Leader of the pack

I MUST admit to being a bit of a sceptic, so when Tom Rose gets out his cards, I'm less than enthusiastic. Of course, he is a magician, and knowing I'll be writing about him, he has to show me a trick. I only hope, for both our sakes, that it doesn't go horribly wrong.

The first surprise is when he waves a wad of cash - £300 to be precise - saying that if he fails to guess my card, the money's mine. With an eye on the pile of £20 notes, I decide to up my game.

Having picked a card, I try to keep a straight face as Tom asks me questions. He's told me to answer only 'yes', and although I do this, I can't stop laughing. Within a few minutes, in which he's tried to "psychoanalyse" me, he takes a guess. I don't know how, but he knows my card is the ten of diamonds. He pockets the money with a wry smile. "I've had a few challenges but I've never got it wrong yet," he says smugly.

At just 22, Tom is already big in magic circles. His fledgling company, tr:magic, attracts business from far and wide, boasting mobile phone giant Orange among its clients. It's been a rapid rise for the close-up magician. "I've been trading for the last four years and the last two have been really busy," he says. "In the summer, my main business is weddings and during the Christmas period it's corporate parties. Then there's other stuff such as trade shows."

Despite his runaway success, Tom hasn't always been involved in magic. In fact, he came to it relatively late. "I never had magicians at my birthday parties or anything like that," he says. "I think because I never saw magic I never thought about it."

Oddly enough, it was during maths lessons at Richmond School in North Yorkshire that he was bitten by the bug. "The teacher, Andrew Mollitt, used to show us tricks and I used to want to show him a few tricks," says Tom, who lives in Ellerton, North Yorkshire. "I was a bit of a late bloomer. I suppose I only really started when I was 16."

A bar job at the Vintage Hotel, at Scotch Corner, proved the perfect outlet for his hobby. "I ended up performing more tricks than serving pints," he says. "People started asking if I would come to their parties, weddings or whatever. I realised I could progress from being a barman doing the odd trick to going full time and advertising myself."

Tom went to Newcastle University to study politics but, by now, his course was set. "I started doing magic more seriously in my second year - I was doing more magic than essays," he says. "I also joined the magic circle up in Newcastle. I got on well with a couple of the magicians and they taught me a lot."

Keen to attract bookings, Tom launched a website and embraced formalities like finding an accountant and getting business cards. His brand is simple - close-up magic that's fun and cool. Tom says it works just about anywhere.

"Because of the nature of close-up magic, I can perform at almost any event," he says. "As well as weddings and corporate functions I do things like civil ceremonies and private barbecues. Only last week I was asked to do a wedding in Geneva."

If this sounds pretty glamorous, it's because it is. Tom's life as a magician means he travels widely, often working at big events. He says he's met several stars. "I've performed for a few celebrities like Steve Bruce, the manager of Birmingham City Football Club, and the real Mickey Mouse," says Tom. "Most recently I worked for Richard Branson. He was having a massive party for all the Virgin holiday staff and it was really nice. All the performers had their own green room with food and drink. He treats his people very well indeed."

With his friendliness and easy charm, it's clear that Tom would fit in well in any crowd. When doing tricks, he's very conscious of people's perceptions of him. "I think sometimes people feel a bit nervous but I think you've got to try to pick the right person to do a trick with," he says. "The idea is not to make anyone feel uncomfortable. I try to put the focus on the whole entertainment package rather than making someone feel silly or putting pressure on them to be part of a trick."

In his pared-down approach, Tom builds on the tradition of Derren Brown and David Blaine. While he respects the work of their forerunners, he says the more elaborate style of magic is out of date. "I think Paul Daniels is still in demand because he's so well known but I definitely think tastes are changing and people are looking for more modern magicians," he says. "Like everything else, magic needs to evolve and I think at the moment my image of trying to keep magic contemporary is the way forward."

So would he ever attempt a Blaine-esque stunt?

"I think that would be a little bit extreme for me," says Tom sagely. "I think there's an element of having to be careful not to detract from your core image or ideas. If I sat in a box for two weeks above the Dolphin Centre in Darlington I'm not sure how popular I would be."

A true professional, Tom is serious about his magic. While nights are often spent working, he uses his days for practising. "If I'm learning a new routine I might do eight hours a day but that won't be every day," he says. "If I'm just polishing something up it may be a couple of hours a day."

Thankfully, he has a willing audience in the form of his parents, two sisters, and girlfriend Mia. He admits: "I think my mother has seen every trick under the sun."

While family and friends are a great support, they aren't Tom's only fans. In fact, as a smooth talking magician, he's quite a catch. "I've had a few numbers from doing magic shows, which my girlfriend isn't too happy about," he says, laughing. "Doing magic is a good chat-up line. It's a great way to break the ice. I would advise all boys to learn a magic trick."

With his talent and confidence, I wonder if TV work appeals, but Tom is wary. "I've been asked to do a few things but the problem with TV is once you're famous, it's very hard to work at the smaller gigs without some image of being better than the average person," he says, then seems to backtrack by adding: "I don't really want to be on TV and famous as such but if the right opportunity came up I might take it."

As far as the long-term goes, he says he's not averse to change and will adapt to emerging trends. "I might go into corporate product launches," says Tom. "A lot of car companies are looking at magicians to launch their new cars so I might venture into that." But at the moment, he's perfectly happy with what he's doing. "I like being a personal magician," he says. "It's just great fun."

So does that mean he won't be changing his act, perhaps to cast his girlfriend as "the lovely Debbie McGee"? He bursts out laughing. "That's too traditional, too old school," says Tom. "I don't think it's for me."

* To book Tom for an event ring 07855 726644 or visit www.truemagic.co.uk. He will be appearing at the Yorkshire Brides Show on Saturday and Sunday at the Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate.