Born Plain Alex William Smith on 13th August 1975 into a Showbiz Family whilst travelling with Gandey’s Circus.
In the picture below I am being held as a baby by my Father “Tizzy the Clown” whose Autobiography “Strings N Things” can be purchased in PDF Ebook format from https://jonathanroyle.sellfy.store/p/3V4w/ or from Amazon as a real paperback book
CLICK HERE TO BUY STRINGS N THINGS PAPERBACK BOOK FROM AMAZON
I made my performance debut aged 3 and a bit in late 1978 as Flap The Clown alongside my Dad Tizzy the Clown during a run of Christmas Party Shows.
I then made my Circus Debut still aged 3 and a bit in early 1979 on Gandey’s Circus.
In the Picture below I am sat in the Middle chair, on the right hand side looking at me is Alex Lacey the Son of Martin Lacey Senior the Famous Wild Cat Trainer and on the left is my Dad Keith William Smith aka Les-Le-Roy aka TIZZY the Clown.
We are performing the classic “Ghost Gag” Sketch and the ghost is about to appear
In another routine (pictured below the Gandey’s Circus Poster below) I performed with my Dad “The Egg Gag” a version of the “Comedy Western” routine and this involved me being in close proximity to a very loud firing pistol being shot towards me 2 shows each day.
This along with having my ear ripped off by a Puma (again on Gandey’s Circus this time whilst I was playing hide & seek with the other Circus Kids) no doubt contributed to my eventual hearing loss & now hearing aid usage!
Anyhow all of the various “run in” and also feature Clown Gags, Skits and Sketches that I performed over the years with my Dad are included in my book “Tizzy & Flaps Clown Gags & Skits for Circus or Stage” – https://jonathanroyle.sellfy.store/p/JrSw/
Also in Circa 1979/1980 I worked as Flap the Clown alongside my Dad Tizzy on the Golden Mile in Blackpool to attract an “edge” to the Paul Daniels Magic Museum attraction.
The full details of this amazing experience along with some of my other memories of Paul Daniels are located at this Tribute Page located here:
It was as explained more fully at previous link above around this time that I got heavily interested in Magic with one of the first Magic Tricks I performed for my Grandparents being The Nail Through Coin
And here they are wondering how I made the nails penetrate the plastic coin…
As I was developing my Magical Skills I was still performing regularly as a Paid Professional Circus Clown & in my stage name of Flap alongside my Dad Tizzy we performed as “Tizzy & Flap” the Clowns.
Below is a Poster from the “Circus Showtime” shows that we performed in Civic Halls, Theatres and also outdoors at Gala’s & Event Days.
Here I am in between one of our Civic Hall Circus shows
Seems I was chilling out with an Ice Lolly before the next house were let in
And below is the Poster that was used at Christmas for our season of “Christmas Cracker” show performances in various venues
The Media would for years regularly feature me as Britain’s Youngest Paid Circus Clown and indeed in 1983 aged 8 I made my Television Debut as Flap The Clown a short clip of which is located here – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jk5epaMfvh4
In 1981 when I had just turned Six, The Daily Mirror British National Newspaper ran an article about me as Flap the Clown
This resulted due to them seeing this article in the Manchester Evening News about me
It was around this time I recall us performing on Robert Fossett’s Circus and remember dressed as Flap The Clown I would ride on the back of an elephant as we did the “Circus has arrived in Town” parade to help promote the arrival of the show
By the age of 12 in 1987 I’d started performing a Dove Production Style Magic Act
And also it was not long after that I was also performing Large Scale Stage Illusions at paid shows as well including this Combined “Homicide” and “Sword Cabinet” Illusion among various others many of which I obtained from the now Late Roy Rama.
Obviously this meant I needed an assistant to slice up in illusions and also to bring props on and off the stage for the Dove Production style act
The article above which also resulted in radio interviews and other media coverage did indeed help me to find an assistant to perform with and as the next images show one of the first shows we did was to raise money for a machine to help her sister with Cystic Fibrosis
That Magical Partnership did not last very and for some time during our family “Circus Showtime” shows I had to slice my mum up in the Stage Illusion boxes.
Although I also then started adding in things like the Neck Guillotine Head Chopper, Dagger Head Chest and Knife Through Arm so that I could use audience members as assistants.
I do remember doing a run of shows at Milton Keyne’s Shopping Centre for which we were booked by Colonel Tod Cody who is a direct descendent of William Fredrick Cody aka Buffalo Bill and whilst there one of his assistants kindly assisted me and also posed for the photograph that became a Publicity Photograph I used for some time
As well as Circus, Theatres, Christmas & Birthday Party’s and a whole host of other venues including outdoor Gala’s & Events like The Royal Lancashire Show where whilst performing in the VIP tent one of my Doves when produced flew off, around and above all the guests shitting into their drinks and on them for a good 10 minutes before it decided to fly back down to me!!
