Magician “Jack Spade”

He is in his early teens and is currently an apprentice to the nation’s favourite – Jack Spade.

In his mission to grow the talent, Jack Spade randomly selected 10 boys around the same age who showed interest and taught them a simple magic trick.

It was Jemo Magical who followed the rules as laid out and showed eagerness to learn more.

Jemo Magical has already performed with Jack Spade in some gigs around their hometown of Popondetta, Northern Province.

But at the moment, he performs as a mute magician.

He says trying out for the auditions in the Lae heat was just for fun.

But his story tells us otherwise, because he had to travel 265km from Popondetta in Northern Province to Lae, in Morobe Province, for the auditions.

And this time, it’s 143km from Popondetta to the capital city, Port Moresby, for semi-final 1, where he will be competing with eight other acts.

Judges of the show say the semi-finals will be tough and Jack Spade has come a long way to turn back now.

Dressed in black, Oswald Philemon stepped in front of the judges in the pre-audition rounds, captivating the audience and leaving everyone in the room speechless!

Philemon goes by the stage name “Jack Spade” and has been performing since 2013.

He started practicing as an illusionist 10 years ago when he saw a priest from the Philippines perform a trick in Goroko, Eastern Highlands.