Ash Pryce is a paranormal illusionist and horror entertainer. He has been performing supernatural-themed magic for 15 years and has toured extensively with his shows. His style of magic is a mix of mentalism and Bizarre Magic [weird, spooky, eerie, story-driven]. In 2016, Ash was one of the founders of the Edinburgh Horror Festival, which he still chairs. We caught up with him to find out what he’s up to at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
STARBURST: How would you pitch Ghosts to someone who’s a fan of Penn and Teller?
Ash Pryce: If you’ve seen them talk on the topic of mentalism and weird magic, you’ll likely be aware they have some strong words for performers to keep the dishonesty honest – Penn especially has made no secret of his disdain for performers who insist their abilities are really supernatural, or misusing science. What I do is theatre. It might mix in classic elements of seances, such as spirit slates and Ouija Boards, but I want to make sure that my audience experiences entertainment first and foremost. I think in terms of the actual content and style, the show is very different to the type of thing P&T do, but if you like their more sceptical side, you might appreciate a spooky show that plays with all the tropes of séance but isn’t trying to mislead you into thinking it’s anything more than a fun, freaky, hour.
And how would you pitch it to someone who gory horror movies?
If you like Saw or Friday the 13th, and that’s the horror you like, there are definitely things about this that will connect to that. Gory films feature a lot of elements that are key components of more Gothic or ghost-based horror – suspense, uncertainty, and a threat looming in the dark. Those things play into a good ghost story as well. The stories told around how ghosts came to be, or their acts against the living, can evoke the same discomfort and unease you get from a slasher. Gory films could almost be the set up for a later ghost or supernatural chiller, and that set-up bleeds through into the stories that are told. You can’t have a ghost without the dead, and death and gore are frequently intertwined.
Why do we still love magic shows?
Magic taps into so many parts of us- we’re problem solvers, and as a species, it’s one of our defining traits. So, having a puzzle to solve, for many, is a major draw. Not knowing and wanting to know stimulates our brain and keeps us thinking, working that grey matter. We love a mystery. But there’s more to it, magic creates a world where we can let our imaginations run free and experience something that takes us back to that exciting, dream like world of childhood. It’s playing, and the audience gets to be a part of that play. It feels good to experience wonder, and you can’t get true wonder in other art forms the same way you can in magic. You know how special effects are accomplished in movies even if you don’t know how to work After Effects, but in magic, the wonder comes not just from seeing something impossible but from having no clue as to how it was achieved – it’s the closest you can get to actual miracles.
How similar is this to other projects you’ve worked on?
This is very much what I do. I started performing demonstrations of things like telekinesis – moving objects apparently with the mind – as part of a talk on psychic trickery when I was involved in a science outreach group, and over time, the science talk component fell away, and the focus became the spooky illusions. Being involved with the Edinburgh Horror Festival for nearly a decade, as well as having some disabilities that impact how much I can take on, means horror entertainment and spookiness have become my main focus. This show is the evolution of a show that began in 2019 as Ash Pryce: Paranormal Illusionist. This show, Ghosts, is the latest version of that and has changed and developed over time, so you’d certainly get something different if you’ve seen it before.
Why Edinburgh?
The very boring answer is I live here. But it’s more than that; why do I stay here? Edinburgh is a beautiful city; it has a buzz throughout the year that intensifies in August. And it’s the perfect location for a spooky magic show. The city has such a strong connection to horror, the magical, and the supernatural – you can’t walk more than a few feet in the Old Town without being reminded of this. The tales of ghosts stalking the underground streets, dating back centuries, the narrow wynds and closes, the twisted trade in human remains during the Victorian era, ghostly carriages thundering down the Royal Mile, the Wizard of the Westbow and his demonic obsession, the truly abhorrent witch trials and all that comes with them.
The city is simply dripping in this dark history and occult fascination. And added to that is its connection to magic – the death of the Great Lafayette in 1911, when the Festival Theatre burned, killing him, his funeral procession down Princes Street attracting more people than a recent visit by the King. Visits from legends of the genre – Houdini was once photographed hanging from the gates by Waverley Station. And as far as dark, unsettling magic goes, Edinburgh was home to the man who is one of the most important names in the history of Bizarre Magic – Charles Cameron, a magician who had his own theatre above the old Wax Work Museum in Old Assembly Close – Castle Dracula where every night for years he would dress as the Vampire Count and entertain audiences from around the world with his unique style of dark, occult-themed magic. I feel a connection with what he was doing. Edinburgh is a city of horror, a City of Ghosts, a City of Magic, it’s why I stay here. That’s why Edinburgh.
