“I realised very quickly that magic was a man’s world. And that was both good and bad.”

Do you like your job? Or wonder what it would be like if you’d gone against your parents’ advice and pursued your dream career? Her World’s Career Confessions column spotlights the professional journeys of its subjects and reveals how each individual’s career path and the choices they have made can have an impact on their personal finances, psychological health, and interpersonal relationships.

In Singapore, where life seems to run like clockwork, moments of genuine surprise feel rare. We move through our routines with little room for the unexpected, let alone noticing wonder in the middle of our everyday lives. Magic — the kind that leaves you breathless and perched on the edge of your seat — isn’t something we come across very often.

But at just 22 years old, internationally acclaimed magician Gabriella Lester brings exactly that sense of wonder back to the stage. Hailing from Johannesburg, South Africa, she doesn’t just perform illusions — she lives and breathes them.

Fueled by pure passion and relentless drive, Gabriella’s journey to the top has been anything but easy. In a world that rewards playing it safe, choosing to pursue a niche career in magic demands audacity and endless courage.

In an industry long dominated by men, Gabriella never saw her gender as a setback — she saw it as fuel. With few female role models to look up to and no clear blueprint to follow, she built her career from the ground up, carving her own path to success even when doubt surrounded her.

Now headlining as one of the four “horsemen” in Lionsgate’s Now You See Me Live in Singapore, Gabriella continues to chase her dream of travelling the world while refining her craft. More than just a magician, she strives to be the role model she never had, inspiring girls to chase their dreams with boldness — all while creating unforgettable connections with every audience she performs for.

From jaw-dropping illusions to the thrill of the final bow, Gabriella puts her heart and focus into every single moment on stage. But beyond the tricks and spectacle, it’s a quiet acknowledgement that all her passion and perseverance have truly paid off. She doesn’t just perform magic — she shows us that magic isn’t in the wand or the cards, it’s in the wonder it creates.

What first drew you to magic, and what sparked your passion for it?

I became passionate about it at a very early age, and it was one of those hobbies that just stuck. I’ve loved it since I was little, and I love it just as much today.

Your straitjacket escape has become something of a signature. What does that act represent to you personally?

When I discovered the straitjacket escape, I set my sights on it and decided it was something I wanted to do. At the time, I had no resources — no money, no mentors, no one or any way to make it happen. The day I decided I wanted to do it, walking home from school, I hung upside down on the monkey bars, pretended I was Harry Houdini, and envisioned it happening. I just knew it would, without having any idea how to do it or what steps to take.

I spent the next few months learning how to get sponsors, saving money, finding a straitjacket, getting people to help me, sourcing rigging equipment, and even getting into a circus gym. I was figuring out how to go from zero to 100 and make this thing happen at 14 years old, with no clue how. And all the while, I faced so much feedback from people in the industry and in my life telling me not to do it, not to go down this route, and not to do something dangerous.

But I’ve always felt that if you want to make a difference in the world, you have to do different things. To me, this was something really different. Six months after deciding I wanted to do it, I was hanging upside down, performing it for the first time. Every time I do it, it feels really special to me because it’s a reminder to trust my gut, take those jumps, and know that even if I have no idea how to make something happen, it’s possible.

Magic has long been a male-dominated industry. Were there moments early in your career when you felt underestimated as a woman? How did you overcome those experiences?

I realised very quickly that magic was a man’s world. And that was both good and bad. 

There was no blueprint, which meant I could create anything I wanted. I didn’t have to be like anybody; I didn’t have to follow certain steps to be successful. There was no step-by-step playbook on what I needed to do. It gave me the freedom to figure out who I wanted to be and what I wanted my career to look like.

But on the other side, there was no playbook. There was nobody to look up to. There were a lot of unanswered questions and uncertainty when I was trying to make decisions about what I wanted my brand to be, what I wanted to perform, and what career choices I wanted to make, because there was nobody to emulate.

But overall, I think it’s been really great. The magic community has been extremely supportive, and they’ve been wanting to see women succeed for a long time. It feels like a big extended family of people helping me out.

Have you seen meaningful change in the industry during your career? 

There’s been a big difference over the last ten years. We’re seeing magic in a lot more places than ever before. I think a lot of that comes from what’s been put out into the world — movies like Now You See Me have had a massive impact on the world of magic because they’ve made magic cool.

I remember when I first started, it wasn’t cool — I wasn’t popular for doing magic by any means. I was totally the weird kid. But now, it’s made a huge transition. You tell anyone you’re a magician, and they think it’s the coolest thing in the world. Honestly, I’m still sometimes surprised by that reaction, because I had so many years where people thought magic was weird. So I have to thank [movies like] Now You See Me for that.

As the female magic community grows, do you feel a responsibility to be the kind of role model you didn’t have?

