Justin Purcell

Justin Purcell is a magician based in Chicago whose work lives at close quarters, where sleight-of-hand happens in the hands of the people watching rather than on a distant stage.

His specialities are close-up magic, sleight-of-hand and comedy, a combination that turns a card, a coin or a borrowed object into something small groups talk about for the rest of the night. Because the magic travels in his pockets, Purcell moves easily from table to table and from one circle of guests to the next, which makes his style a natural fit for receptions, parties and gatherings where guests are standing and mingling instead of seated in rows.