| Richard Forget walked into the Class Act Dinner Theatre in Whitby straight off the plane from Thailand. He was slightly jet lagged, but completely put together, wearing a leather jacket and a smile on his face. The first words out of his mouth had to do with wishing he was back in Thailand performing and enjoying the culture; one of the perks of having a career that forces you to travel. Becoming a jet-setting, internationally renowned, award-winning magician doesn’t happen over-night. It takes creativity, passion and a whole lot of persistence. Growing up in downtown Toronto, Forget comes from a large, extended French-Canadian family, which has always provided him with a built-in audience. Magic and performing has always been his passion. He started at age 6 when he inherited a kit from his older brother and immediately began performing for family. “I’m the youngest in my family. My father was a musician, my grandmother was an opera singer and all my uncles played instruments, so entertainment is in my blood line,” he said. “At family gatherings, the floor was always littered with cousins, music would be playing, and I would be over in the corner working on my magic.” Once he was in high school, Forget got his practice by doing shows for kids part-time, which he said is the best experience for an aspiring performer. “It’s great for young performers because kids will tell you exactly what they think, they never hold back,” he said. Forget stands tall at 6’4, and with his formal look and sophisticated style, naturally falls into the role of the leading man when he takes to the stage. “I do some comedy in my act, but I’m not a comedian,” he laughed. “People just don’t buy it.” Magic has always been such a huge part of his life, and when he’s not performing on stage, Forget spends his time thinking about magic and coming up with new, innovative ideas for his shows. “There are so many different levels to magic. I like it all,” he said. “The best is creating a new idea from scratch, perfecting it, and then presenting it to an audience where you get the reaction you thought you’d get. It’s a great feeling.” Forget started his professional career doing acts with birds, but after developing a serious allergic reaction, was forced to sell them and start back at ground zero. In hindsight, he said this was the best thing that could have happened to him because it forced him to get creative. This was when his award-winning show An Urban Phantasy was born, followed by his other successful shows, News of the World, The Complete Experience – Magic Stripped, Magic Stripped Light and A Night of Magic. Like many performers, Forget is a shy person off-stage so he lives for the rush of challenging his extroverted side for an audience. “It’s a different world when you get onstage. I’ve had family come and say it’s like I’m a different person,” said Forget. “Performing is like getting your licence. At first you can drive, but it takes time to develop the confidence to be a good driver. Confidence is a big thing in performing. Audiences can smell it.” Forget has received a lot of recognition in the world of magic, but says he is most proud of being the only magician to ever win the International Brotherhood of Magicians award on two occasions. Though he has been the recipient of countless awards in his career, he likes to think the best is still ahead of him. Forget has a busy year of travelling to places like Beijing, Thailand and England ahead of him, but when he thinks about the future, he sees himself performing more in his own back yard. “It’s hard to build a name in Canada. I’m trying to create more of a buzz in my own country and we’re talking about a Canadian tour in the not too distant future,” said Forget. “I like the road I’m on, but the dream is to do what I do in my own county. I want to be famous in Canada. What I do is for Canadians in my acts, and I want my name to be associated with my performance style here at home.” |
Ashley Smith
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