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Maths teacher is simply… magic

Mike Glendinning
25/11/2004

FOR PLANT Hill High School's pupils, schooldays really are magic.

Maths teacher Alex Fisher has been practising the art of illusion for 17 years and is often to be found with performance props up his sleeve while he patrols the school grounds.

His interest was kindled when he was a spectator at a show in London.

Volunteering to help the performer, Alex was amazed when a lit cigarette was put out on his jacket, a trick he definitely wouldn't recommend to any budding Great Soprendos or Ali Bongos.

He is occasionally called upon to entertain at fund-raising events at the school and is always ready to put on a spontaneous mindbender at the drop of a hat.

The numbers buff has also taken his act to Eastern royalty, and was called upon to put on a few tricks for wedding guests in the Gulf when his brother was officiating at the marriage of a Sheikh's daughter.

Far from harbouring plans to saw pupils in half, Alex's branch of magic concentrates on the art of illusion and deception, and his current favourite tricks involve using the power of the mind to deduce playing cards from a whole deck, and passing solid metal rings through one another.

He said: "My party piece used to be swallowing razor blades, but I got one stuck once and never tried it again.

"At the moment, my top illusion is predicting a previously thought-of playing card. I do a lot of my own stuff on a part-time basis and have done a few performances for the students in school.

"Many pupils have shown some interest, so much so that I am hoping to start a young magician's club at school in the near future."