Project 365 Backlog (111/365): Gregory Wilson

.:111/365: Gregory Wilson:.

Someone requested that I discuss the merits of this man, and I was all too happy to oblige. Gregory Wilson is funny and has an amazing character to boot, which really works excellently for him, as he can base his whole show around his zany but likable character.

As a brilliant entertainer with excellent sleight of hand and a slick mouth befitting a con artist, Gregory’s stage show is fast-paced, hilarious, and relies a lot on the fact that his con-man persona will carry him through an assortment of well-connected routines that tend to flow into each other excellently. As he continually gyps people throughout his show, establishing himself as quite a smooth operator, Gregory disarms his audience with the realization that his magic is not only excellent, but it tells a continuous narrative: here’s a con-man. He will probably rob you blind before the end of the show, but you will love every single minute of it.

I think what really sets Gregory Wilson apart as a comedy magician is the fact that his character is not only consistent, it’s not over the top, either. Kockov’s character is consistent because it’s so brazenly rambunctious, it’s hard to break the pattern you sort of expect from that kind of a wild personality already. Penn and Teller are consistent, but nobody would say that their act constitutes a genuine pair of characters insomuch as it’s just simply Penn and Teller doing their thing. Gregory Wilson plays his role very naturally and everything just falls right into place from the moment you lay eyes on the man.

I can see how many magicians of our age could grow to idolize or at the very least respect Mr. Wilson’s contributions to the magic community. He is funny, he is witty, but ultimately, he is such a cad. It’s hard to not like the guy and how arresting his personality really can be.

If you ever have the chance to get to know the man, be sure to shake his hand and keep an eye out for him. He’s going places, and he’s going to keep getting more and more popular as time goes by and his honed act becomes more and more well-known.

And while you keep an eye out for him, keep an eye out for your wallet, too. You never know with this guy, really.