Six of Cape Town’s most charming teens proved their magical prowess and took home gold at the 2021 Western Cape Junior Magician Championships on Saturday 18 September 2021.

The Championships, hosted annually by the College of Magic, the Mother City’s only magical arts organisation, was presented in a new hybrid virtual and live event format at the College’s mysterious Victorian manor in Claremont and online via the Quicket platform. 

Eleven of the province’s teens went wand to wand at the Championships, with judges grading them on the visual impact and presentation of their acts, their technical and magical abilities and showmanship skills. In the end, six of these outstanding teens won top honours.

Somerset West’s Sebastien van den Hoogen (17) charmed his way into winning the Stage Magic Champion trophy with a graceful performance featuring elegant dove and silk  production effects. With an impressive bag of tricks up his sleeve,Sebastien also clinched the Close-Up Magic runner-up title. 

The teen is ecstatic about his double achievement:

“I’m over-the-moon excited! I practiced for months leading up to the competition and I am just so thrilled that all of my hard work paid off. I hope winning this title will open more doors for me in the world of magic and I am so keen on developing new acts.”

Century City’s Sahil Samlal (18) successfully defended his Close-Up Magician title for the second year running. 

In a surprise magical twist, the runner-up Stage Magic Champion title was awarded to both Lilitha Frans (17) from Phillipi and Tristan Grant (18) from Diep River.

Lilitha, a grade 11 learner with aspirations of becoming an actor someday, is quite vocal about the benefits of studying magic and competing:

“Studying magic at the College of Magic has been life-changing for me and to be able to take what I’ve learnt there and perform it in an award-winning act has been a dream come true. Winning this award  has inspired me to enter more magic competitions and I cannot wait to show everyone what I’ve got!”

Future engineer Tristan is happy that the judges and audience enjoyed his winning act:

“I have started to see magic not just as a sequence of moves, but rather a way to tell a story, and a way to make people have fun.It gives me great joy to know that the Champs spectators were blown away by my story!”

Tying for the Supreme Up-and-Coming Junior Magician Trophy are Deyna Viret (17) from Yzerfontein and Riyago Maartens (17) from Durbanville .The Supreme Trophy is awarded to a performer for their successful performance skills and great potential.

As one of only three female competitors at the Champs this year, Deyna is thrilled to be awarded this wonderful accolade:

“There is no better thrill than getting the audience as excited as you are! I hope to show future female magicians that anything can be achieved if you set your heart and mind on a goal – and put in the time to practice. You only do your best when you’re having fun – and performing magic is great fun!”

Maartens,who has produced and performed in two of his own shows for the public, credits the College of Magic for his astonishing accomplishment and instilling the confidence he needed to win:

“The College of Magic has given me my passion and it was my entry into the performing arts. It has and will continue to give me an extra edge against other performers in competitions like the Championships, with the uniqueness and wonder that magic presents. My life is more wondrous and exciting with the College of Magic in it!”

Come and watch your magic champs dazzle live at the upcoming Children’s Magic Festival this October:

These teen magic champs will next be seen sharing the wonder of magic with Capetonian families at the 2021 Children’s Magic Festival, to be held at the College of Magic in Claremont, from 14 to 18 December 2021. With a spectacular cast of magicians, jugglers, clowns and more, a week of safe, magical hijinks awaits!  

For more info and programme updates, please visit www.collegeofmagic.com or follow them on Facebook.