Yes! Nowadays, there are so many really incredible women in magic, and we all know each other, so it’s like a big, extremely supportive family. A lot of the decisions I make in my career about what I want to do and what I want it to look like are because I’m trying to become that person that I wish little Gabriella could have looked up to and gone, “Oh, she’s so cool. I want to be like her.” 

Being that person plays a big role in my career decisions.

What motivates you now? Is it the drive to perfect your craft, the audience, breaking barriers, or something else?

I think the thing that motivates me most is my passion. I absolutely love what I do, and I’m so driven to do it every single day. I never get bored with performing. I never feel tired of going on stage. I’m always passionate to do more and create more — to reach for bigger goals — and being a part of this show, Now You See Me Live, is the best way to do that.

Being part of the best magic show in the world, with a cast full of people I’ve looked up to for years, is incredible. I get to go on stage for thousands of people every night, and I get to feel like I’m making a difference. And that, for me, really, really has a strong effect.

Getting to go on stage and look out into the audience, seeing hundreds of little girls looking at me like I’m a superhero — it gives me a feeling like nothing else. It’s worth so much more than any standing ovation or any award I could ever get. Just looking into the eyes of kids in the audience — this show has given me a beautiful platform to do that and feel like I’m making a difference in the world.

You’ve achieved so much across live performance and television. Have you had a moment where you thought, “I’ve made it”? What did that feel like?

I do feel like this show has been a really big “I made it” moment for me.

I used to go to sleep dreaming of being on a stage, being on a massive stage, and just the feeling of standing on stage with an audience, with lights on my face. I even used to wake up with my mouth hurting because I’d been smiling so hard in my sleep just picturing this dream.

On this tour, I’ve had a few moments on stage where I truly felt like I was standing in that same dream I had as a kid. We get to perform in these beautiful venues, and with the way the show is structured and the energy from the audiences, it’s a feeling like no other. It’s a feeling like “My gosh, you’ve made it! You made it here to Singapore!”

What can audiences expect from you in Now You See Me Live that might surprise them?

I would say, be prepared to see the best magic show in the world. I genuinely believe this is the best way to experience magic. Whether you’ve seen a thousand magic shows or this is your very first, and whether you’re nine years old or five, it makes no difference — there’s something in the show for everyone. Even as performers, we have different favourite parts of the show every single night.

One of the really beautiful things about it is that there are so many different kinds of magic — from grand illusions to escapes, from stage magic to close-up magic in the audience. Every single kind of magic you can imagine happens both on stage and all around you. 

And on the other side of things, there are so many emotions that you experience as an audience member throughout the show: humour, storytelling, danger, risk, and wonder. You go on this really beautiful journey the whole time, experiencing all these childlike feelings — breathtaking, heart-stopping moments.

The audience gets to come on this journey with us. You’re seeing us share the stage with friends, all doing what we love, and it’s genuinely so much fun to perform every night. I hope the audience can feel that too.

Are there illusions or moments in the production that feel especially personal or meaningful to you?

I think the show feels really special to me because of the kids in the audience. One of the things I love about it is that we can see the audience the whole time. A lot of times when you’re performing, you’re on stage, and you can’t see the crowd. But in this show, you can see them the entire time.

With a show this incredible, you see people completely emotionally affected. You watch them laugh, cry, and share beautiful moments with their partners. You see the looks on their faces and their reactions to everything. Magicians love reactions — we live for reactions.

You see families, partners, friends, kids, and parents all sharing these united moments. Watching two or three thousand people react to the same thing at the same time is like nothing else.

If you had to choose one favourite moment or illusion from the show, which would it be and why?

My favourite moment is at the end of the show when we take our bows. That’s when we get to have time with the audience and have these moments of appreciation. It’s the only time in the show where nothing else is happening except just connecting with the crowd, and that’s so special to me every night.

Any connections I’ve made throughout the show with kids or family members get to continue here. I’ll go, “You’re coming to the show, right?” and often during the bows, I get down on my knees and hug a kid in the audience, or high-five them. That’s really, really special to me.

So while my favourite trick changes every night, my favourite moment is always the bows — because it’s such a special time to connect with the audience.

What’s next for Gabriella Lester?

There are a million different things I want to do right now. I’m really enjoying the show and all the places it’s taking me, and I want to take it all in. So while I’m setting a lot of goals and working toward things I want to do in the future, I’m also trying to take time to be in the present and enjoy everything that’s happening now.

I know if this tour ever ended — God forbid — I would miss it with my whole heart. So I’m trying to take in every second of it, really enjoy it, and take the time to feel grateful, with my feet on the ground. This is something I’ve always wanted, so I don’t want to miss a moment of it. But yes, there are a lot of things that will come after.