Colin Cloud isn't a psychic. He's a hipster Sherlock Holmes, stand-up comedian.
Cloud, who wowed judges on "America's Got Talent" with his powers of deduction, describes himself as a forensic mind reader.
Other WRAL Top Stories
"It looks psychic but it is absolutely not," Cloud said in a phone interview last week.
As a child growing up in Scotland, Cloud was fascinated by Sherlock, then he discovered psychology. At 16 year old, he attended Glasgow Caledonian University to study criminal forensic investigation and profiling. He was also intrigued by comedy and entertainment.
"Stand-up comedians are very good at observing," he said. "I started mixing comedy with psychology."
Cloud soon left school to pursue a career in entertainment. One of his performances at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, one of the world's largest arts festivals, attracted the attention of the producers of the Broadway touring show The Illusionists.
"They watched what I do, got what I do is character driven and it involves the audience," Cloud said.
He was soon booked to host The Illusionists in the West End of London. Then, he joined the American tour as "The Deductionist." The Illusionists heads to Durham Performing Arts CenterMay 11-12.
"I think there is a sense of magic shows - cheesy nonsense, glittery clothes, cheese dancing. Remove all of that entirely. It is very much a rock 'n roll magic show," he said.
The fast-moving show includes a daredevil and comedy magician. The show has been scaled back from seven to five magicians - allowing more time to get to know each performer.
"There is probably more magic and the journey of each performer is more interesting," he said.
But it is all about element of surprise, which Cloud is quick to point out is one of the things people look for in great magic.
"We create the illusion of real magic. I use my skills to create the illusion of being psychic," he said. "As close to real mind reading as possible."