Simon Drake facts for kids

Simon Drake is a famous English magician and illusionist. He was born as Simon Alexander on March 1, 1957. Simon Drake is well-known for his exciting television show, The Secret Cabaret, which was shown on Britain's Channel 4. He has amazed audiences around the world with his incredible magic tricks.

Early Life and Training

Simon Drake was born in London, England. His father was a doctor. When Simon was younger, he worked at a record company called Decca Records. There, he met a musician named Arthur Brown. Arthur Brown became a very important guide for Simon as he learned and practiced to become a magician.

Simon Drake's Amazing Career

Simon Drake first became widely known in 1979. He worked on Kate Bush's live concert tour in the UK. He helped create the visual effects for the show. He also played seven different characters during the performances!

Performances for Royalty and Stars

Simon Drake has a long and varied history of performing. He has performed in many different places. These include Tenjō Sajiki in Japan. He also performed at the Royal Variety Show in London. This special show was held at the London Palladium for Queen Elizabeth II.

He has also worked with many famous people. He advised director Nicolas Roeg for the movie Castaway. He taught actor Oliver Reed how to do sleight of hand tricks. Simon also helped actor Harvey Keitel with magic for the movie FairyTale: A True Story.

Working with Music Legends

Simon Drake has performed with and advised many music stars. Some of these famous artists include:

• Elton John
• Phil Collins
• Madness
• David Gilmour
• Meat Loaf
• Steve Miller
• Daryl Hall
• Bill Wyman
• George Harrison
• Julian Lennon
• Kate Bush
• Peter Gabriel
• Katy Perry
• Pamela Stephenson

In August 1993, Simon Drake appeared on American TV. He was in a special show called Raising Hell. In this show, he performed alongside the famous band Iron Maiden.

Ballet and Theatre Work

Simon Drake has also performed with The Royal Ballet. He was a guest performer twice. These performances took place at The Royal Opera House and the London Coliseum.

He has appeared at many festivals and tours. These include places in Canada, New Zealand, Europe, and the UK. He has also had regular shows at many London nightclubs. He even performed for a month in cabaret at the Casino de Monte-Carlo, Paris, and Dubai.

Simon Drake was the magic and effects supervisor for several big theatre shows. He worked on the West End productions of The Witches of Eastwick and Ducktastic.

Helping Behind the Scenes

Simon Drake often works as a consultant. This means he gives expert advice. He helped with the South London Theatre's production of Dr Faustus in 2007. He also advised on an episode of the BBC TV show Hustle.

He was a magic advisor for the film The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus. He helped the director, Terry Gilliam, before filming started. He also taught actors Christopher Plummer and Andrew Garfield how to do sleight of hand tricks. In 2022, he helped Terry Gilliam again. This was for a production of Into the Woods at the Theatre Royal Bath.

Simon Drake's House of Magic

In 1996, Simon Drake opened his very own special place. It is called Simon Drake's House of Magic. This venue is about 4,000 square feet in size. It is located in a converted Victorian building in London. The exact location is kept secret!

This amazing space is used for corporate events. These are special parties or gatherings for businesses. But it also has public performance nights every month. This means you can sometimes buy tickets to see his incredible magic shows there.

See also

In Spanish: Simon Drake para niños