When Charles Alexis Guenard and his friend Tada Piriyanupong, filmed the spoof, How the iPhone 7 should have been Announced , in 2016, little did they know it would get nearly 20 million views in just one day. A sarcastic take on the Apple event, the video re-imagined Tim Cook as “an angry CEO who only wants to sell his products”. Cut to three years later, and this Bangkok-based duo has over three lakh YouTube subscribers.
But not many are aware that while Guenard’s claim to international fame is spoofs, the half-French Thai citizen is, in fact, a magician. Set to visit India in the second leg of his Asia tour (which kicked off in February in Malaysia) with a magic show that is “funnier than his videos”, the 23-year-old says he wants to “take the audience on a magic and comedic journey, as well as make them reflect on what entertainment is” by merging the two disciplines. The tour has so far travelled to Philippines, Camboida, Myanmar and Vietnam.
He is, however, tight-lipped about his routine, apart from admitting that there will be tricks involving cards — his speciality — and sleight of hand, which is his favourite. “There will be a lot of surprises, so I don’t want to give much away. All I can say is, people who enjoy stand-up comedy will love this show. So think Bo Burnham, except my routine also has magic,” he says.
Of clicks and tricks
Shifting between comedy and magic comes rather easily to Guenard, a self-proclaimed ‘class clown’, who says his shows are almost always laced with comic elements. As a magician, he is partial to an intimate audience set-up, rather than a large crowd, because, he says, it is easier to keep them engaged. As he is financing the Asia tour himself, touching base with the local comedy industry, such as the Counterculture comedy club in Chennai and The Hive in Mumbai, has helped him zero in on interests, location and venue size.
On his maiden tour to India, he is looking forward to delivering a lecture, along with Piriyanupong, in Mumbai on the theory of magic while demonstrating some tricks. The duo believes that most magicians tend to ignore the theory involved in magic. “The trick is 10%. The other 90% is showmanship, and if the magician knows how to make it interesting, he can take it from a ‘trick’ to a ‘miracle’,” he concludes.
Charles the French’s ‘ Here Comes the Secret’ is in Kolkata on August 21, New Delhi on August 22, Mumbai on August 23 and 24, and Chennai on August 25. Details at charlesthefrench-comedian.com
