Malaysian man Zlwin Chew leads a magical life – he is the resident magician onboard Royal Caribbean’s Mariner of the Seas where he performs and travels the world.
Zlwin says he lives the life most people can only dream of – he and his fiancée tour the world in luxury and he is getting paid handsomely for his magical performance.
Previous to his life on Mariner of the Seas, he performed at the Palace of the Golden Horses, Marina Bay Sands and Resorts World in Manila.
“If I am not a magician today, I would be a photographer riding camels in Egypt and climbing the mountains in Peru,” he told Vulcan Post.
He’s now permanently based onboard one of Asia’s favourite ships. He performs two or three times a week. He performs a 45-minute magic routine at the 14,000-seater Savoy Theatre and to prepare for each show, he needs at least five hours which includes dressing up and setting up the props back stage.
“I am constantly improving the little details in the show such as when to stop for an applause cue or how to hold my hand in a certain position when I pose. And every 3 months or so, I would challenge myself to change one act in the full show. That way, I keep the shows fresh if guests were to see me again one year later,” he said.
“The biggest misconception is people thinking that magicians are nothing more than low-class tricksters with no education,” he said. “Magic is a marvelous amalgamation of clever engineering, deceptive psychology, intricate chemistry, elaborate physics, and even advanced mathematics. It takes a lot of scientific knowledge to be able to put on a show worthy of entertainment.”
