BEING a commician (comic magician) is “like being the court jester where you get access to the kings and queens,” says Christian Lee, who reveals the royals of his analogy include Tony Blair at 10 Downing Street, Patsy Kensit, Jonathan Ross and the Gallagher brothers.

On the subject of performing for the Oasis siblings, Christian smiles: “I remember thinking to myself: ‘I went to Glastonbury and was watching you with 100,000 people right at the back and now here you are, both sitting on the floor with your legs crossed with your children, watching my magic show’.”

Celebrity clientele aside, it is us everyday folk, that really drives Christian, who is a big name on the cabaret and burlesque circuit.

This month sees him and his “wacky” brand of magic appear in Adrian Berry’s modern adaptation of Cinderella at Jacksons Lane.

Much to his amusement, Christian, one of the faces of Sky One’s Max Magic, will play the ‘prince charming’ character in the production, which keeps “the traditional panto elements of being designed for children with nods to the parents”, while incorporating lots of acrobatics, magic, circus acts and topical references.

“It’s based in a stage school and is essentially Fame Academy with a bit of Britain’s Got Talent,” the Stoke Newington resident explains.

“My character, Victor, is an 11-year-old school boy who just happens to be magical, but he doesn’t want fame and fortune, he just wants to fit in and be normal. When Cinderella arrives from ‘up north’ she is a bit lost and confused too, and we find each other amongst the mayhem.”

It’s a story Christian can relate to, leaving home at 15 to enroll in circus training at a “boarding school for kids who didn’t fit in” in Norwich. With the emphasis on getting “real hands on experience”, the 38-year-old discovered his calling when he was sent on a job on a cruise ship where the holidaymakers demanded a magician.

“The day I became a magician was when they said here are some props, go for it,” Christian reminisces.

“I was a trained dancer and I found I could make a slight adjustment and turn a dance into a magic trick, it’s all about performance. I suddenly knew what I wanted to do – I had found my vocation.”

Cinderella runs at Jacksons Lane, Archway Road, London, from Monday, December 7 until Sunday, January 3. Tickets: 020 8341 4421 or www.jacksonslane.org.uk