Local magician set to perform on London West End stage next year

Conor Breen, a magician and mentalist from Athlone, will be entertaining and dazzling audiences on London's West End next February for one night only.

Breen, who goes by the stage name TEACH, has been performing magic and mentalism for over 15 years now.

On how he first became interested in magic, Breen said, “I think it starts for everyone when you get your first little magic set, or watching other magicians on TV. It went from there, I just love doing it.”

“It was always a dream,” he explained. “But as a kid I didn't know you could make a living out of it!

“It's not just how it makes me feel, but how you make others feel. It's like a superpower.”

When he's not performing in front of audiences, Breen works in education, and explained that some of the tenets of mentalism can be effectively utilised in the classroom.

“I'm a secondary school teacher, and I've used elements of mentalism in the classroom. The psychological element, turning people into believers.”

Breen, who currently works for the Department of Education in Athlone, has previously taught English and Religion in Our Lady's Bower, Marist College, and Ardscoil Mhuire, Ballinasloe.

“That's where the name TEACH comes from,” he explained. “And if you see me perform, it's more like a magic show crossed with a TedTalk, it's education. It's inspirational, it's motivational. It allows people to achieve what they never thought they could do.”

On his website, Breen describes himself as “an educator, a mentalist, a magician, a speaker, an entertainer, a writer, and a thought provoker... guiding those around him to gain control over their life, their fears, their emotions, and their mind!”

As well as performing live, Breen has an active and popular presence on social media, boasting over 300,000 followers on TikTok alone!

“[Social media] is everything now,” he said. “It's a difficult thing to step into initially, but it makes you think about how to market yourself.

“It's a completely different medium of entertainment, your content has to be extremely engaging.”

Breen's magical career is going from strength to strength, and the West End show on February 20, 2025, is his biggest performance yet.

“It'll be my first time on the West End – it's bucket list stuff!”

The show is called 'Culture Shock!' and features two other performers as well as Breen; American comedy mentalist Howard Blackwell and Italian sleight-of-hand artist Gogo Cuerva.

Breen revealed that he and the two other magicians performing in London are “a bit of a team. We help each other out a lot, personally and professionally”.

The trio will perform at the Phoenix Arts Club, a popular variety and cabaret club. Tickets are on sale now, available on the venue's website.

If you want to get in touch with Conor, his email is Teach@InAClassOfHisOwn.com, and he specialises in wedding entertainments, corporate stage and close up entertainment, key notes and team building events, adult or family entertainment, theatre shows, and trade shows.