We even performed shows quite often on Fairground events for Jan De Koning & Gary Gore Fun Fairs.
Heck we even did a Christmas season of shows (several shows each day) at a Garden Centre in Woodford Cheshire
This video from one of those Garden Centre performances from Circa 1987 when I would be of been aged 12 years of age can be seen here – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bILf9yUjNaY
It was around the same time roughly that at the time without an assistant I had to go inside the Sword Box Illusion whilst my Dad Stuck the swords through it for a Charity Fund Raising event in a Night-Club as per this video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-0TAjaDd3I
You will notice at start of that video I am performing a Mentalism Mind Reading Book Test Routine before the Sword Cabinet Illusion
It was around 1989 aged 14 when I had on the one hand already become the World’s Youngest Qualified Hypnotherapist & was treating people Successfully as mentioned at link below that we also started doing more “Circus Showtime” shows at large Galas, Out Door Events also as an added attraction at Tourist Attractions around the UK.
We also performed at various Civic Halls & Theatres such as that shown in poster below
Bearing in mind that I was performing in that show both as Flap the Clown doing the “run in gags” & continuity clowning and was also as Alex-Leroy doing my Dove Production Animal Magic Act in one half of the show and my Stage Illusion spot in the other half as well as making a cameo appearance doing some Rope Spinning in the Western Act, as you can see below from the shows programme I was somewhat pivotal in that running order to the show
By 1990 when I was 15 years of age I was doing my own Children’s Birthday Party Magic Shows and also Stand up Comedy Magic performances (which included Fire Eating) for Hotels & Working Men’s Clubs…
As the testimonial below shows I was something of an accomplished performer by then
Indeed I recently released a package called “The Royle Road to Family & Kids Show Success” which reveals many of the routines, gags & bits of business that I used for great reactions over the years, many of which my Dad has also been using for decades before that and passed onto me
Check it out here – https://jonathanroyle.sellfy.store/p/the-royle-road-to-family-and-kids-show-success/
My video assisted book “Kids & Family Magic Shows Made Easy” covers many of the routines that I used in my shows – https://jonathanroyle.sellfy.store/p/we0g/
The above testimonial was from a man called Peter Keefe also known under his stage name Nathan Demdyke the Internationally Renowned Psychic Medium and Clairvoyant and he around that time took me under his wing, taught me the tricks of the trade and before you know it I was appearing at Northwest Civic Halls, Theatres & Hotel Venues with my “Bridges From Beyond” Psychic Show and The international newspaper “Psychic News” had dubbed me as “The New Uri Geller & Doris Stokes rolled into one”
Some of my experiences performing as an apparently “Genuine Psychic” can be seen here
And my Tribute to the Legend that is Uri Geller with videos of me Bending Keys, Spoons, Nails & other metal objects is located here
For the Christmas Season 1991 and into early 1992 I found work with Marvin’s Magic & indeed at the time became the Youngest & also most Successful demonstrator that they had ever employed with me passing the audition in mid 1991 just before my 16th Birthday and so they awarded me the contract when I was still 15
Part of the reason I did so well is that I’d been Pitching Magic Tricks & Novelty items like the Magic Twisty Glow Worms (Squiggles) in between shows at the outdoor Gala events I’d been performing at with my family for years.
Which is another reason why my book “The Art of The Perfect Pitch” got such positive rave reviews from Legends of the Pitching World including King of the Svengali Deck Mark Lewis as shown here – https://jonathanroyle.sellfy.store/p/piae/
After Marvin’s who offered me a contract to go to live and work in London for them, a contract I turned down as I did not feel ready to commit to one thing, I was by now doing my Comedy Stage Hypnosis Shows also which I started doing public Hypnosis shows of aged 15 and a bit in 1990 and now wanted to concentrate more fully on alongside my Magic Shows.
It was around this time to keep me occupied by day and also for the legal tax advantages it at the time gave, that I signed up for a Performing Arts Course which is where this picture of me as “Mr Magic” from when we did the Pantomime “Jack and the Beanstalk” comes from
January 1993 when I was still aged just 17 and a bit I made my National Television Debut as a Comedy Stage Hypnotist on Channel 4’s Cult Television Show “The Word” as can be seen here – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_iiqWcCZQSg
Around this time the focus of my Career became more on Stage Hypnosis Show and Hypnotherapy, however I did and always have kept on performing some Magic Shows and some Psychic Style Mentalism shows alongside my Hypnotic Activities
And I’ve even risked my life doing Under-Water Escapology to help promote a Bottled water company’s launch
Cold comfort as Jonathan makes his great escape
https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/news/west-yorkshire-news/cold-comfort-jonathan-makes-great-5091706
INSIDE MAGIC WEBSITE REPORT ON THE ESCAPE
And here is another picture of “Nightmare” performing our version of The Impaled
Whilst here is a picture of the first original prop we had built upon which is fellow creator David Arkay Impaled upon the Sword
In the very early 90’s in my Former Stage name Alex-Leroy I had a regular series of Magic Articles published in The Supreme Magic Company’s “Magigram” Magazine and also over the years had many articles published in Magic Magazines such as Repro Magic’s “Club 71”, Goodlife’s Abracadabra & Mentis the Magazine for Mentalists.
