JANNE RAUDASKOSKI is one of Finland’s most radiant
professional magicians.
In
addition to traditional magic, he is known for his magic theater productions
that have charmed audiences both home and abroad
As a
Finnish and Nordic champion in magic, he has worked as a professional magician
since 1997.
Janne
has created two magic theater performances:
--- The
Outsider ( for adults and teenagers )
--- Wally
Watthead and His Lost Glow ( for family audiences )
In his
first solo production, Wally Watthead and His Lost Glow, Raudaskoski is
researching combining the magic, theater, clownery, mime and different kinds of
special effects with video. Raudaskoski
aims to create a performance which is a powerful experience for both children
and adults, and that is easily translated into any language.
Recently,
he has worked in several art projects combining new circus, theatre and
magic. Raudaskoski has also played the
protagonist in plays such as Werewolf (2009) in the City Theatre of
Lappeenranta and Phantom of Theather (2007) in Åbo Svenska Teatern.
A Conjurer Par Excellence (Question & Answer)
Janne
Raudaskoski is one of Finland’s most radiant professional magicians. In
addition to traditional magic, he is known for his magic theatre productions
that have charmed audiences both home and abroad.
Q: Magician Janne Raudaskoski, where can one study magic?
A: Tricks can be learned from books, magic can be learned
by studying the history of magic and performing can only be learned by
performing. Or if you find a good magic school you should definitely apply.
Q: Is Harry Potter your idol? If not then who is?
A: I prefer Pippi Longstocking to Harry Potter. Pippi
does what she pleases, just as I do in my art. She has the right kind of
attitude. I also belong to the Phantom Fan Club of Finland – my member number
is 3557 if I remember it right.
Q: Why are magicians always men?
A: Is it perhaps because of Harry Potter? Well, I have
also seen some very good female magicians.
Q: What do you do if one of your magic tricks fails on
stage?
A: It happens very rarely because I always do my
homework, but when it does happen, improvisation helps.
Q: Who pays the magician’s salary?
A: My greatest reward is captivated eyes, smiling faces,
gasps and laughter – in other words the energy I get from the audience. The
person who ordered the performance also pays me money.
Q: Why didn’t you become a clown if you enjoy
entertaining people?
A: I did become a clown too. Both of my theatre
productions, Wally Watthead and The Outsider, combine clownery, theatre and
magic.
Q: What is the difference between a clown and a magician?
A: Clownery is an instrument of humor, but it can also be
used to examine serious matters. It can be used to reflect on the ways of the
world is a childlike way. Charles Chaplin was a clown. If a clown also knows
magic, it opens up a world of new possibilities for his or her performances.
Oh, but you asked about the difference? Well, the magician is usually the more
boring of the two.
Q: What and where was your worst performance as a
magician and why was that?
A: A professional performer must be able to finish the
show no matter what the circumstances are. They have certainly been quite
challenging sometimes: technical problems, the audience getting too drunk,
hands freezing, things like that.
Q: Tell us something about the life of a magician that
nobody knows.
A: The magician sometimes enjoys singing punk rock.
Q: Janne , do you know any magic tricks nobody else in
the world knows?
A: I have conjured up two theatre productions that
represent a new kind of magic. I combine magic, clownery and narrative in my
performances using methods such as video, black theatre techniques and various
kinds of special effects. I call it experiential theatre.
Q: Does a magician have any colleagues?
A: Sure. In theatre productions they are the director,
the sound designer, the costume designer, the lighting designer, the set
designer, the special effects technician, the dressmaker, the producer, the
theatre manager, the technicians and the stage hands. Basically everyone I work
with.
Q: What do you do most of the day on an average day in
the office?
A: When I work on a new production I make plans, write,
build things, rehearse, shoot rehearsals on video and make more plans. If I am
performing on that day then I sit in a car or an airplane, build the show,
perform, pack the show and sit in a car or an airplane. If I am not doing
either them I’m usually sitting in meetings, planning new things, and answering
questions like this.
Q: What was the magician supposed to become when he grew
up?
A: A pilot, a magician or an actor. Now I spend my time
flying on theatre stages combining magic and theatre, so I guess I got all of my
dream jobs.
Q: Are magic tricks useful in everyday life?
A: When I was young I used to cheat at supermarket
checkout by conjuring the money from behind the cashier’s ear. Luckily I have
rid myself of that habit.
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