PRESS RELEASE, ARTICLES AND REVIEWS
Families are promised an unforgettable show of “proper magic” when Danny Lee Grew comes to town.
The former NHS employee is heading out on the road, bringing his box full of magic to new audiences as part of his 200-show tour.
Danny worked within the NHS as a clinical support officer, assisting in minor surgery – and wrapping patients in bandages. He practised his magic on colleagues and patients before taking the plunge and making magic his full-time career.
He has since appeared on television, in pantomime, supported comedy stars, headlined at holiday resorts, on ships and at fringe festivals around the world. He has entertained the likes of David Beckham, James Corden and Stormzy. Now, he is preparing to take his magic show 24K Magic on the road to wow live audiences across the UK.
He said: “It is one of those rare art forms where it is better when it is live. When you see it for yourself in the flesh and there is no way it can be a trick, it catches people off guard.” One of his illusions will see Danny take a flower petal and bounce it on a tennis racket as it grows bigger and bigger and turns into an egg, which Danny then breaks into a glass. He said: “My work is very visual magic. The type of thing if people saw it on the telly, they would put it down to camera tricks.”
He also loves bringing a classic Tommy Cooper trick to today’s audiences, making glass bottles appear in what seems to be a trick gone wrong – but is pure comedy magic in front of your eyes. No TV trickery, just “proper magic” in front of the audience’s eyes.
It all started at the age of ten when Danny joined Young Magicians Club, the Magic Circle’s youth initiative, and received training from magicians each month to perfect his craft. Having found a passion for magic as a child, he said: “Magic was a phase for me as a child that I simply never grew out of. I watched Sooty at the theatre and took part in school talent shows, and won. My school careers advisor subtly suggested I come up with a back-up plan. I remember telling them I wanted to be a magician and they didn’t know where to go with that.” In 2024, Danny was named the ‘Stage Magician of the Year’ by the International Brotherhood of Magicians, and has received multiple awards since such as the Theo Speaker Cup and the Tom Harris Comedy Award.
Tour dates and tickets can be booked at www.24kmagic.co.uk
Written by Kelly Louise Clarke
in the media
Danny’s positive story regularly gets picked up for regional television and radio broadcasts promoting his show.
Check out this ITV News feature when Danny was named the ‘Stage Magician of the Year’.
POSITIVE HEADLINES EVERYWHERE
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![Front page of Clacton Gazette newspaper dated January 23, 2025, featuring headlines about Danny winning magician crown, unsung heroes honored, Nigel flying to Washington, town center development plans, and car dealership advertisement.]()
Clacton Gazette Front Page
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![A man sitting on the floor with legs spread apart, surrounded by falling confetti or paper notes, against a red background, wearing a denim jacket, white T-shirt, dark pants, and white shoes.]()
Exeter Living Magazine
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![Promotional poster for a UK tour featuring Will Young, depicted in a close-up photo with a stern expression, sitting in a dimly lit setting.]()
Kent Courier
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![Newspaper article titled "Gardeners set their sights on Green Flags" with a photo of a group of people holding a Green Flag Award banner outside a garden. Below, an article headlined "Illusionist Danny is voted Stage Magician of the Year" features a photo of magician Danny Lee Grew surrounded by floating cards.]()
Clacton Gazette
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![A man in a denim jacket and jeans sitting on the floor with legs spread wide, surrounded by flying playing cards, against a pink background.]()
Exeter Express & Echo
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![A magician sitting on the floor with legs spread wide, wearing a blue jacket and white sneakers, surrounded by flying playing cards against a red background.]()
Dorset Echo
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![Newspaper page featuring entertainment news, including a story about magician Danny Lee Grew performing at West Cliff Theatre, with two photos: one of him performing magic with cards, and another of Jimmy Carr hosting at the Princes Theatre, along with a photo of a woman on stage.]()
Clacton Gazette
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![A man sitting on the floor with legs crossed, surrounded by floating playing cards against a red background, with a text headline about Devon Jaws and eyes being deceived.]()
Mid Devon Advertiser
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![Three images of live performances: the first shows the British Carpenters on stage with musical instruments and a singer, the second is a woman modeling denim outfits with a backdrop, and the third features entertainer Danny Lee Grew holding a microphone on stage with a banner.]()
Essex
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![Man in a blue jacket and white sneakers sitting on the floor against a red background, with playing cards floating around him.]()
Wiltshire Gazette - corsham
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![A man in a blue jacket sitting on the floor with legs spread, surrounded by floating playing cards, against a red background, promoting magician Danny Lee Grew.]()
Dorset Living Magazine
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![Poster advertising Danny Lee Grew's magic show, featuring a man sitting on the ground with playing cards and money flying around him, and text detailing the event and his credentials.]()
Wiltshire Living Magazine
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![A man in casual clothing sitting on the floor with legs spread wide apart, surrounded by playing cards flying around him, against a red background.]()
Oxford Mail
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![A man in a blue jacket and white sneakers sitting on the floor with legs spread apart. He is surrounded by flying playing cards and banknotes against a red background. The top right corner shows a section of text titled 'Arts & Culture'.]()
Oxfordshire Living Magazine
REVIEW: Danny elicits gasps and surprised laughter throughout.
