Avon Lee

HK Magazine: When did you start learning magic?
Avon Lee: I started quite late. I remember reading about a magic class in the newspaper when I was 23, and decided to go with some colleagues. At my first lesson, I asked the teacher, “How do you make a bill float?” He showed us the secret in a few steps. I was amazed at how simple it was. It was also the first time I understood the mechanics of a trick before I saw the performance, and it left a very strong impression on me.

HK: What is your most memorable performance?
AL: I was performing at a school for charity early in my career, and I accidentally knocked over my prop table. It was an epic failure. The organizers closed the curtain so I could reset everything and do the performance again. It made me understand that, no matter how involved you are in your performance, you must always know where you are on stage and where your props are stationed relative to you.

HK: When did you start competing?
AL: The first competition I joined was the Hong Kong Amateur Magician Contest. I was ready to turn around and leave. All of the contestants were very intimidating, like, you would look around and see last year’s champion. I was so ready to chicken out. I thought to myself, “I haven’t been doing magic for that long—what makes me think I could win?” Fortunately, my wife, who was my girlfriend then, convinced me to stay. I won second place that time, and it started my career.

HK: How are you preparing for your new record?
AL: This time I’m trying to beat the record for the most costume-change illusions in one minute. I’ll be changing 13 costumes on my assistant. The most difficult part was making the costumes. They are all tailor-made, because that involves a lot of the secrets behind my tricks. For some, I even had my mother help me add discreet details to the clothes. I spent a lot of time training with my assistant, so that we communicate and transition well to cut down on time. We are approaching perfection. The routine is now at 53, 54 seconds. We are aiming for 50 seconds, so there might be extra time to catch up if anything goes wrong.

HK: What significance does this new record have for you?
AL: Last time around, I created a new record [the most teleportation illusions in one minute]. But this time, I am challenging an old record. I didn’t know if I could break the record until very late into the preparation. I feel the sense of accomplishment is so much bigger than before. This achievement belongs to my team, but also to Hong Kong. And I hope this helps Hong Kong’s reputation grow in the international magic industry.

HK: You’re also a full-time police officer. Why do both?
AL: To me, magic is my hobby, but being a policeman is my job. Being a policeman is something that I’ve wanted to do since I was a kid. Time management has become more difficult since I now have more performances. Now it’s all just work, magic, work, magic. But I think it’s all worth it. Being a police officer helps me with discipline. Even if I perform or rehearse till one or two in the morning, I still wake up at 7am to work.