ALTHOUGH more accustomed to the sights of Shropshire growing up, a man from Oswestry is now often found performing on stage for celebrities.

Magician, comedian and performer Paul Dabek, 33, recently took centre stage in London's West End as part of The Illusionists – 'the world's biggest magic show', featuring seven of the world's greatest magicians.

But Paul – who has performed on some of the world's most prestigious stages – is not done yet and now has his sights set on the bright lights of Broadway.

"I've visited 82 countries over the past 17 years... I've worked all over the place," said Paul.

"The show's been touring for seven years, and we've just done eight weeks in the beautiful Shaftesbury Theatre in London's West End.

"More than 100,000 people came to see the show, we performed it 89 times.

"We even had Penelope Cruz and her husband Javier Bardem come and see, and Kate Moss did too.

"We've had a great run in London, the feedback has been great."

Now the stint in the West End is over, Paul is working on new material in Las Vegas and Los Angeles.

He will then be jetting off to Hawaii to perform his own show, before 'The Illusionists' regroup at the end of November to entertain revellers across the pond in New York.

"I've got six weeks off now and I'll spend it between my home in LA, and Las Vegas, which is the best place to work on new material," he added.

"Las Vegas is the magic capital of the world.

"In November, we head to Broadway to perform in the Neil Simon Theatre and we will be there until January.

"After that, I've got some exciting things in the pipeline for 2020 but I'm keeping it close to my chest."

And describing how his love of all things magic developed, the trickster spoke of how, at the age of four, the 'magic bug' bit him.

"I used to watch magicians on the TV and try to emulate what they were doing," said Paul.

"In my early teens I started to perform magic at private parties in Oswestry and across Shropshire.

"Then in 2003, I was named as The Magic Circle's Young Magician of the Year in London – and that was just the springboard to my career."

Paul, a former pupil at Rhyn Park, then went on to tour independently in places such as Montreal and Adelaide before performing at Edinburgh Fringe Festival for eight years.

And it was while he was there, that Paul was scouted to join The Illusionists.

"It was like a dream come true," Paul said.

"When I first started off as a magician, being able to just earn a living doing magic was amazing.

"But it was a lifelong ambition of mine to perform in the West End, and now I've done it.

"I pinch myself every day that I've got this job.

"Magic, performing and comedy are part of my life 24 hours a day and if I'm not performing I'm practicing for my performances... It's round the clock work!

"And it's a funny old business to be in, magic, it's almost like a dream."