Dungannon-based Ed Masters brand of magic is so enchanting one’s hairs rise on one’s arms and one’s heart skips a beat or two watching what seems to be sheer impossibilities become in-your-face realities.

Having had the pleasure of enjoying performances at the famed Magic Castle in Hollywood, Los Angeles, the clubhouse for the Academy of Magical Arts in the US one could say I’ve been spoiled, but my goodness, Ed masters them all.

With the help of three gorgeous, exquisitely dressed, female assistants and his wife, Sasha from Belarus, he creates a splendid world of the imagination, a two-hour show that captures one’s heart and one’s mind, one that is both exhilarating and sprinkled with humor, the wholesome, warm-hearted flavor – with Ed as the perfect friendly guide and host, dressed in black pants with bright sparkles and white shirt.

Be amazed as you see his assistants appear then disappear inside boxes before your very eyes; be even more so as sharp-pointed umbrellas are poked into the boxes from every angle, but for the beautiful assistant to emerge unscathed. And how on earth (or is it earthly?) does one of the ladies manage to change from a black dress to a red one in a matter of seconds?

Watch as a random, innocent audience member (I know this to be true as my Romanian friend, Lucian Podariu, was chosen first but was too shy to go on stage) selects a card from a deck and for Ed, as if reading his mind, not only picks the one chosen but literally sketches it on paper, then graciously give the sheet of paper to the audience member as an event keepsake.

How does Ed explain this? “I’m just the medium, I tune into different frequencies,” he says modestly.

Then there’s the amusing, colorful macaw – an adorable parrot named that Ed saved from cruelty and has patiently nurtured over the years (treated well, they can live to be 70). Be delightfully entertained as it speaks to the audience, nonchalantly rides a miniature scooter up and down a table and scores a couple of basketball dunks.

A highlight of the show is a dramatic, daring escape from a huge pair of overhanging steel blades with steel serrated teeth. Buckled and locked into a straightjacket, reportedly Ed is the only magician to dare this feat in Ireland and one of few in the entire world.

The Ed Master’s audience-interactive variety show, a pleasure for all the family regardless of age, which also features singing and excellent choreographed dance routines, is now on a national tour. If you want to be enchanted and transported into the sheer world of magic, don’t miss it.