How To Balance A Law Degree With A Live Magic Act (Wait, What?)

This post is presented in partnership with CQUniversity.

It’s the classic story of the law student who performs live magic on the side.

Okay, maybe it’s not the classic story, but it’s the real-life story of 29-year-old Robyn MacFarlane.

A CQUniversity graduate with a Bachelor’s degree in Business, Robyn set aside her early dreams of becoming a CEO when she started toying with the dark arts. (Well… the almost-dark arts.)

“I grew up a gymnast so I had that kind of background but I really knew nothing about magic at all,” she told Student Edge.

Robyn was discovered six years ago by magician Sam Powers - a 2013 Australia’s Got Talent contender - while dancing at a casino in Cairns.

Despite her lack of credentials, she apparently made quite the impression. Not even claustrophobia – a reasonable obstacle for anyone applying for a gig that requires them to hide out in small, enclosed spaces – could dissuade her from this suddenly very interesting opportunity.

“Getting in and out of boxes, I had a panic attack, but I really wanted the job,” she said.

“There was one particular illusion I was in and Sam kept saying, ‘Are you okay? Are you okay?’ I just fudged it and was like, ‘Yep, yep, yep.’ Meanwhile, I was having a heart attack.”

Now, she finds it a breeze. In fact, oxygen-stealing illusion The Houdini Trunk is her favourite to perform.

“I lock Sam in handcuffs and pop him in a trunk, lock up the trunk, and then I stand on top with a cloth and then we switch places… miraculously,” she explains enigmatically.

“I think we’re the fastest in the world with that illusion at the moment, which is very cool. But it takes a lot of skill and you have to really be in tune with the person you’re working with to get it as fast as we have it.

“You are actually doing a lot of the work on the stage as the magician waves his arms around. Your job is to make the magician look good,” she said.

Robyn's even figured out how to keep the audience from figuring out when a stunt has gone awry.

“When things go wrong, you have to keep a straight face. The first thing you learn is to never give anything away. It all comes down to your facial expressions because that’s what people look at.”

Though she already has one degree under her belt, Robyn has returned to CQUniveristy to complete her Bachelor of Laws.

“[After first graduating] I went back out into the workforce for a bit and found that I was being pigeonholed for the same kind of receptionist roles, and couldn’t really move up very fast. In Cairns, there weren’t a lot of opportunities.”

Now, she’s eyeing off a career in corporation and taxation law.

But, with magic on the side, for as long as is possible.

“I love it too much to want to ever give it up, but I know there will come a point where I’ll want to settle down and have a family and you can’t fit a pregnant belly inside a box,” she laughed.

“I would say it’s a lot more difficult to levitate a pregnant lady.”

Robyn and Sam are now taking their act around Australia as part of The Illusionists 2.0 world tour.

Photos above supplied by The Illusionists 2.0.

Open up your universe and consider a degree (or two) at CQUniversity, just like Robyn. For more information, go to cqu.edu.au