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Abbreviated Bio - For Full Bio See Below!
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Chris Dugdale holds an unparalleled resumé in the field of magic. 14 Royal Performances including a private show for HM The Queen. He has mystified everyone from Beyoncé to the Pentagon, where he became the only magician in history to receive a medal of excellence following his standing ovation performance. Chris is an award-winning Edinburgh festival performer, the only act ever to win the Edfest Bouquet 4 times. You may well recognise him as one of the stars of Penn and Teller : FOOL US or from his appearances on NBC's Dracula or from various tv shows around the World.
His magic has been seen by over 10 million people worldwide.
Nicknamed "The King of Standing Ovations" Dugdale is one of the World's top live performers in his genre, and regularly headlines for Royal Caribbean out of NYC and the East Coast of America. His show is unlike anything you have ever seen before combining hard-hitting dynamic magic which quickly segues into incredible mind-control following the narrative of his life... He has headlined his full evening show in London's West End and at high profile theatres and venues around the world.
Based predominantly in America, Chris spends time between his homes in the US and the UK and headlines corporate events worldwide.
He is currently several months into pre-production of a major new TV series having completed filming in Rome, Madrid, Amsterdam, Washington DC, London and The Hague. Keep your eyes peeled...
In 2022 ETHERMIND broke all box office records at the Edinburgh Festival following a sell out run.
It was reviewed by HELLO! MAGAZINE as the best magic show of the festival and one of the top 10 shows you mustn't miss.
Most importantly of all, he is married to his beautiful wife Alexis and is the father of Lara Lou and Natalie, mischevious and amazing girls who have stolen his heart completely!
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"There’s no way a mere human can achieve what he does here!"
Bouquets and Brickbats ★★★★★
“Mind-boggling...beyond belief!”
The Herald ★★★★
“Really Superb” The Stage
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"Beyond a shadow of a doubt, masterful magic" The Metro
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”The undisputed king of the close-up card trick” LBC Radio
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”Dugdale is a charming, captivating showman and a natural entertainer who will keep you enthralled from start to finish”
Broadway Baby
”Sensational... creates a magical, mystical, mind-bending mirage... the showmanship of PT Barnum combined with the magical skill of David Copperfield and the wit of Jerry Seinfeld... unique talent demands unique description... he is an illusionary extraordinaire!”
Lt Gen Christopher Burne, U.S. Air Force - The Pentagon
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”It's impossible!” (HM, The Queen).
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”The best I've seen, brilliant” (Sir Richard Branson).
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Full Bio
At the age of 18 Chris became the youngest member of the world-renowned Magic Circle and successfully levitated a presenter on BBC Television's BLUE PETER live in front of 6 million people. Shortly afterwards he was promoted to the highest honour possible by award, becoming an Associate of the Inner Magic Circle. The day he graduated from Leicester University, armed with a degree in Psychology, he became a full-time magician. Within a few years he was working for Lance Burton in Las Vegas performing close up magic and helping create his magical product empire.
He hasn't looked back since and has become a world-famous author of his own magic and lecturer on the psychology of magic. But performance is his real passion and in 2003 he became the first magician in history to entertain Her Majesty the Queen and The United Nations in the same year. He was a guest of honour along with Angelina Jolie
In December 2005 he returned to New York to entertain at The United Nations for a second time.
Chris’s original approach to the performance of close up magic has taken him around the world entertaining some of the wealthiest and most famous people on the planet. In 2006 he co-starred in the world premiere of theatrical production THE NAKED MAGICIANS at the Hudson Backstage Theatre in Hollywood and earned himself and his fellow cast members three standing ovations in one night.
2007 saw him entertain at the “Richest Gathering Of Human Beings Ever”, and the following year he was asked back by UEFA to entertain at the UEFA Cup Final.
He is the co-author of CLOSE UP SUCCESS, the definitive guide to close up magic along with colleague Phil Jay. He also recently completed his first book SLEIGHTLY DISHONEST – TALES AND OBSERVATIONS FROM A GLOBE TROTTING MAGICIAN.
In 2010 he was flown to Rio de Janeiro to entertain the 1970 Brasil World Cup Team on Sugar Loaf Mountain and they even let him hold the World Cup!
He is the star, creator and face of the Britain’s Got Talent Stage Magician kit which was sold throughout the UK in Toys r us, Marks and Spencer, Debenhams and many other major stores.
His theatre show has played three times at London’s Riverside Studios to rave reviews and packed houses. He has also played the West End with his production “2 Faced Deception” at the Leicester Square Theatre.
In 2011 he performed on ITV’s Penn and Teller Fool Us and ITV gave him the quote “The most unbelievable ending of any trick ever.” He fooled millions of people on prime time tv with an original and shocking piece of magic.
Penn and Teller understood the theatricality of the effect, but to this day the method remains unsolved.
In 2012 his Edinburgh show became the best selling new show in Assembly One and it was selected to be filmed in entirety for the Fringe Performance Archive.
In the same year editing finished on his first one hour special for television, CHRIS DUGDALE'S MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR was distributed by SKATTA at the BBC to a worldwide audience as a mini-series...
In 2013 his return to Edinburgh saw his show “Magic and Mischief” breaking all of Chris’s box office records and as a result of this show, he was flown to the Seychelles for an exclusive one-night performance to a very select audience. He has since become one of the very few acts to be invited back three times...
