How Matt Hollywood is bringing a spark of magic to Surfers Paradise
World Champion magician Matt Hollywood is reclaiming the power of Paradise by working his magic on the streets of Surfers.
Opinion
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It’s time to break the curse of Surfers Paradise.
Lately it seems our heart of the city has been under the spell of bad publicity, with claims it ‘smells like a toilet’ and looks ‘like a detention centre’.
But now there’s a solution.
And it’s magic. Literally.
World Champion magician Matt Hollywood is reclaiming the power of Paradise with his acclaimed show, Illusions, now based in the centre of the city.
With a brand-new Cavill Lane theatre next door to the Hilton, Mr Hollywood said the show was already working its magic on the streets of Surfers.
“We’ve only been open for a month and we’ve already had to double our shows, and we might be about to add to that as well,” said Mr Hollywood.
“It’s so fantastic to see so many families coming in to Surfers, there’s actually so much for them to see and do here. There’s plenty of parking, there are great restaurants, hotels and entertainment. Then, after 10pm when the families have gone home, it becomes more of a party precinct.
“I really think all those critics haven’t actually been to Surfers for years. They’re the ones with the illusions, because it’s looking amazing in town.
“I’m so proud to be a part of Surfers and we’re bringing in a new audience. I’m the only full-time magic show in Australia, and one of only about 50 in the world, so people actually fly in from across the country and the globe to come see this. And now I’m bringing them straight to our tourism heart.”
After 30 years in the business – winning the prestigious International Merlin Award three times, the ‘Oscars’ of the magic world, as well as the title of Australian Entertainer of the Year – Mr Hollywood said the new location was a career dream come true.
He said he was extremely proud of the 10 years he performed at Sanctuary Cove’s Village Theatre and he was excited to weave the same magic all over again.
“When I first started at Sanctuary Cove, people called it Cemetery Cove … it had the reputation of being just for more ‘mature’ people,” he laughed.
“But when the magic shows started, we brought in kids and families and younger adults and it really changed the demographic for tourism in that suburb.
“Now, to be in the heart of Surfers with a fully functioning world-class theatre, that’s always been my dream. I moved here 25 years ago from Melbourne because a) why would you want to live anywhere else and b) the Gold Coast is the perfect fit for my kind of show.
“This is not your normal magic show, it’s a spectacular. These are grand illusions, I’m locked, shackled, in chains, props are set on fire, things disappear and reappear … it’s all about showmanship and creativity.
“The secret is that it’s not about the magic, it’s about how you make the audience feel. You make them forget their cares and they feel excited and surprised and alive. And that’s what this city is all about too.
“That’s why I love the Gold Coast and I’m so proud of it.”
Mr Hollywood said he first fell in love with magic after watching his grandfather perform tricks.
He said he was only 11 years old when his 96-year-old grandfather passed away, but he learned as much as he could in that time and it was watching the amazed reactions of his mother that fed his desire to learn and do more magic.
“I think I was only six years old when I showed her a coin trick and she was so impressed … I thought, I like that feeling. I need more of that,” he said.
“Not all of my tricks were that well received. One time I put a fake, motion-activated hand in the microwave and when she went to warm up her tea, well, that cup went flying into the wall.
“I never stopped loving magic but I thought I had to get a ‘real job’ and I became a policeman in Victoria. I stuck with it for 10 years but all the while I was doing magic as a side hustle. Eventually I realised that it didn’t need to be a side gig, I could be a full-time magician … and I’ve never looked back.”
While regularly performing on the Gold Coast, Mr Hollywood made a permanent move to the city after a stint as a contestant on the doomed reality game show The Hothouse, which offered Australia’s biggest prizemoney at $2 million.
Just a few years later he was running his own show at Sanctuary Cove, even teaching magic to a new generation, something he will continue these school holidays at his Surfers theatre.
He said while the city enjoyed a magic reputation, it could be missing a trick when it came to the wider magician market.
“Las Vegas hosts these incredible magic conventions and I’d love to see that happen here, it’s the perfect place,” said Mr Hollywood.
“It’s a pretty amazing atmosphere, you have Criss Angel, David Blaine, David Copperfield, all the greats mingling. The stalls themselves are something to see … you find out what the latest trends are in magic, who is building the new illusions, it’s crazy.
“Mentalism is a big trend right now, it’s a kind of mind-reading, using that I’ve become an expert at unlocking people’s phones.
“I’m also about to unveil the world’s first fully playing, levitating violin. It vanishes as well. Anything you can dream, magicians try to make a reality.”
While Mr Hollywood has earned his name as a staple of Australian television, performing regularly on Sunrise, Studio 10 and the Footy Show, as well as before audiences of VIPs like Greg Norman and the Prime Minister, he said he’s always looking for the next big thing.
With the Olympics headed to the Sunshine State in just a few years, he’s ready to make his pitch for the Opening Ceremony.
“At this stage, it might take some magic to make the stadium appear,” he said.
He might be joking, but perhaps organisers should take note.
After all, just look at the magic of Surfers Paradise.
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