James Harrington has dreamed of wowing crowds with his sleight of hand since he was 6 years old. And, this week, he exceeded those ambitions after he impressed the judges and millions of viewers on America’s Got Talent.
He and his wife Marina Liani, who live in Dubai and met on an online dating app in 2017, started the mentalism act Mind2Mind five months later, after realising they had a deep “emotional connection”.
“The best way to explain it is when you get close enough to someone, you start to finish their sentences,” says Harrington. “We decided to see how far we could take this. I always thought it would be cool if instead of just finishing each other’s sentences, we were able to say the entire sentence.
"It could be defined as an unspoken language that in some way connects us all and to access this skill requires merely learning that language.”
The act draws on this connection and they’re careful not to call themselves “psychics”, but mentalists who perform all sorts of mind-boggling tricks.
On America’s Got Talent, for example, Liani demonstrated “mind-reading from a distance”. She stood outside with show host Terry Crews as Harrington held judge Sophia Vergara’s phone in his hand. Liani proceeded to identify the correct battery percentage left in the phone.
The pair then invited audience members to think of positive personal memories and write them on a piece of paper. Judge Heidi Klum held one in her hand and thought of the memory, while Liani recounted it successfully.
The panel gave the act four yeses and a standing ovation.
While Harrington, 38, turned his childhood obsession with magic into a career when he was 18, Liani, a former flydubai cabin crew member, had never set foot on a stage before she met her husband.
Harrington has been performing close-up magic in Dubai since he moved to the UAE 14 years ago, but this was also something new for him. The pair worked on their act for eight to 10 hours a day for a few months before they took to the stage for the first time together.
They'd been practising at a Friday brunch in Abu Dhabi, where Harrington had been working. He started to bring Liani along for the gig and the first time they performed, Liani did something called "second sight", where she describes random items pulled from people's pockets while blindfolded.
"I vividly remember seeing the audiences reaction and knowing that we had something special," says Harrington. "Marina's confidence slowly grew from there."
The first time they performed on stage was for the Channel Middle East Awards in October 2018 at the Armani Hotel Dubai.
“I still remember our first show,” Liani recalls. “James was very supportive which helped my nerves. I was shaking after — the buzz and the adrenalin are addictive.”
In 2019, they headed to Harrington’s home country the UK to perform on Britain’s Got Talent, where they taught Simon Cowell how to read fellow judge Amanda Holden’s mind.
Since then, they’ve also appeared on Ukraine’s Got Talent, as Liani is from Ukraine, where they received the golden buzzer, putting them on a fast track to the live shows in 2021.
Harrington couldn’t speak Ukrainian and it was the first time they’d performed for a non English-speaking audience, but clearly magic transcends language barriers.
“As soon as we finished, the audience started chanting ‘knopka'," recalls Harrington. "I had no idea what that meant so I asked Marina, who whispered ‘They want a judge to press the golden buzzer’. Then the judge Ksenia Prkhatskaya, stood up and actually pressed it.
“It’s all a blur but to say it was one of my proudest moments is an understatement.”
For the final, Harrington learned the entire act in Ukrainian. “He spent a month working during every waking moment,” says Liani. “When the time came, I couldn’t have been prouder. His Ukrainian, on that stage, in front of my country, family and friends, was flawless. The show's judge who is most similar to Simon Cowell said: ‘James, your Ukrainian is better than some of our politicians’.”
The duo didn’t win — that honour went to 14-year-old singer Artem Fesko — but they weren’t deterred from entering America’s Got Talent when they were asked to audition.
“Being on the AGT stage was amazing, the show production team was so well organised and the two days we were there ran like clockwork,” says Liani. “As you can imagine, it felt much bigger and more intimidating than our prior experiences. The host Terry Crews was lovely though; he stood outside of the theatre with me during our act and was very reassuring. He even offered to run and get me a coffee which was a very sweet gesture.”
Harrington says he was actually looking forward to seeing tough judge Cowell again, “as I know he loves this type of act”, but it came with a certain amount of nerves. “It always feels like we’re risking our career as we know things can go wrong on these shows and a bad audition could ruin everything we’ve worked for, but still … it’s a risk worth taking and we never regret taking risks to move forward. Luckily we’ve had a good run so far.”