Supporting The Who's Roger Daltrey and Queen's Roger Taylor Chris Dugdale was voted the top act at the IFS World Conference in Gothenburg which took place in front of 1500 people...Chris was extremely proud to beat such prestigious competition!
With the aid of a 60ft LED screen, 3 cameras including a steady-cam and live feed Chris was able to perform a couple of close up pieces in his stage show to devastating effect...
Chris's magic has taken him around the world many times, from Dubai to Las Vegas. His schedule has included more than 100 appearances in the Monte Carlo Casino in Las Vegas and numerous appearances at the world-famous Hollywood Magic Castle. He is probably also the first magician ever to have been given a standing ovation by Simon Cowell!
He signed an exclusive 18 month Hollywood contract and was seen in 2013 in the prime time hit NBC show Dracula, which saw him as an actor, magician and consultant.
At the end of 2013, he was featured on ITV national news as an expert commenting on the new style of banknotes to hit the UK in 2015.
2013 saw Chris support Simple Minds and Madness in Barcelona for the IFS World conference...
and supported the World's most successful comedian Michael Mcintyre in Spain…
2014 saw a truly triumphant return to Edinburgh with More Magic and Mischief, which achieved his best Edinburgh reviews to date and his return to Las Vegas to star in The Naked Magicians live on the strip in the Tommy Wind Theatre next to the MGM Grand. The Naked magicians received universally outstanding reviews.
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2014 also saw him appear on the cover of Magicseen magazine with an 8-page spread...
2015 saw Chris Dugdale being successfully cast as the lead character BENEDICT BARBER in a new major London production The MASTER OF THE MACABRE.
“A truly theatrical mixture of twisty plotting and illusion…Barber’s patter is sharp and fluid, his command of the room impressive even as he lays the Gothic on thick. His set treads the line between the cosily camp and the genuinely creepy with skill, as he lays a trail of breadcrumbs to a spectacular and unsettling denouement.
The second act is where it all kicks off, as ‘Master of the Macabre’ reveals itself as a plucky successor to fellow magician Andy Nyman’s long-running ‘Ghost Stories’ TIME OUT
2016 saw Chris’s show FULL CIRCLE win the coveted Edfest Bouquet at the Edinburgh Festival and he was invited to thrill Beyoncé and Jay-Z at a private party… a 2-hour engagement led to him staying 5 hours!
2017 saw a revised version of Master of The Macabre performed at Hoxton Hall to critical acclaim with a brand new full human vanish at the end of the show.
CHRIS DUGDALE : UP CLOSE played to sell-out crowds at the Edinburgh Festival achieving a second win of the EDFEST BOUQUET with sell-out shows to rapturous audiences and reviews:
“MIND-BOGGLING - BEYOND BELIEF” - THE HERALD
“THERE’S NO WAY A MERE HUMAN CAN ACHIEVE WHAT HE DOES HERE” - BRICKBATS AND BOUQUETS
Chris’s corporate training really went stratospheric in 2017 with huge contracts landed in London leading to a solid 2 years worth of training.
Dugdale was invited to perform for the Pentagon - who gave him a standing ovation and the following quotation:
“The reviews are in... and the critics are unanimous in hyperbolic praise... Chris Dugdale, the general of magicians, was a smash hit... 4 stars! Sensational... creates a magical, mystical, mind-bending mirage... the showmanship of PT Barnum combined with the magical skill of David Copperfield and the wit of Jerry Seinfeld... unique talent demands unique description... he is an illusionary extraordinaire!”
Lt Gen Christopher Burne, U.S. Air Force - The Pentagon
He was awarded a medal of excellence following his show.
2018 saw Chris being approached to star in a major new TV series which is now in pre-production.
Due to overwhelming public demand CHRIS DUGDALE: UP CLOSE! returned to Edinburgh playing to more packed out houses for the entire run. This resulted in another win of the Edfest Bouquet.
He published The Magic of Public Speaking click here for more info.
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2019 saw Chris being signed to Royal Caribbean to headline out of NYC and the East Coast on the most prestigious cruise ships in the World. Throughout the year, his shows achieved a record-breaking 95% full standing ovation reception!
His latest theatre show DOWN TO 1 played a triumphant season at the Edinburgh Festival resulting in Chris becoming the only act ever to win the EDFEST BOUQUET 4 times.
He co-founded the premier corporate training leadership website www.mindtailorleadership.com with Simon Walker and along with providing around 20% of the content, presented all the voiceovers for the entire site.
2019 saw him author XYA www.xyabook.com - a book of 25 incredible effects and essays for magicians.
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2020 saw him renew his prestigious contract with Royal Caribbean and he is concentrating most of his efforts this year on the Mindtailors and the exciting new TV series...
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2021 saw Chris breaking all records with a virtual mind reading show called ETHERMIND.
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In 2022 ETHERMIND broke all box office records at the Edinburgh Festival following a sell out run.
It was reviewed by HELLO! MAGAZINE as the best magic show of the festival and one of the top 10 shows you mustn't miss.
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Most importantly of all he is married to his beautiful wife Alexis and is the proud father of Lara Lou and Natalie, mischievous girls who have stolen his heart completely.
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Over the years Chris has performed now a total of 14 Royal Command performances, in the UK and abroad.
Many of his most prestigious engagements he is simply not allowed to publicise or comment upon due to stringent non-disclosure agreements.