Tethered to nautical ropes tied to two trucks racing in opposite directions, Drummond Money-Coutts has 25 seconds to escape the handcuffs binding his wrists before the ropes run out of length and he is torn apart.
The stunt is just one of many mind-blowing tricks pulled off by the 28-year-old, who is being touted as the best in a new generation of British magicians.
Mr Money-Coutts, also known as DMC, will be brought over by Em Promotions to Malta next month for an exclusive event in which he will showcase a host of magic tricks, including mind-reading, card magic and close-up magic.
Speaking to The Sunday Times of Malta, Mr Money-Coutts describes the “torn apart” stunt – which was recently aired on National Geographic as part of his seven-part series called Beyond magic with DMC – as his most memorable stunt.
“It was rather stressful to perform though,” he admits.
He had actually first attempted the daring stunt back in 2012 with two golf buggies – but it failed horribly, causing him a number of injuries.
DMC is being touted as the best in a new generation of British magicians. Photo: Aliona Adrianova“It went very badly. I only managed to escape one of the ropes while the other rope dragged me across the tarmac at some 50 kilometres an hour.
He describes magic in lyrical terms, comparing it to the piano.
“Nobody’s born able to play the chords and arpeggios but I think you’re born with the love of that skill that is powerful enough to get you through years and years of training.”
Since he was a child, he was engrossed by the notions of magic, mysteries, conspiracy theories, ghosts and aliens. Aged eight, his father took him to a magic shop in London – and that was it, he smiles.
As a 17-year-old, he performed before Queen Elizabeth at Eton College and has, since then, performed before a host of celebrities, politicians and royalty.
“I am mostly self-taught. Magic needs a very introverted mindset – it’s a bit like music, being a very private thing that people commit themselves to.
Composure, he believes, is the most important quality a magician must possess.
“Quick reflexes are important at times but I think the speed of magic is overplayed by people. People believe magic is all about sleight of hand but optical magic is about taking it slow and being very natural.
“It’s all about being calm under pressure. Very often you have to give out a serene external portrayal but, on the inside, you’re thinking about whether this is going to work out.”
There are instances where things go wrong but a magician’s advantage is that the audience would not know what is coming next, Mr Money-Coutts explains.
“It’s like acrobats at the Cirque du Soleil – sometimes they get it wrong, maybe deliberately because it makes the act seem much more difficult. So as long as you end on something very strong, it works.”
Despite the death-defying stunts, Mr Money-Coutts, finds himself mostly drawn to the elegance of card magic and the impossibility of mind reading.
He has a thrilling set of tricks up his sleeve for his performance in Malta.
“I have a trick where I tell somebody his PIN number. An audience member thinks of his PIN and four people choose a card each. Together, the numbers on the four cards will make up the person’s PIN.”
What is the role of magic in a world dominated by visual effects and technology?
“I think we’ve grown accustomed to the things around us. Science rapidly explains many things which used to be attributed to magic.
“But ultimately, magic will always stay with us. There’s a timeless beauty to it and a piece of magic done well will always resonate with people in spite of all the advances in science and technology.”
Mr Money-Coutts will be performing at Club 22, Portomaso, on March 8. Tickets can be purchased by phoning 7942 4518 or by searching for ‘DMC – world-renowned Magician’ on Facebook.