mark said, referencing London’s world-famous jazz establishment.
When guests walk into Smoke & Mirrors, however, they first spend time in the pub. At the entrance, they’re checked in for their shows and then head to the bar to get their drinks and order pizza. They settle down at a table of their choosing and enjoy close-up magic from the strolling magician on duty. The buzzer they received when they checked in will let them know when it’s time for their show, and they’ll head to the bookcase in the back of the pub, which slides open, and into a 40-seat lounge-style theater. There, they’ll enjoy their first 35-minute performance, get some more pizza or drinks during a 15-minute intermission, and then head back to the theater for the second 35-minute show with a different performer. After the second show, guests head back to the bar where they either enjoy more close-up magic or, if they’re at the later seating, live music. Making sure the guests are constantly entertained is important to Mark: “What I wanted is that when you walked in, there was entertainment, when you watched the show, there was entertainment. And when you leave the venue, the last thing you have is entertainment.”
Smoke & Mirrors is open Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights, with a 7 p.m. show and a 9 p.m. show. There are four strolling magicians and four house magicians that perform in the theater. “Most of my magicians have come from me,” Mark explained. “Wednesday nights at Illusions were open mic nights for magicians. They would come in on a Wednesday, jump behind the magic bar and perform for 10-15 minutes, or just do one trick, anything they wanted to do, and I would just watch them and give them guidance.”
In that vein, Mark strives to help magicians develop their performance skills, turning what he calls “bedroom magicians” into professionals who know how to perform for a crowd. He’s offered many U.K. magicians with solid acts the opportunity to come to Smoke & Mirrors to get a show reel, which helps them get booked elsewhere. “I wanted to help them, so they can actually say, ‘Here’s my show reel. Here’s me working at the No. 1 attraction in Bristol on Trip Advisor.’”
Illusions closed in 2018, but Smoke & Mirrors is still going strong and Mark doesn’t see that changing anytime soon. “I’ve always wanted to give magic to normal people,” he said. “I think the only time people see magic in the United Kingdom is at a wedding or at a corporate event, and that’s it. So now they can come in anytime they want to watch the magic.”
Photos courtesy of Smoke & Mirrors
Smoke & Mirrors
Step through the doors of Smoke and Mirrors, and you'll embark on a journey from the ordinary to the extraordinary. Disguised as a classic pub façade, our establishment unveils its hidden gem as you step inside—a captivating 1920s-themed theatre that comes alive with performances from the crème de la crème of the U.K.’s established talents and rising stars.