A magician pulled off the trick of his life when he conjured a diamond engagement ring from a puff of smoke – and asked his stage partner to marry him during their live show.
A West End theatre audience gasped as stunned Emily Yarrow said the magic word: ‘Yes!’
Marc Oberon is a world champion magician who has been performing for decades, but he confessed this was the most nervous he had ever been.
And Emily had no idea what was about to happen as they played out their signature mind-reading trick, involving her wearing a blindfold and miraculously guessing objects donated by the audience held in Marc’s hand.
But then he produced his own. Despite her back being turned, she correctly identified he was holding a diamond ring – glittering under the bright stage lights at The Magic Circle’s theatre in central London during Saturday’s matinee performance.
But her mesmerising mind-reading powers faltered when Marc made his next move, asking her to remove her blindfold and – hey presto – dropping down on one knee.
Magician Marc Oberon and Emily Yarrow. Blindfolded, she guesses the object in Marc’s hand. This photo was taken a few minutes before he did the same trick – but with an engagement ring
The moment Marc drops to one knee in an unscripted twist to their act. His voice cracking with emotion, he tells stunned Emily: ‘I love you more than I thought I could love anyone’
Emily’s shock as Marc holds a diamond ring and proposes to her on stage in front of a live West End audience. She told the Daily Mail later: ‘It was a total shock’
Marc’s normally-assured voice began cracking as he told her: ‘I love you more than I thought I could love anyone. We’ve been together for nearly three years now. But the truth is, I knew within the first week I was in love with you. Emily, will you marry me?’
The audience erupted into applause as she nodded, said yes – and then burst into tears. There were more cheers when the show’s compere announced this was for real, not part of the act. Even so, departing members of the public were still asking ushers if it was all a trick – and were told no.
Earlier, families at the Magic Circle’s Saturday Secrets show were spellbound by the pair’s illusions as Marc somehow made Emily levitate about five feet above the stage. He later joked about it being the nearest he could get to sweeping his bride-to-be off her feet.
Marc, 61, and Emily, 47, became a couple after meeting on a cruise ship three years ago where they were both entertainers. She is a classically-trained soprano singer, and they have now created a stage partnership together involving magic tricks and song.
Both have been married previously, and Marc’s son Xavier, 27, was in on the secret plan and was in the audience along with Pat Harris, Marc’s 83-year-old mother.
Afterwards, Emily, of Chesham, Buckinghamshire, told the Daily Mail: ‘I had absolutely no clue whatsoever. It was a total shock. He is such a professional, but I did notice that he had been very nervous before the show. I just thought it was because he had invited his family.
Marc told the Daily Mail later: ‘I did think she would say yes, but I really wasn’t completely sure. This was the most frightening performance of my life’
West End audience members applauded when Emily said ‘Yes!’. Several of them asked on the way out: was that real? Ushers told them that it was
The moment Marc conjured a diamond ring from a flash of flame and a puff of smoke – as unsuspecting Emily stood blindfolded trying to mind-read what was going on
After Emily had recovered from her shock, the happy couple posed for photographs as she showed off her sparkler
Emily told the Mail: ‘I didn’t realise what was coming. I really had no idea. I am overwhelmed – completely elated and incredibly happy. This wonderful man wants to marry me’
Marc with his mother Pat Harris who watched the show. She said: ‘I’m very proud.’
Audience members were delighted when Emily – after dissolving into tears – spluttered ‘yes’ to nervous Marc’s proposal, with a compere telling the auditorium afterwards that ‘this was real’
Read More
EXCLUSIVE Woman who tricked her way into the Magic Circle by disguising herself as a man – then was thrown out
‘I love this man. In our mind-reading act, people from the audience offer items for him to hold and for me, blindfolded, to guess, and he sometimes does hold up a ring. I always joke, “where’s my ring?”. But I didn’t realise what was coming today. I really had no idea. I am overwhelmed – completely elated and incredibly happy. This wonderful man wants to marry me.’
Marc, of Nottingham, said: ‘I have been doing magic since the age of 10. As I told her and the audience, I knew within a week of meeting Emily that I was in love with her. I have been planning this for over a year.
‘I had this ruse, of getting the theatre to announce there was “someone special” here tonight and asking us to do our mind-reading trick one more time at the end of our show. And there was someone special here – Emily.
‘She can usually read my mind so well – but not today. I did think she would say yes, but I really wasn’t completely sure. This was the most frightening performance of my life, but also the most rewarding. It was wonderful.’
Marc’s mother said: ‘I’m very proud of him. He did a perfect job – and we love Emily.’ Xavier added: ‘It was like a cinematic moment. Beautiful.’ And with Emily knowing nothing of the surprise to come, Marc had also secretly invited one of his best friends, Ian Jackson, whom he performed magic with in their school days. Ian told the Mail afterwards: ‘How romantic was that? Marc is 100 per cent.’
Formed in 1905 by 23 amateur and professionals, the Magic Circle is the magician’s society and has counted illustrious stars such as Paul Daniels and his wife Debbie McGee among its members. King Charles became a member after performing the famed cups and balls trick back in 1975.