https://jonathanroyle.sellfy.store/p/mind-miracles-real-world-mentalism-and-mind-reading-secrets/
http://www.magicalguru.com/tv-shows/
And YES it was during that Television Series that my Comedy Drag Queen Hypnotist Alter Ego that “Mesmerelda” made her debut in Amsterdam as well…
Over the years I have also both Lectured at Magic Clubs & Magic Conventions as well as performing on the Gala Show of some as well…
Review of Royle’s November 2011 Lecture by Jack Griggs
http://www.magicalguru.com/magical-lectures/
Review of Royle’s 2014 Lecture by Stephen Manfordhttps://www.magicweek.co.uk/magic_reviews/magic_lectures/review_lecture_jonathan_royle_2014.htm
Review of Royle’s 2016 Lecture by Stuart Cassels
https://www.magicweek.co.uk/magic_reviews/magic_lectures/review_lecture_jonathan_royle_2016.htm
https://web.archive.org/web/20140221153459/http://www.cdrmagic.com/derek%20lever.html
Speaking of Derek Lever here is a video tribute I recorded to him for The World Magic Network back in 2016 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dr3dcKraxOI
https://www.thejerx.com/blog/2017/6/24/jonathan-royle-vs-the-magic-circle
On Saturday 27th August the video of me being interviewed on Craig Petty’s Magic TV You-Tube Channel went live as Episode 187 and hundreds of people watched it before it was suddenly taken down we think just before Midnight UK Time on Sunday 28th August 2022.
Well now it is back up (but with approx. 10-15 minutes of the original interview removed due to Legal Threats) and can be watched as a video at the above link and also can be listened to at the link below as an Audio Podcast on The Talk Magic Podcast with Craig Petty as Episode 183.
Those who managed to watch the original UNCUT version before it was taken down to avoid causing any potential legal backlash for Craig Petty and his team (all of whom I had and have absolutely no desire to cause any problems or issues and thus was and am more than happy that to be 100% safe & covered they edited a certain bit out) will know that I spoke a little about circumstances that led to my Magic Circle Lecture being cancelled back in 2017.
https://www.facebook.com/media/set?vanity=alexthehypnotist&set=a.10160306155367806
FAVORITE QUOTE FROM ARTICLE IN IMAGE BELOW:
“Alex has a thoroughbred showbiz pedigree”
The Stage Newspaper – 15th May 1997.
BUTTON UP THE CRITICS
Gazing at photographs of the Spice Girls’ bellybuttons in order to gain psychic knowledge of what lies in store for them, would probably strike many fans as a lucky privilege.
But for Alex Alexander, bellybutton reader to the… stars, and paw reader of the stars’ dogs, it is all in a day’s work.
Alex, who says he was invited to examine the Spice Girls’ navels by a leading tabloid, has a thoroughbred showbiz pedigree.
He grew up with Gandey’s Circus, where his mother did a sharp-shooting act and his father was Tizzy the Clown.
By the age of three and a half, Alex was Flap the Clown, following in his father’s outsize footsteps.
Before long, he was developing a precocious talent as a magician, which, by the time he was nine or ten, had blossomed into an interest in all things paranormal and strange.
“I wanted to be able to duplicate them all,” he explains.
“But the more I read, the more I found that there was something in it.”
Around the age of 12, he cut down on magic and started appearing at psychic fairs.
He also read something about the ancient American Indians believing in energy points called chakras, one of which is almost in line with the navel.
The bellybutton- reading concept, destined to lie dormant for many years, was born.
So does he really believe he is psychic?
“I don’t believe it’s a sixth sense it means you have extra or heightened use of your five senses, so you perceive or see things that other people have shut themselves off from, or conditioned themselves not to see.”
Hmmm. But whatever you make of Alex’s claims to special insight, you have to admire his ability to reinvent himself.
He moved into stage hypnotism, under the name Alex Leroy, and says: “I got quite successful at that, but got targeted by some of the press as someone to hold up and hate.
“I did get involved in the seedier side of the business, doing adult shows.”
The seediness, he explains, involved moments like men giving birth to babies: “But it’s nothing worse than anything you’d see in a Carry On film.”
