Fraser Penman is a magician, hypnotist, and performer living with oculocutaneous albinism. From a childhood marked by bullying and self-doubt to the bright lights of the London Coliseum, Fraser’s story is one of resilience, transformation, and the power of believing in yourself.
Fraser shared with me a moment that changed everything for him, “I was a couple of days away from deciding whether I belonged in this world or not. And I remember having a chat with my brother, and he says, what do you want to do in life? And I just randomly said, I want to be a hypnotist. I had no idea how to hypnotise people. No diploma, no certificates, no nothing. And I remember going to bed after that evening, after that chat, thinking, do you know what? There might be something to this hypnosis.”
He explained how hypnosis helped him shift his mindset, “Like everybody else, I thought it was pretend and fake. And I’d seen counselors to try and help me talk through and nothing was working for me. I was still ashamed of who I was. So that evening I went to bed and I gave myself one suggestion, which was, you are enough. Three simple words.”
The next day, Fraser made a powerful choice, “I woke up, I bound all my makeup, all my fake tan, shaved off all my dark hair. So I had a white ball, tennis ball head. And for the first time since around 10 years old, I think I was probably 23. So the first time in 13 years, I walked out the door, not worrying about how I looked, not caring about my appearance. I walked to Lidl and I bought milk and a loaf of bread. And it was so refreshing. It felt like the world had lifted off my shoulders.”
Fraser’s journey from that moment to now is nothing short of extraordinary. He told me about his experience on Britain’s Got Talent, “Going into Britain’s Got Talent, I had absolutely no expectations at all. The reason I auditioned for the show was, it was almost the last tick in the box for me to fully, I’ve always dreamt of sharing a message with the world and putting on these incredible performances, but with a deeper meaning. And I thought, what better way to see if that’s true than jumping onto live TV in front of millions.”
He reflected on how the show changed his life, “Getting as far as I did just completely, completely blew my mind. And what came after it is just, it’s more than I could ever dream of.”
Now, Fraser is living his dream on the West End stage in Now You See Me Live. He described the moment he got the call, “It’s not often I’m speechless, but when I got casted, I lovingly got a call from our amazing creative director, Ash Jacks from Australia, and she phoned me and she was just as excited to have me as I was to hear from her. And my dad’s dream was always to be able to wear a tuxedo and see me on a big West End stage. So hopefully dad, I will get you some tickets to come see me living my dream for him to experience it.”
Fraser’s role in the show is unique and groundbreaking, “I’m really putting a modern twist on an age old art and bringing back hypnosis and making it cool again. And the best part is, you guys are the stars of the show.”
He also spoke about the team and the collaborative spirit behind the production, “Simon Painter, Tim Lawson, the producers of the show alongside Lionsgate are absolute geniuses and they have the most incredible creative director, Ash Jax, all the way from Australia. Their vision for the show is just anything beyond I could ever create inside my mind. And to come in, they were such a good team working together. I got to help create and design my element into the show and put my personality and my message across.”
Fraser’s message to anyone facing challenges is simple and powerful, “If I could speak to that 10 year old little boy looking back now or anybody else in that position, I would say no matter what barriers you face in life, even when you don’t believe in yourself, still believe in your dream. Because if you can see it in your imagination, anything is possible.”
If you want to witness Fraser’s magic and be part of this incredible experience, Now You See Me Live is running for a strictly limited season from 31 July to 6 September 2026 at the London Coliseum. Tickets are selling fast, so don’t miss out on seeing Fraser and the world-class ensemble bring the magic to life.
Fraser Penman’s story is a testament to the power of self-acceptance, resilience, and dreaming big. He’s not just a performer; he’s a shining light for anyone who’s ever felt different or doubted their worth.