What was the biggest obstacle to getting the show made?
Honestly, some might find it a little depressing – but I have a couple of chronic illnesses that severely impact what I can do and when. It makes functioning day to day a roll of the dice, and it’s why I’m doing reduced runs at the Fringe these days mixed with guest slots and a few out-of-city gigs with people who know about my health and can help support me – the days of 60 shows a Fringe plus guest slots are gone – I’m doing two full shows in Edinburgh and five elsewhere. I don’t know if my health will ever allow me to do more, but if I don’t do something, then the disability will eat at me. I do as much as my health allows, but that’s the biggest obstacle to getting anything done, not just the show. It might look like I’m doing a lot, but people don’t see the 70% of the time when I can’t function. I pace myself and do as much as I can when my body allows me because I never know when I won’t be able to.
What is your favourite moment in the show?
I think it has to be when the Ouija Board does its thing. It’s the only part of the show I would say isn’t a ‘trick’ in some way, at least not in the traditional way we think of magic tricks. The Ouija Board really does react, and the planchette you place your finger on moves to spell out the name of the spirit the sitters are all thinking of. I don’t know when we begin if it will spell something out or what it might spell out. It’s an experience. It’s a really strong part of the show that can have very powerful reactions – I’ve had people run out of the venue terrified. No one cheats and pushes the planchette, and there are no magnets, thread, or well-trained ants hidden in the feet of the planchette – I tried that; they unionised and now work in IT.
Should magic be spooky or funny?
I don’t think it ‘should’ be either. I think it can be either, or it can be neither; it can even be both. The only thing it should be is entertaining. I’ve seen a lot of magic over the years, and some of the best, most powerful magic I’ve seen has been very, very simple in its method but is elevated to incredible heights by the right performer. I think that, with any creative endeavour, you need levels and different tones throughout. My show is spooky, but also has some funny moments – if it were all completely spooky with no shift in tone, it isn’t enjoyable; it’s a barrage of the same feeling, and that isn’t good, it’s not how horror should be for a start. It needs colour, texture, and flavour.
Where else can we see you?
I’ll be doing a few guest slots on Violet’s Vaudeville Vault at Three Sisters during the first couple of weeks, testing new material for a new show I’m developing. I’ll also be touring Ghosts as part of a double bill event called A Night of Ghosts, along with my friend Des O’Gorman, who has a comedy show about the Ghostbusters, which pays tribute to it and has some really lovely emotional moments. It’s a fun double event, and that’ll be visiting Glasgow, York, Leicester, Sheffield, and Matlock Bath in August. Then, if you’re local to Edinburgh, you can find me in the Banshee Labyrinth on the first and third Saturdays of each non-Fringe month, where I do a show called Ghosts of the Banshee, which is an alt-version of my Fringe/touring show and focuses entirely on the ghostly goings on of Scotland’s Most Haunted Pub.
What’s next?
Once August is out of the way, I go back to my regular shows at Banshee Labyrinth, I’m developing a new show called The Discoverie of Witchcraft, which I tested in 2022 and that looks at Scotland’s witchcraft past told through magic. I’m also performing at Glasgow Horror Con in September, but the big thing is the Edinburgh Horror Festival. I’m the chair and co-founder of the Festival, and that happens in October. Mainly at the Banshee Labyrinth, we have four spaces in there and almost 30 different shows over the Halloween weekend – theatre, comedy, storytelling, workshops, and, of course, some suitably spooky magic. In fact, this year, we’re doing a Horror of the Fringe award. Usually, we’re quiet in August, but this year, we’ll be going out to see horror Fringe shows and giving out awards for things like best theatre, best performer, best original script, etc at a ceremony at Banshee Labyrinth on August 21st. We want to celebrate horror at the Fringe, it’s a growing genre, and to be honest, it’s disappointing to see it still relegated to some niche interest- it’s really not. Spooky entertainment is here; get used to it!
Shrek or Donkey?
Shrek. He seems like he’d be cuddly. Donkey’s fur is too coarse
Wizards or Warlocks?
Warlocks – bad guys have all the fun.
Simpsons or Futurama?
I remember The Simpsons premiering and how I was worried it would take away the focus from my beloved Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles. So, I’m going to say Futurama.
Truth or Beauty?
Truth – Beauty is fleeting; truth is eternal.
You can find out more about Ash and his show here, and more about the Edinburgh Horror Festival here.