Anyhow, by this time, he says, “showbusiness was screwing my life up”, so Alex Leroy went the same way as Flap the Clown and, for a period of two to three weeks, he got a job selling BUPA healthcare.
Then came another turning point. He did not want to go back to stage hypnosis too many enemies and as for magic, there was too much competition.
So he resurrected the bellybutton idea, and, so far, so good. “I started doing it as a bit of fun, but it’s turned out to be uncannily accurate.”
He has not read his own navel, however. Psychic he may be, but contortionist he ain’t. ?
Psychic–Alex Alexander Is succeeding as a bellybutton reader after his hypnotism act was targeted by the press.
Picture: Derek Parsons Photography
I was honoured to be asked onto Season 2 of the show and excerpts from that show are in the book “Radio Magic Season 2” by Jay Fortune and can also be seen at this link
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10152270591262806&type=3
It is also true to state that I currently have over 50 Books covering all areas of Magic Tricks, Mentalism, Mind Reading, Psychic Skills, Stage Hypnosis & Hypnotherapy available from Amazon & all Major Book Stores..
https://www.murphysmagic.com/Search.aspx?q=jonathan+royle&cm=146c74a1f8
https://jonathanroyle.sellfy.store/p/royle-hypnotist-live-in-blackpool-2023/
ROYLE’S FULL AMAZING & BIZARRE SHOWBIZ CAREER RESUME TO DATE HERE
However if you’d like to learn the hard won secrets of Stand Up Comedy and adding Comedy to your Magical performances check out my book on the subject here which is also full of laugh producing jokes galore – https://jonathanroyle.sellfy.store/p/qbc6/
It also does not make mention of my time Busking with my Fire Eating, Human Block Head (Hammering a Nail into Face) & Other Side Show Feats & Street Magic and it most certainly does not mention my time’s running a Vintage Children’s Carousel Ride and other Fairground & Sideshow attractions.However time earning money doing all those things happened along the way all the same and overall contributes to making my Career & Life in so many wonderful & bizarre ways quite literally – STRANGER THAN FICTION.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qymUOrXwUuI
Or you can download it at no cost from Vimeo Here
https://vimeo.com/367979013
My book of the same name expanding on the topics covered in the Documentary is available from Amazon & all major book stores in large format paperback
https://jonathanroyle.sellfy.store/p/smv6/
One of the very first copies was eagerly snapped up by David Icke pictured below
You can watch the video TV Interview Show style versions of the podcasts here
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDhI8Pk4O_4BKGbm2Rybtfkk0f_6WZ-pk
And the Audio Podcast Versions that you can listen to on the go are here
fully explained at this link:
https://klearthoughtsmentalismhypnosis.wordpress.com/2018/11/06/television-without-frontiers-tvwf-a-four-part-performance-art-television-show-project-by-swedish-artist-andjeas-ejiksson-based-on-the-1989-directive-1982-eurikon-satellite-featuring-british/https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11780792/?ref_=tt_mv_close
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1HYbt2DpjU
However I appeared in them all as a nod to my time spent as Britain’s Biggest Ever Media Prankster
And even more insights on my time spent with the end aim of exposing dishonesty and unethical actions in the media are here
On 30th September 2022 I issued Legal Proceedings against Rupert Murdoch’s News Group Newspapers both in relation to the 1998 “News of the World” Fake Coins Fiasco but also in relation to a 1994 Sun Newspaper article where they also lied about me massively.
Here is a short video where I talk about my Dads Former Act, You See me do a Little Fire Eating and I also discuss the truth behind how such apparently amazing acts are achieved –https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4z6rTDfYyI
His act was also featured in another Television Show in 1965 called “The Circus Comes to Town” as per newspaper article below
“Fire Eating Made Easy & Other Yogi Stunts Revealed”
https://jonathanroyle.sellfy.store/p/aOji/
Although that said I also have some video training available with which you get a copy of that Ebook included at no extra cost which is entitled
“Secrets of the Miracle Worker Style Yogis”
PDF EBOOK & ONLINE VIDEOS & ONLINE PHOTO SCRAPBOOKS
https://jonathanroyle.sellfy.store/p/3V4w/-Wizard/
REAL PAPERBACK BOOK FORMAT
REAL HARDBACK LARGE FORMAT ANNUAL FORMAT
Finally for anyone who may be Crazy enough to be interested in learning more about the first 30 years of my Life (from 13th August 1975 to 13th August 2005) then you can grab a real paperback copy of my autobiography about the first 30 years of my life (I’m now 48 and turn 49 in August 2024) from Amazon
CLICK FOR PAPERBACK COPY OF CONFESSIONS OF A PSYCHIC HYPNOTIST
klearthoughtsmentalismhypnosis 