Danny Lee Grew brought his one-man show to York’s Friargate Theatre last night, and it was a treat for this Wizard to be on the other side of the curtain after a day of tours!
‘24K Magic’ features a magical myriad of effects. Expect everything from magic with cards, silk handkerchiefs, eggs, oranges, rings, milk, paper and even a bowling ball. There are modern and inventive tricks and many classics dusted off too, such as the multiplying bottles (of Tommy Cooper fame) A one-tricky pony he ain’t!
A highlight for me was a variation on the Slydini Silks – a trick as old as the hills but given a smart twist using wordplay on NOT and KNOT. The variety keeps the show pacey and ensures there is something for everyone. There’s plenty of comedy too, with little asides, puns and gags that were right up this wizard’s alley!
A loose (invisible) thread centres around Danny’s background; from his first magic set, to his hospital work and time on cruise ships. A routine with coathangers makes sense, as he claims to pack his own for hotel stays on tour. And a twist on the classic cut and restored rope uses a bandage as a nod to his NHS days. These links lift the show from a random assortment of tricks and props, to something we feel more connected to and invested in.
More important than the magic though is that Danny is instantly likeable and engaging. He wins over a small audience on a hot evening, and the comedy is gentle without ever needing to shock or offend. He isn’t the ‘haha fooled you!” type, and invites us to share in the wonder rather than presenting puzzles and gotcha moments.
Crucially, he treats his volunteers with respect and puts the audience at ease by announcing he won’t be embarrassing anyone or making fun of them. Many is the magician who goes for a cheap shot at someone else’s expense, but thankfully none of that here. I’m reminded of seeing Geoffrey Durham (mentioned in the show) many years ago, who had the mantra “All done with kindness”.
It was our first visit to Friargate Theatre, which is an ideal intimate size for this kind of show. A few technical blips in a new venue are expected and forgivable, and didn’t take away from the experience. The set is sparse but this allows the magic to really shine. Danny doesn’t resort to big advertising banners on stage, which is a smart move and adds class.
So who is it for? It’s not strictly a kid’s show, but the magic is family-friendly and visual enough to hold young audience members’ attention. This audience was a mix of families, fellow magicians (who Danny kindly plugged and encouraged people to follow) and couples.
Our mini Wizards were both picked out to help, and were thrilled to be involved. Our youngest said “Mind-blowing, I loved finding my card in an orange!”. Eldest said “It was spellbinding, I enjoyed the Three Card Monte but my favourite part was being levitated!”
If you haven’t seen a live magic show before, I’d urge you to give it a try. Done well, there really is nothing like live magic. In this era of social media, YouTube and AI, it’s not always easy to be ‘wowed’ but Danny elicits gasps and surprised laughter throughout.
This was a one-night-only affair, but Danny tours regularly and you can check out his schedule at www.24kmagic.co.uk
Reviewer
The Review Wizard, York
Year
2025
‘BAFFLING, BEMUSING AND BRILLIANT’
TV’s Susan Calman
REVIEW: Spell-binding and hilarious in equal measure
I've always had a bit of a love/hate relationship with magicians. For every Tommy Cooper, there's always been a David Copperfield. While I have great admiration for both forms of magic, the presentation style of the likes of Copperfield et al, with their silky billowing costumes, their cheesy music, and their god complex, has always put me off the artform.
Thankfully, in Danny Lee Grew, we see none of that preening, posturing nonsense - he is simply a down-to-earth but absolutely first class magician and entertainer.
In his ‘24K Magic’ show, Danny takes us through his significant box of tricks, quite literally at one stage when he dusts off an old magic set. There's classics thrown in, such as the multiplying bottles routine and the knotted silks, along with some visual spectacles in the form of levitating an audience member and a bowling ball that seems to appear from nowhere!
Although he ably keeps the audience entertained with his plethora of tricks, Danny also packs his routine with daft jokes and puns, which I really enjoyed. Not only did it demonstrate his natural charm and charisma, it ensured there were no gaps in the show - no mean feat for a solo performer!
Spell-binding and hilarious in equal measure, 24K Magic is a perfect family show and a brilliant evenings' entertainment.
Reviewer
Ray at the East Anglia Theatre Podcast
Year
2025
AWARDS AND ACCOLADES
2026 | TOM HARRIS COMEDY AWARD | International Brotherhood of Magicians - British Ring
2026 | THEO SPEAKER CUP | International Brotherhood of Magicians - British Ring
2025 | THEO SPEAKER CUP | International Brotherhood of Magicians - British Ring
2024 | STAGE MAGICIAN OF THE YEAR | International Brotherhood of Magicians - British Ring