Chris Cox (born 21 January 1984 in Bristol) is a mentalist magician – a self-proclaimed "mind reader who can't read minds". On television he stars in "Chris Cox's Mind Blowing Magic" on CBBC & BBC iPlayer and is "The Geek" in the award-winning Killer Magic on BBC Three. He is the only mind reader in history to have played Broadway, London's West End, The Kennedy Centre and Sydney Opera House. He stars in touring stage show The Illusionists and in the West End in Impossible. In his radio career Chris was the writer and producer for Matt Edmondson on BBC Radio 1; the assistant producer on The Chris Moyles Show.
During the 2019 Holiday Season Chris made his Broadway Debut in The Illusionists – Magic of the Holidays at the Neil Simon Theatre on Broadway during which he was a featured guest on NBC's Today Show.
In 2021 Chris co-created and headlined 'Wonderville' which ran for six weeks at Palace Theatre London whilst Harry Potter and the Cursed Child was closed due to the pandemic. In 2022 he played a summer run in Destin Florida starring in the new magic show Presto.
His next major show, entitled "Chris Cox: Mind Over Patter", was premiered at the King Dome of the Pleasance during August 2009. It was met with 5 star reviews and gained Cox the Fest Buzz Twitter of the Year Award. Cox took highlights of the show to the Royal Opera House for a weekend of shows in September 2009. During the 2009 Edinburgh Fringe, he took part in Mark Watson's 24 Hour Show performing various mind-reading stunts including the prediction of Simon Amstell's choice of date in Blind Date. While at the Edinburgh Fringe, he also played the role of Eric Randolf in the Fringe First award-winning The Hotel. Mind Over Patter went on to tour the UK in Spring 2010 before an extended, sell-out run at the 2010 New Zealand Comedy Festival. Cox performed at The Herald Theatre and read the mind of Rove McManus as part of the televised gala. He performed a final version of the show at the Udderbelly in London's Southbank Centre in May 2011 before replacing the show with a new one for the 2011 Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
The 2011 show for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival was called "Fatal Distraction". The show weaved a love based narrative around never seen before mind-reading stunts. It gained a collection of five star reviews before embarking on an international tour. Fatal Distraction won the 2011 Venue Magazine award for Best Comedy Show, beating Daniel Kitson (3rd) & The Bath Comedy Festival (2nd.).[5] The show toured as part of the New Zealand Comedy Festival in Auckland & Wellington in 2012 picking up rave reviews. It returned for sell out dates to the Udderbelly in London in Spring 2012, 2013 and again in 2014. During one performance Chris ended up on the shoulders of Jonathan Ross as part of a trick.
Cox performed as part of Robin Ince & Friends at the 2009 TAM London event and again at TAM 2010 supporting his friend Tim Minchin. He appeared as part of Dick & Dom's Funny Business on BBC Two in February 2011. He produced a documentary on Minchin for BBC Radio 1 in December 2011. Cox and Minchin appeared together in an article about their friendship in The Independent in Spring 2012.[6] He also produced Dan and Phil's Guide To Happiness for BBC Radio 1 along with creating the show My Playlist and producing the likes of Daniel Radcliffe, Maisie Williams, Jared Leto, Joss Whedon, Little Mix and others.
In 2012 Chris was invited to perform on the main stage at Shakespeare's Globe, Latitude Festival and Reading Festival. In April 2012 it was announced that Cox was developing a television show with SyFy with the working title of The Chris Cox Project.[7]
In 2014 Chris starred in BBC Three's Killer Magic. In 2014 he appeared with Heston Blumenthal on Heston's Recipe For Romance for Channel 4, this was the start of Cox's creative relationship with Blumenthal. He is a creative consultant for Heston and The Fat Duck, developing unique magic and theatrical effects to go alongside the dining experience.[8]
The Guardian has called him "One of the most exciting entertainers in Britain"[10] and Time Out once said he "does tricks that would make Jesus proud".[11]
Colin Murray was the co-director of his early stage shows, and was once a flatmate of Cox.
Outside of the world of magic Cox works alongside Matt Edmondson on TVOD for ITV2, produced the documentaries 'The Story of Tim Minchin', 'Scott Mill's Perfect Christmas Single' and Dan & Phil's Guide To Happiness for BBC Radio 1. He produced the Mayor of London's New Year's Eve Fireworks, was the Programme Associate for BBC One's show 'Now You See It'. and created the viral hit, Wolverine The Musical for Hugh Jackman
Cox left his producers post (of The Matt Edmondson Show) at BBC Radio 1 in 2015.
Chris Cox Live Shows
Show
Venue(s)
The Illusionists
London West End (Shaftesbury Theatre), Sydney Opera House, The Kennedy Centre, QPAC Brisbane, Regent Theatre Melbourne, Canberra Theatre, 3x US Tour, Cancun, Reno Residency, Cape Town, Johannesburg.
The Illusionists – Magic of the Holidays
Broadway (Neil Simon Theatre), Princess of Wales Theatre (Toronto), Cadillac Palace (Chicago), Emerson Colonial (Boston), 2x US Tour.
Impossible
London West End (Noël Coward Theatre x2), UK Tour, Dubai Opera, Singapore, Manila, Beirut
Wonderville
London West End (Palace Theatre)
Presto!
Destin, Florida.
Fatal Distraction
Edinburgh Fringe (Pleasance), 2x UK Tour, Underbelly London, Southbank Centre London, New Zealand Tour
Mind Over Patter
Edinburgh Fringe (Pleasance), UK Tour, Underbelly London, Southbank Centre London, New Zealand Tour
^Theatre Record – Page 1547 2008 "Any show worth its salt, however, will offer some kind of choice. Mentalist acts such as Chris Cox and Philip Escoffey try to restrict their audience recruitment to random processes and/or volunteers, ..."