Gone are the days where the world of magic consisted of Paul Daniels-style cabaret performances of rabbits being pulled from hats and glamorous assistants sawn in half.

Since the success of David Blaine, a new generation of magicians with street cred has appeared in a puff of smoke vying to capture the imagination of today’s cynical public.

Step up Croydon magician Keelan Leyser and his partner Richard Reed, from Wallington, who are about to feature in a 10-part television series showcasing seven of the country’s youngest and most talented illusionists.

Billing themselves as the Ant and Dec of the magic world, the pair, both aged 23, will be unleashing their mind-boggling brand of illusion on unsuspecting members of the public in Playing Tricks.

Keelan said: “We went for the audition for Playing Tricks and knew we had to grab their attention, so we started by making a bowling ball appear out of thin air and dropped it in front of their face.

“Because the show uses hidden cameras, people have no idea they are watching magicians so their reactions are unpredictable.” Keelan, a former John Fisher pupil who lives in Woodmansterne Road, Coulsdon, has known his magic partner Richard since the pair were just four years old.

But it wasn’t until the pair decided to go into business six years ago that their career as a double act really took off.

In Playing Tricks the pair also make a person vanish outside of the London Eye and used a brick wall as a cash dispenser in full view of a queue of unwitting people.

The show will be screened on teen cable channel Trouble between October 20 and 31.