The following is a profile of the Magician Richard Young.
Written by Oxford Mail Journalist Anton Marshall

“One day I was really bored. I’d played every computer game in the house so I decided to get it out of the cupboard”.  The object in question was a magic set, a Christmas present that had been consigned to the cupboard for several months. The fateful day that the set re-surfaced was the day that a then 8-year-old Richard Young developed a passion for magic, a passion still present to this day.  Now 23 years old he’s very reflective when speaking of what drew him to magic.   Throughout school Richard regularly performed magic in front of his peers and school staff during morning assemblies. This early exposure to a live audience would form a basis for the live acts he would go to perform in later years.

Well into his 15^th year as a magician Richard attributes his sustained interest in magic to his love of it, as well as the personal qualities it provides him with. Richard’s crowning achievement came when at the age of just 14 he was crowned the 1998 winner of the prestigious ‘Young Magicians Close-Up Magic Competition’. The competition consisted of members of the elite ‘Young Magicians Club’ (a division of the magic circle reserved especially for budding magicians) and was judged by a panel of professional magicians. His feat was made even more remarkable by the fact that he was one of only two magicians without the benefit of professional tutoring. 

Richard’s competition win paid immediate dividends. Following his win he received an offer of free tutorage from professional magician Bob Swadling. Swadling has developed tricks used by such greats as Paul Daniels and David Blaine. Regarding Swadling Richard says: “When Bob first approached me with his offer I though O.K, how much? It turned out he didn’t want money; he just wanted to give back to the profession he felt had rewarded him so richly. Learning with him was fun. He taught me not just about the tricks themselves but also the performance aspect of magic.”Another consequence of Richard’s win was an offer to perform in front of a live studio and television audience on the Disney Channel, an offer he accepted. In the summer of 2003, Richard was offered a full-time position with Marvin’s Magic Europe’s biggest magic company. A position he unfortunately had to turn down because of other work commitments.

Richard now regularly performs across the country professionally at private functions and corporate events.