HOT HANDS: Hypnotist and magician David Upfold wants to help people become stars. Times photo Bruce Nicholson

• Howick and Pakuranga Times

DAVID Upfold has a health warning for anyone thinking about attending his hypnotism show  – “it will cause uncontrollable fits of laughter”.

The cheerful magician, illusionist and real estate agent is also a highly experienced hypnotist, working with everyone from people who want to give up smoking to children who wet the bed.

Mr Upfold is bringing his show, The Hilarious Hypnotist, to Uxbridge, Howick’s creative centre, and says the audience is in for a treat.

The 56-year-old will be asking for brave individuals from the audience to help produce the laughs, but guarantees no one will be leaving red-faced.

“This is totally an entertainment show,” the Pakuranga resident told the Times. “Everyone who comes on stage is a volunteer and people will see some absolutely amazing things.”

One of Mr Upfold’s specialities is making the people under hypnosis believe they have just won the lottery. “I tell them to keep their winning ticket in a safe place,” he says.

“They might hide it in their underwear or stuff it into a sock.

“I once did a 40th birthday party for a woman. I told her she had won Lotto and to hide the ticket, and she got up and left.

“That’s how hypnosis works. If she had won it in real life, that’s what she would have done.”

Another of Mr Upfold’s tricks is to ask people under hypnosis what celebrity they most want to meet, and then convince them a mop is that person.

“I tell them the person likes being stroked so they stroke it. Then they wake up and drop the mop.

“It’s all fun and no one’s embarrassed – they actually become stars. Cameras and videos are allowed at the show.”

Ashley Grogan, Uxbridge’s public programmes manager, says Mr Upfold’s performance will be a first for the arts centre.

“We’ve never held a hypnotism show before,” she says.

“People can be assured this is a family show and no one will be hypnotised into running around naked.

“It will be loads of fun and I’m sure people will be screaming for more at the end.”

Mr Upfold adds his craft can only be used for good. He wouldn’t, for example, be able to walk into a bank and hypnotise the teller into handing over cash.

“Everybody wants to feel good and this show does exactly that,” he says.

“People will believe they are doing what they want to do, whether it’s going to the beach, meeting someone famous, or dancing.

“It’s all about the power of the mind and uplifting people.

“We always have about 90 per cent of the audience say at the end if the show was starting again right now they would volunteer to be up on stage.”

The Hilarious Hypnotist is on February 10 at 7.30pm at the arts centre at 35 Uxbridge Road, Howick. Tickets cost $20. To book, phone 535-6467.

Mr Upfold will give away five free hypnotherapy sessions, valued at $100 each, to members of the audience, with winners announced at the show.