Off screen, other career highlights for the pair include performing for tennis star Novak Djokovic, who now “occasionally chats with us via Instagram”, and for American illusionist Criss Angel backstage after his show in Las Vegas. "He invited us to his green room where we chatted and demonstrated a portion of our act,” says Liani. “He was super nice and it was an absolute thrill to get a glowing review from the biggest legend in magic.”
Back in Dubai, Mind2Mind regularly perform corporate gigs but are planning “the first mentalism theatre show” in the UAE.
“As far as I’m aware, the only long-term theatrical residency in the UAE is La Perle,” says Harrington. “Theatres have, in the past, had magicians and mentalists on a one-off basis. What we’re working on is a long-term, Las Vegas-style offering. A show that tourists and residents will have a chance to see all year round.”
They’re looking to start the show at the Royal Suite in Park Hyatt Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi, in November. “The show would be an intimate evening of mentalism with the working title Connected,” says Harrington.
In the near term, we still need to find out how they did on America’s Got Talent live shows. “Unfortunately we’re bound by a non-disclosure agreement regarding the nature of what’s coming, but watch this space,” says Liani.
They do still have another trick up their sleeve, though. “We’re going to Vegas soon to begin working on something super exciting," she says.
No matter how famous they get, Harrington is certain they’ll be calling Dubai home for years to come. “It’s a magical place with huge opportunities for growth,” he adds.
Anghami
Started: December 2011
Co-founders: Elie Habib, Eddy Maroun
Based: Beirut and Dubai
Sector: Entertainment
Size: 85 employees
Stage: Series C
Investors: MEVP, du, Mobily, MBC, Samena Capital
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Gulf Under 19s
Pools
A – Dubai College, Deira International School, Al Ain Amblers, Warriors
B – Dubai English Speaking College, Repton Royals, Jumeirah College, Gems World Academy
C – British School Al Khubairat, Abu Dhabi Harlequins, Dubai Hurricanes, Al Yasmina Academy
D – Dubai Exiles, Jumeirah English Speaking School, English College, Bahrain Colts
Recent winners
2018 – Dubai College
2017 – British School Al Khubairat
2016 – Dubai English Speaking School
2015 – Al Ain Amblers
2014 – Dubai College
The specs
Engine: 8.0-litre, quad-turbo 16-cylinder
Transmission: 7-speed auto
0-100kmh 2.3 seconds
0-200kmh 5.5 seconds
0-300kmh 11.6 seconds
Power: 1500hp
Torque: 1600Nm
Price: Dh13,400,000
On sale: now
'I Want You Back'
Director:Jason Orley
Stars:Jenny Slate, Charlie Day
Rating:4/5
Why does a queen bee feast only on royal jelly?
Some facts about bees:
The queen bee eats only royal jelly, an extraordinary food created by worker bees so she lives much longer
The life cycle of a worker bee is from 40-60 days
A queen bee lives for 3-5 years
This allows her to lay millions of eggs and allows the continuity of the bee colony
About 20,000 honey bees and one queen populate each hive
Honey is packed with vital vitamins, minerals, enzymes, water and anti-oxidants.
Apart from honey, five other products are royal jelly, the special food bees feed their queen
Pollen is their protein source, a super food that is nutritious, rich in amino acids
Beewax is used to construct the combs. Due to its anti-fungal, anti-bacterial elements, it is used in skin treatments
Propolis, a resin-like material produced by bees is used to make hives. It has natural antibiotic qualities so works to sterilize hive, protects from disease, keeps their home free from germs. Also used to treat sores, infection, warts
Bee venom is used by bees to protect themselves. Has anti-inflammatory properties, sometimes used to relieve conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, nerve and muscle pain
Honey, royal jelly, pollen have health enhancing qualities
The other three products are used for therapeutic purposes
Is beekeeping dangerous?
As long as you deal with bees gently, you will be safe, says Mohammed Al Najeh, who has worked with bees since he was a boy.
“The biggest mistake people make is they panic when they see a bee. They are small but smart creatures. If you move your hand quickly to hit the bees, this is an aggressive action and bees will defend themselves. They can sense the adrenalin in our body. But if we are calm, they are move away.”
Squid Game season two
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
