James Freedman (pickpocket)

James Freedman (born 6 April 1965) is a British entertainer, sleight of hand artist and expert on stealth crime and theft from person. He is most well known for his skill as a pickpocket and his ability to secretly pick the pockets of volunteers. For this reason, he is also known as the 'Man of Steal'.

James Freedman has picked the pockets of the Mayor of London, the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Governor of the Bank of England. In 2013 Time Out wrote that he is "the world's number one pickpocket".

Freedman is an authority on pickpocket techniques and is consulted by police forces and security professionals to share his expertise. In 2015, he was appointed the UK's first Fraud Prevention Ambassador by the City of London Police.

James has performed for the Royal Family, British Prime Ministers, celebrities and audiences in over 25 countries. In 2008 he was invited to entertain at Downing Street where reportedly he "bumped into the Chancellor of the Exchequer and 'borrowed' his wallet."

He also gives pickpocket demonstrations to educate and help people avoid becoming victims of real pickpockets. This TED talk is one example.

His one-man theatre show James Freedman: Man of Steal won 5-Star critical acclaim at The Edinburgh Festival in 2014 and in 2015 enjoyed a sell-out run at the Menier Chocolate Factory Theatre before transferring for a limited run to Trafalgar Studios in London's West End. The show was hailed "a spectacular coup de theatre" (The Telegraph) and reinforced Freedman's reputation as "a master of the deceptive arts" (The Stage).

He also acts as a Magical Advisor inventing magic tricks and illusions for feature films, television shows, theatre and stadium productions.

Freedman was the Magic Consultant for the 2006 film The Illusionist starring Edward Norton and Aaron Johnson both of whom he taught sleight of hand and stage illusions [1]. Norton said that "James is one of the ultimate all-stars in his field today".

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Wikipedia