Robert Malissa is bringing his magic show, A Case for Magic, across “the pond” this August to perform at the Edinburgh Fringe. I have caught up with him ahead of him, leaving to travel across to Scotland.

When and where are you performing at the Fringe this year?
Venue: theSpace @ Stephenson Theatre @ Surgeon’s Hall
Dates: 19-29 August 2026
Time: 16:35 (0hr50)
(Venue No. 53) Surgeons Quarter, Nicolson St.

What was the inspiration for your show?
I performed as a street magician for First Fridays around the Philadelphia area for about 5 years. While setting up for a show I heard a passerby say, “Hey a magician, the lowest form of entertainment”.
Instead of being insulted, I was inspired. It was the perfect foundation for a new show.
Within five minutes, I had the title: A Case for Magic: For Lovers of Magic and Their Ambivalent Friends.
Developing this show allowed me to clarify what makes magic meaningful for both myself and my audience. Ultimately, the difference lies in intention. Where some performers aim to show off the trick or present intellectual puzzles, my mission is to share joyful moments and foster authentic connections.

Have you performed at any other fringe festivals before embarking on Edinburgh?
The show premiered at the Philadelphia Fringe Festival in 2018, my hometown. When I watched the video, I realized the applause I got when I walked onto the stage was from friends and family. It was not the reaction of a dispassionate audience.

To see how the show would really be received, I went to the NYC Frigid Fringe Festival. When I walked out on stage you could hear a pin drop. As I went through the show, it was like the tide coming in, with each trick and presentation there was more laughter and audience responsiveness. At some point we became one. I had two reviewers come to the show and they both wrote flattering reviews, which I have used in my marketing for Edinburgh.

I then went back to Philly and performed the show at local venues, including the Smoke and Mirrors magic Theatre at the House Of Magic just outside Philadelphia.

Who is your target audience?
The show has wide appeal. It’s for anyone above the age of 12 that likes to laugh, gasp, and wonder. There are several threads that run through the show. One is about the show as a business. That allows me to riff on the corporate grind as I interview and hire an assistant and intern for the show.
The show is clean and warm-hearted, and although some of the jokes about business will go over the heads of the younger audience, they will still enjoy the magic.

How did you get started in magic?
I was about seven years old. We were at a family picnic and the adults were playing horseshoes, the American version of quiots.

I wanted to play, but the adult said a seven-year-old could not throw a metal horseshoe 13 meters. I kept asking until finally they put the horseshoe in my hand and obviously I didn’t succeed and I started to cry. One of the adults, who, unknown to me, was a magician, came over with a handkerchief to dry my tears and the next thing I knew he changed it into a cane. It blew my mind.

My mom asked the father how a kid gets started in magic. He directed me to the library. I took out a magic book for kids. At the end of the book, it said you need to perform to continue your education. I told my mother and it just so happened my younger cousin was having a birthday and I became the entertainment.

Two weeks after the show, my mom got a phone call. A kid who was at my cousin‘s birthday wanted me for his birthday. The father asked how much does your son charge? My mother said five dollars and you have to pick him up and drop him off. My career was born. I was 8 by then, and I had just turned professional.

I marketed myself by putting business cards in all the kids’ party bags and I was able to continue that career all the way through high school.

Why are you performing at the Edinburgh Fringe?
My inspiration for street magic goes back to my college days in Philadelphia, where I spent weekends watching Penn & Teller perform on the streets nearby. That gave me the itch to try it myself. After graduation, I spent a summer busking across Europe and Great Britain.
In June of that summer, I was performing magic while visiting a friend in Edinburgh. Locals kept asking me, “Why are you here now? You need to come back in August for the Fringe.” I replied, “What’s the Fringe?”
The moment they explained it, the idea went straight to my heart, and I knew I had to return. It has taken more than 35 years, but that dream is finally coming true this August. I am incredibly excited to bring A Case for Magic home to the very city that first inspired me to create a full stage show.

Venue: theSpace @ Stephenson Theater @ Surgeon’s Hall

Dates: 19-29 August 2026

Time: 16:35 (0hr50)

(Venue No. 53) Surgeons Quarter, Nicolson St.

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