Benjy Cohen

Benjy Cohen (born Benjamin Sidney Gerald Cohen 17 December 1994) is a British illusionist, mentalist, trickster and hypnotist. He is known for his work designing magic tricks and selling them internationally for other magicians. Since his first national tour, Cohen has become increasingly well known for his mind-reading act. He has written books for magicians and produced multiple DVDs.
Personal life
Cohen was born to Rabbi Cliff Cohen and Helene Cohen in Frimley, England, and has three brothers. Cohen's second to oldest brother, Joe wrote the theme music Cohen uses in all of his shows. Cohen was educated at Sandwich Technology School in Kent and is currently studying Musical Theatre at the University of West London. While at Sandwich Technology School he started working as a conjuror, performing the traditional skills of close-up magic in bars and restaurants. In 2013, he started performing stage shows at small theatres.
Cohen was raised to practice Judaism. This is discussed by Cohen during his first show "Alakazam". Cohen has addressed on many occasions that he tries to keep religion out of his performances despite religion being a big part of his life as his father is a Rabbi.
Several small newspapers wrote articles on Cohen during his last tour. The Thanet Gazette website wrote that he "hopes to match the success of hero Derren Brown.”.
Performance
Cohen's first show 'Alakazam' mainly featured an introduction to modern magic tricks. The show had some, but not many, mind-reading examples. He didn't really get noticed until Cohen’s first national tour ‘Illusionist’ demonstrated a combination of mind-reading techniques, suggestive hypnosis and tricks to show how humans can be influenced and manipulated to create the illusion of free choice. His latest show is to be toured during 2015 under the name ‘Gambit’. The aim of Gambit (Cohen said on his twitter) is to demonstrate why illusionists (specifically mind-readers) are not allowed in casinos.
Trick Design
For the past three years, Cohen has worked with two other creative magicians. Liam Alderman, a sleight of hand specialist and a magician who specialises in technology and apps for magicians, Dylan Tees. These three have combined their knowledge and ability in order to create original tricks and market them. Cohen attended Sandwich Technology School where he learnt workwood skills and how to use a laser cutter. Cohen stated in an interview with the Thanet Gazette that when he started performing he assumed every magician made up his own tricks and later found out that wasn't true after reading several of Jim Steinmeyer's books. After privately selling magic tricks he'd designed, he eventually met Tees and Alderman over Facebook, the trio have worked together since 2011 by reviewing and improving each others tricks before marketing them.

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