Edgar Benyon, a famous New Zealand magician, talks about his life and career. In 1918 he began touring on Fuller's Vaudeville Circuit, playing for four or five weeks at one time in Auckland, Wellington or Christchurch, then going on tour around the smaller picture theatres. His first salary, after winning a talent contest, was 8 pounds a week when on tour and 6 pounds a week while staying in Christchurch.
He went to Australia and joined the Tivoli Circuit and became a very successful juggler. From there he went to Africa and then on to England in 1922. By this time he had a wife and baby daughter. Even though it took him some 6 weeks to secure work when he first arrived in London, once he got a first engagement he was booked for three years solid.
He recalls his first night at London's Colosseum and being "dead scared" because the stage and audience were so vast. He says he was quaking at the knees, but the audience gave him a huge round of applause when he walked on which put him at ease. After his initial performance he was moved up the bill, and eventually his name was in electric lights topping the bill. He went on to have 11 seasons there earning 50 to 60 pounds a week.
He played at Maskelyne's Theatre regularly, which did not earn him as much but was very prestigious. In order to stand out, he evolved a rapid change act where he did magic, juggling, ventriloquism, trick cycling, paper tearing, lightning sketching, sharp-shooting, all in quick succession: 12 acts in 20 minutes, all requiring costume changes. And that is the sort of act he has been doing ever since.