Andrew Newton: Hypnotising The Varieties
In one week, Andrew Newton will perform for the 340th time at the world-famous City Varieties. To celebrate, we spoke to him about his life as a hypnotist ahead of his next show The Hypnotist LIVE! on Sat 22 March.
Written by Andrew Newton (edited by Ellen Carnazza)
Andrew Newton
How did you get into hypnotism?
I was born in Manchester and studied at the Royal Northern College of Music as a percussionist. I got a lot of freelance work with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, the Hallé Orchestra in Manchester and the BBC Scottish National Orchestra, and I played for four summer seasons with the Max Jaffa Orchestra in the Spa Grand Hall in Scarborough. We played a different programme of classical music every night for four months without any rehearsal! You were expected to know the music, and wrong notes were simply not allowed! So sometimes you found your pulse racing, but I loved playing and loved being in Scarborough.
Andrew Newton during a performance.
However, I needed something to fall back on because the music business isn’t always secure, so I studied psychology for three years (while still playing), and that’s where I discovered hypnosis. I was hooked and started a stop smoking/weight loss business in Manchester. I got invited to do a couple of demonstrations for interest groups, and it was at one of those that I met a theatrical agent in Leeds called Avril Barton.
Avril fixed me up with gigs all around the North East and eventually introduced me to Michael and Stanley Joseph, who were the owners of the City Varieties. I remember my first show there. The Josephs booked me in for a full week, but on opening night, there were only about 50 people in the audience! But by the end of the week, it started to fill up, and when I played there a month later, the audience had doubled. It took a while, but eventually, we were selling out every show. That was in 1982, and since then, I have done 339 shows at the Varieties. My next performance on Sat 22 March, will be my 340th.
I have performed there more than any single artist in the history of the theatre. Every time I go there, it’s like being on hallowed ground because all the great names of show business have played on that stage.
What are some highlights of your career?
I have done 39 tours of Australia and New Zealand. I was going to stop at 40 because all that flying is just too much, but COVID-19 put paid to that ambition.
I’ve also toured the world: I did a three-month run in Las Vegas, long runs in Stockholm, Sweden, Oslo and Norway, and lots of summer seasons in Jersey. I’ve also performed in France, Spain, Hawaii, Hong Kong, India, China, and Singapore as one-offs. When I went to China, I was the only hypnotist to have performed there. Two weeks later, I was one of 200 hypnotists!
Eventually, in 1997, I sold my house in Cheshire and moved to Cape Town. I’d been invited to do a tour there and liked it so much that I didn’t even use the return ticket home!
One of Andrew Newton's performances in Fort Regent in Jersey.
Andrew Newton on stage at Bits Pilani University, India.
Hypnotism
Tell us about your show. What can audiences expect?
Gone are all the old routines like making people ballerinas or chickens, or making them behave like naughty children and look through magic glasses, etc. Now, I dedicate the whole second half to focusing on the human creative imagination. It’s difficult to explain – you have to see it to understand it. But it gets waves of laughter as my volunteers navigate their way around the topics I’ve given them. Every facet of the human imagination is turned to comedy.
What are some common misconceptions about hypnotism?
Hypnosis is not a ‘sleep state’; it’s a waking state where using suggestion can change someone’s behaviour. It involves the misdirection of the mind to create a state where ordinary people will throw themselves into the task at hand, thinking it’s perfectly normal behaviour.
One of Andrew Newton's performances.
One of Andrew Newton's performances.
You’ve performed at City Varieties many times over the years. What’s it like performing here?
I’ve sold out in big theatres like the Manchester Apollo, Liverpool Empire, Sunderland Empire, Bristol Hippodrome, and the 3000 seat Edinburgh Playhouse, but The Varieties remains my favourite venue because of its intimacy and its unique atmosphere. Ideally, I’d like to do another 36 shows there, which would equal one whole year of performing. I don’t think anyone would ever be able to beat that record.
Is there anything else you’d like to tell us?
I now spend most of my time in Cape Town, South Africa, returning only to the UK for a few weeks each year. Since COVID-19, I’ve been winding down because I’m fed up with the stress of navigating my way through airports and driving on crowded motorways. Anyway, I have a granddaughter now, and I want to spend as much time as possible with her.
And I’ve gone back to my roots – in my spare time, I play the drums in a band and conduct an amateur orchestra.
Andrew Newton's amateur orchestra.
Volunteers at one of Andrew Newton's shows.
Book now
Andrew Newton: The Hypnotist LIVE! returns to City Varieties Music Hall on Sat 22 March 2025.
World-famous hypnotist Andrew Newton returns to The Varieties with his hilarious one-man show.
City Varieties Music Hall Building Fund
The City Varieties Music Hall is the gem in Leeds’ crown. As the city’s oldest theatre, we want to ensure that Britain’s longest, continuously operating music hall is here for future generations, making it more accessible, sustainable, and comfortable. All donations will be fully invested in the building and equipment and will enhance your experience as a customer.
